מִשְׁלֵי 5

1 בְּנִי לְחָכְמָתִי הַקְשִׁיבָה לִתְבוּנָתִי הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃

[My] son, attend to my wisdom, and apply your ear to my words;

2 לִשְׁמֹר מְזִמּוֹת וְדַעַת שְׂפָתֶיךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃

that you may keep good understanding, and the discretion of my lips gives you a charge. Give no heed to a worthless woman;

3 כִּי נֹפֶת תִּטֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתֵי זָרָה וְחָלָק מִשֶּׁמֶן חִכָּֽהּ׃

for honey drops from the lips of a harlot, who for a season pleases your palate:

4 וְֽאַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָה כַֽלַּעֲנָה חַדָּה כְּחֶרֶב פִּיּֽוֹת׃

but afterwards you will find her more bitter than gall, and sharper than a two-edged sword.

5 רַגְלֶיהָ יֹרְדוֹת מָוֶת שְׁאוֹל צְעָדֶיהָ יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃ (Sheol h7585)

For the feet of folly lead those who deal with her down to the grave with death; and her steps are not established. (Sheol h7585)

6 אֹרַח חַיִּים פֶּן־תְּפַלֵּס נָעוּ מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ לֹא תֵדֽ͏ָע׃

For she goes not upon the paths of life; but her ways are slippery, and not easily known.

7 וְעַתָּה בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִי וְאַל־תָּסוּרוּ מֵאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

Now then, [my] son, hear me, and make not my words of none effect.

8 הַרְחֵק מֵעָלֶיהָ דַרְכֶּךָ וְאַל־תִּקְרַב אֶל־פֶּתַח בֵּיתָֽהּ׃

Remove your way far from her; draw not near to the doors of her house:

9 פֶּן־תִּתֵּן לַאֲחֵרִים הוֹדֶךָ וּשְׁנֹתֶיךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃

lest you give away your life to others, and your substance to the merciless:

10 פֶּֽן־יִשְׂבְּעוּ זָרִים כֹּחֶךָ וַעֲצָבֶיךָ בְּבֵית נָכְרֽ͏ִי׃

lest strangers be filled with your strength, and your labors come into the houses of strangers;

11 וְנָהַמְתָּ בְאַחֲרִיתֶךָ בִּכְלוֹת בְּשָׂרְךָ וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃

And you repent at last, when the flesh of your body is consumed,

12 וְֽאָמַרְתָּ אֵיךְ שָׂנֵאתִי מוּסָר וְתוֹכַחַת נָאַץ לִבִּֽי׃

and you shall say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart avoided reproofs!

13 וְֽלֹא־שָׁמַעְתִּי בְּקוֹל מוֹרָי וְלִֽמְלַמְּדַי לֹא־הִטִּיתִי אָזְנִֽי׃

I heard not the voice of him that instructed me, and taught me, neither did I apply mine ear.

14 כִּמְעַט הָיִיתִי בְכָל־רָע בְּתוֹךְ קָהָל וְעֵדָֽה׃

I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

15 שְׁתֵה־מַיִם מִבּוֹרֶךָ וְנֹזְלִים מִתּוֹךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃

Drink waters out of your own vessels, and out of your own springing wells.

16 יָפוּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶיךָ חוּצָה בָּרְחֹבוֹת פַּלְגֵי־מָֽיִם׃

Let not waters out of your fountain be spilt by you, but let your waters go into your streets.

17 יִֽהְיוּ־לְךָ לְבַדֶּךָ וְאֵין לְזָרִים אִתָּֽךְ׃

Let them be only your own, and let no stranger partake with you.

18 יְהִֽי־מְקוֹרְךָ בָרוּךְ וּשְׂמַח מֵאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃

Let your fountain of water be [truly] your own; and rejoice with the wife of your youth.

19 אַיֶּלֶת אֲהָבִים וְֽיַעֲלַת־חֵן דַּדֶּיהָ יְרַוֻּךָ בְכָל־עֵת בְּאַהֲבָתָהּ תִּשְׁגֶּה תָמִֽיד׃

Let [your] loving hart and your graceful colt company with you, and let her be considered your own, and be with you at all times; for ravished with her love you shall be greatly increased.

20 וְלָמָּה תִשְׁגֶּה בְנִי בְזָרָה וּתְחַבֵּק חֵק נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

Be not intimate with a strange woman, neither fold yourself in the arms of a woman not your own.

21 כִּי נֹכַח ׀ עֵינֵי יְהוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ וְֽכָל־מַעְגְּלֹתָיו מְפַלֵּֽס׃

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of God, and he looks on all his paths.

22 עַֽווֹנוֹתָיו יִלְכְּדֻנוֹ אֶת־הָרָשָׁע וּבְחַבְלֵי חַטָּאתוֹ יִתָּמֵֽךְ׃

Iniquities ensnare a man, and every one is bound in the chains of his own sins.

23 הוּא יָמוּת בְּאֵין מוּסָר וּבְרֹב אִוַּלְתּוֹ יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃

Such a man dies with the uninstructed; and he is cast forth from the abundance of his own substance, and has perished through folly.