מִשְׁלֵי 6

1 בְּנִי אִם־עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ תָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger —

2 נוֹקַשְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִיךָ נִלְכַּדְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, thou art caught by the words of thy mouth —

3 עֲשֵׂה זֹאת אֵפוֹא ׀ בְּנִי וְֽהִנָּצֵל כִּי בָאתָ בְכַף־רֵעֶךָ לֵךְ הִתְרַפֵּס וּרְהַב רֵעֶֽיךָ׃

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour; go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbour.

4 אַל־תִּתֵּן שֵׁנָה לְעֵינֶיךָ וּתְנוּמָה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5 הִנָּצֵל כִּצְבִי מִיָּד וּכְצִפּוֹר מִיַּד יָקֽוּשׁ׃

Deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 לֵֽךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָה עָצֵל רְאֵה דְרָכֶיהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise;

7 אֲשֶׁר אֵֽין־לָהּ קָצִין שֹׁטֵר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

8 תָּכִין בַּקַּיִץ לַחְמָהּ אָגְרָה בַקָּצִיר מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

Provideth her bread in the summer, and gatherest her food in the harvest.

9 עַד־מָתַי עָצֵל ׀ תִּשְׁכָּב מָתַי תָּקוּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10 מְעַט שֵׁנוֹת מְעַט תְּנוּמוֹת מְעַט ׀ חִבֻּק יָדַיִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep' —

11 וּבָֽא־כִמְהַלֵּךְ רֵאשֶׁךָ וּמַחְסֹֽרְךָ כְּאִישׁ מָגֵֽן׃

So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.

12 אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל אִישׁ אָוֶן הוֹלֵךְ עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּֽה׃

A base person, a man of iniquity, is he that walketh with a froward mouth;

13 קֹרֵץ בְּעֵינָו מֹלֵל בְּרַגְלָו מֹרֶה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

That winketh with his eyes, that scrapeth with his feet, that pointeth with his fingers;

14 תַּֽהְפֻּכוֹת ׀ בְּלִבּוֹ חֹרֵשׁ רָע בְּכָל־עֵת מדנים מִדְיָנִים יְשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil continually; he soweth discord.

15 עַל־כֵּן פִּתְאֹם יָבוֹא אֵידוֹ פֶּתַע יִשָּׁבֵר וְאֵין מַרְפֵּֽא׃

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; on a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

16 שֶׁשׁ־הֵנָּה שָׂנֵא יְהוָה וְשֶׁבַע תועבות תּוֹעֲבַת נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

There are six things which the LORD hateth, yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him:

17 עֵינַיִם רָמוֹת לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר וְיָדַיִם שֹׁפְכוֹת דָּם־נָקִֽי׃

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;

18 לֵב חֹרֵשׁ מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָוֶן רַגְלַיִם מְמַהֲרוֹת לָרוּץ לָֽרָעָה׃

A heart that deviseth wicked thoughts, feet that are swift in running to evil;

19 יָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים עֵד שָׁקֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ מְדָנִים בֵּין אַחִֽים׃

A false witness that breatheth out lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

20 נְצֹר בְּנִי מִצְוַת אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

My son, keep the commandment of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;

21 קָשְׁרֵם עַל־לִבְּךָ תָמִיד עָנְדֵם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

Bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck.

22 בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ ׀ תַּנְחֶה אֹתָךְ בְּֽשָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ הִיא תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃

When thou walkest, it shall lead thee, when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23 כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר וְדֶרֶךְ חַיִּים תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָֽר׃

For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life;

24 לִשְׁמָרְךָ מֵאֵשֶׁת רָע מֵֽחֶלְקַת לָשׁוֹן נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

To keep thee from the evil woman, from the smoothness of the alien tongue.

25 אַל־תַּחְמֹד יָפְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ וְאַל־תִּקָּֽחֲךָ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her captivate thee with her eyelids.

26 כִּי בְעַד־אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה עַֽד־כִּכַּר לָחֶם וְאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ נֶפֶשׁ יְקָרָה תָצֽוּד׃

For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a loaf of bread, but the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.

27 הֲיַחְתֶּה אִישׁ אֵשׁ בְּחֵיקוֹ וּבְגָדָיו לֹא תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28 אִם־יְהַלֵּךְ אִישׁ עַל־הַגֶּחָלִים וְרַגְלָיו לֹא תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃

Or can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

29 כֵּן הַבָּא אֶל־אֵשֶׁת רֵעֵהוּ לֹא יִנָּקֶה כָּֽל־הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּֽהּ׃

So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.

30 לֹא־יָבוּזוּ לַגַּנָּב כִּי יִגְנוֹב לְמַלֵּא נַפְשׁוֹ כִּי יִרְעָֽב׃

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31 וְנִמְצָא יְשַׁלֵּם שִׁבְעָתָיִם אֶת־כָּל־הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ יִתֵּֽן׃

But if he be found, he must restore sevenfold, he must give all the substance of his house.

32 נֹאֵף אִשָּׁה חֲסַר־לֵב מַֽשְׁחִית נַפְשׁוֹ הוּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he doeth it that would destroy his own soul.

33 נֶֽגַע־וְקָלוֹן יִמְצָא וְחֶרְפָּתוֹ לֹא תִמָּחֶֽה׃

Wounds and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34 כִּֽי־קִנְאָה חֲמַת־גָּבֶר וְלֹֽא־יַחְמוֹל בְּיוֹם נָקָֽם׃

For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 לֹא־יִשָּׂא פְּנֵי כָל־כֹּפֶר וְלֹֽא־יֹאבֶה כִּי תַרְבֶּה־שֹֽׁחַד׃

He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.