מִשְׁלֵי 6

1 בְּנִי אִם־עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ תָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

My son, If thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast struck thy hand for a stranger;

2 נוֹקַשְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִיךָ נִלְכַּדְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

If thou art ensnared through the words of thy mouth, if thou art caught through the words of thy mouth:

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

[Then] do this by all means, my son, and deliver thyself, because thou art come into the power of thy friend, Go hasten to him, and urge thy friend.

4 אַל־תִּתֵּן שֵׁנָה לְעֵינֶיךָ וּתְנוּמָה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

Grant not any sleep to thy eyes, nor slumber to thy eyelids.

5 הִנָּצֵל כִּצְבִי מִיָּד וּכְצִפּוֹר מִיַּד יָקֽוּשׁ׃

Deliver thyself as a roebuck 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; look on her ways, and become wise.

7 אֲשֶׁר אֵֽין־לָהּ קָצִין שֹׁטֵר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

She, that hath no prince, officer, or ruler,

8 תָּכִין בַּקַּיִץ לַחְמָהּ אָגְרָה בַקָּצִיר מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

Provideth in the summer her provision, gathereth in harvest-time her food.

9 עַד־מָתַי עָצֵל ׀ תִּשְׁכָּב מָתַי תָּקוּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie down? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10 מְעַט שֵׁנוֹת מְעַט תְּנוּמוֹת מְעַט ׀ חִבֻּק יָדַיִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

“A little [more] sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”

11 וּבָֽא־כִמְהַלֵּךְ רֵאשֶׁךָ וּמַחְסֹֽרְךָ כְּאִישׁ מָגֵֽן׃

But then will thy poverty come like a rover, and thy want as a man armed with a shield.

12 אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל אִישׁ אָוֶן הוֹלֵךְ עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּֽה׃

A Godless person is a man of injustice, who walketh with a distorted mouth.

13 קֹרֵץ בְּעֵינָו מֹלֵל בְּרַגְלָו מֹרֶה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

He blinketh with his eyes, he scrapeth with his feet, he pointeth with his fingers;

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

Perverseness is in his heart, he contriveth evil at all times; he scattereth abroad discord.

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

Therefore shall suddenly come his calamity: unawares shalt he be broken without a remedy.

16 שֶׁשׁ־הֵנָּה שָׂנֵא יְהוָה וְשֶׁבַע תועבות תּוֹעֲבַת נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

Six things there are which the Lord hateth; and seven are an abomination unto his spirit:

17 עֵינַיִם רָמוֹת לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר וְיָדַיִם שֹׁפְכוֹת דָּם־נָקִֽי׃

Haughty eyes, a tongue of falsehood, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 לֵב חֹרֵשׁ מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָוֶן רַגְלַיִם מְמַהֲרוֹת לָרוּץ לָֽרָעָה׃

A heart that contriveth plans of injustice, feet that hasten to run after evil,

19 יָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים עֵד שָׁקֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ מְדָנִים בֵּין אַחִֽים׃

A false witness that eagerly uttereth lies, and him that scattereth abroad discord among brethren.

20 נְצֹר בְּנִי מִצְוַת אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

Keep, O my son, the commandment of thy father, and reject not the teaching of thy mother:

21 קָשְׁרֵם עַל־לִבְּךָ תָמִיד עָנְדֵם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

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

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 art awake, it shall converse with thee.

23 כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר וְדֶרֶךְ חַיִּים תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָֽר׃

For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and the way of life are the admonitions of correction:

24 לִשְׁמָרְךָ מֵאֵשֶׁת רָע מֵֽחֶלְקַת לָשׁוֹן נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

To guard thee against a bad woman, from the flattery of an alien tongue.

25 אַל־תַּחְמֹד יָפְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ וְאַל־תִּקָּֽחֲךָ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

Covet not her beauty in thy heart, and let her not conquer thee with her eyelids.

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

For by means of a harlot [one is brought down] to the last loaf of bread: and an adulterous woman will even hunt for the precious life,

27 הֲיַחְתֶּה אִישׁ אֵשׁ בְּחֵיקוֹ וּבְגָדָיו לֹא תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

Can a man gather up fire in his lap, and shall his clothes not be burnt?

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

Can a man walk along upon hot coals, and shall his feet not be burnt?

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

So it is with him that goeth in to his neighbor's wife: no one that toucheth her shall remain unpunished.

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

Men do not despise the thief, if he steal, to gratify his craving when he is hungry:

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

And if he be found, he must pay sevenfold; all the wealth his house must he give.

32 נֹאֵף אִשָּׁה חֲסַר־לֵב מַֽשְׁחִית נַפְשׁוֹ הוּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh sense: he that is the destroyer of his soul, will alone do this.

33 נֶֽגַע־וְקָלוֹן יִמְצָא וְחֶרְפָּתוֹ לֹא תִמָּחֶֽה׃

Plague and disgrace will he meet with; and his reproach will not be blotted out.

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

For jealousy is the fury of a husband, and he will not spare on the day of vengeance.

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

He will not regard the appearance of any ransom; and he will not be content, though thou give ever so many bribes.