מִשְׁלֵי 8

1 הֲלֹֽא־חָכְמָה תִקְרָא וּתְבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלָֽהּ׃

You shall proclaim wisdom, that understanding may be obedient to you.

2 בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרוֹמִים עֲלֵי־דָרֶךְ בֵּית נְתִיבוֹת נִצָּֽבָה׃

For she is on lofty eminences, and stands in the midst of the ways.

3 לְיַד־שְׁעָרִים לְפִי־קָרֶת מְבוֹא פְתָחִים תָּרֹֽנָּה׃

For she sits by the gates of princes, and sings in the entrances, [saying],

4 אֲלֵיכֶם אִישִׁים אֶקְרָא וְקוֹלִי אֶל־בְּנֵי אָדָֽם׃

You, O men, I exhort; and utter my voice to the sons of men.

5 הָבִינוּ פְתָאיִם עָרְמָה וּכְסִילִים הָבִינוּ לֵֽב׃

O you simple, understand subtlety, and you that are untaught, imbibe knowledge.

6 שִׁמְעוּ כִּֽי־נְגִידִים אֲדַבֵּר וּמִפְתַּח שְׂפָתַי מֵישָׁרִֽים׃

Listen to me; for I will speak solemn [truths]; and will produce right [sayings] from my lips.

7 כִּֽי־אֱמֶת יֶהְגֶּה חִכִּי וְתוֹעֲבַת שְׂפָתַי רֶֽשַׁע׃

For my throat shall meditate truth; and false lips are an abomination before me.

8 בְּצֶדֶק כָּל־אִמְרֵי־פִי אֵין בָּהֶם נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּֽשׁ׃

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing in them wrong or perverse.

9 כֻּלָּם נְכֹחִים לַמֵּבִין וִֽישָׁרִים לְמֹצְאֵי דָֽעַת׃

They are all evident to those that understand, and right to those that find knowledge.

10 קְחֽוּ־מוּסָרִי וְאַל־כָּסֶף וְדַעַת מֵחָרוּץ נִבְחָֽר׃

Receive instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than tried gold.

11 כִּֽי־טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִפְּנִינִים וְכָל־חֲפָצִים לֹא יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ׃

For wisdom is better than precious stones; and no valuable substance is of equal worth with it.

12 אֲ‍ֽנִי־חָכְמָה שָׁכַנְתִּי עָרְמָה וְדַעַת מְזִמּוֹת אֶמְצָֽא׃

I wisdom have lived [with] counsel and knowledge, and I have called upon understanding.

13 יִֽרְאַת יְהוָה שְֽׂנֹאת רָע גֵּאָה וְגָאוֹן ׀ וְדֶרֶךְ רָע וּפִי תַהְפֻּכוֹת שָׂנֵֽאתִי׃

The fear of the Lord hates unrighteousness, and insolence, and pride, and the ways of wicked men; and I hate the perverse ways of bad men.

14 לִֽי־עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה אֲנִי בִינָה לִי גְבוּרָֽה׃

Counsel and safety are mine; prudence is mine, and strength is mine.

15 בִּי מְלָכִים יִמְלֹכוּ וְרוֹזְנִים יְחֹקְקוּ צֶֽדֶק׃

By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

16 בִּי שָׂרִים יָשֹׂרוּ וּנְדִיבִים כָּל־שֹׁפְטֵי צֶֽדֶק׃

By me nobles become great, and monarchs by me rule over the earth.

17 אֲנִי אהביה אֹהֲבַי אֵהָב וּמְשַׁחֲרַי יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

I love those that love me; and they that seek me shall find [me].

18 עֹֽשֶׁר־וְכָבוֹד אִתִּי הוֹן עָתֵק וּצְדָקָֽה׃

Wealth and glory belong to me; yes, abundant possessions and righteousness.

19 טוֹב פִּרְיִי מֵחָרוּץ וּמִפָּז וּתְבוּאָתִי מִכֶּסֶף נִבְחָֽר׃

[It is] better to have my fruit than [to have] gold and precious stones; and my produce is better than choice silver.

20 בְּאֹֽרַח־צְדָקָה אֲהַלֵּך בְּתוֹךְ נְתִיבוֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

I walk in ways of righteousness, and [am] conversant with the paths of judgment;

21 לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי ׀ יֵשׁ וְאֹצְרֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּֽא׃

that I may divide substance to them that love me, and may fill their treasures with good things. If I declare to you the things that daily happen, I will remember [also] to recount the things of old.

22 יְֽהוָה קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָֽז׃

The Lord made me the beginning of his ways for his works.

23 מֵעוֹלָם נִסַּכְתִּי מֵרֹאשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

He established me before time [was] in the beginning, before he made the earth:

24 בְּאֵין־תְּהֹמוֹת חוֹלָלְתִּי בְּאֵין מַעְיָנוֹת נִכְבַּדֵּי־מָֽיִם׃

even before he made the depths; before the fountains of water came forth:

25 בְּטֶרֶם הָרִים הָטְבָּעוּ לִפְנֵי גְבָעוֹת חוֹלָֽלְתִּי׃

before the mountains were settled, and before all hills, he begets me.

26 עַד־לֹא עָשָׂה אֶרֶץ וְחוּצוֹת וְרֹאשׁ עָפְרוֹת תֵּבֵֽל׃

The Lord made countries and uninhabited [tracks], and the highest inhabited parts of the world.

27 בַּהֲכִינוֹ שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָנִי בְּחוּקוֹ חוּג עַל־פְּנֵי תְהֽוֹם׃

When he prepared the heaven, I was present with him; and when he prepared his throne upon the winds:

28 בְּאַמְּצוֹ שְׁחָקִים מִמָּעַל בַּעֲזוֹז עִינוֹת תְּהוֹם׃

and when he strengthened the clouds above; and when he secured the fountains of the earth:

29 בְּשׂוּמוֹ לַיָּם ׀ חֻקּוֹ וּמַיִם לֹא יַֽעַבְרוּ־פִיו בְּחוּקוֹ מוֹסְדֵי אָֽרֶץ׃

decree. and when he strengthened the foundations of the earth:

30 וָֽאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן וָֽאֶהְיֶה שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים יוֹם ׀ יוֹם מְשַׂחֶקֶת לְפָנָיו בְּכָל־עֵֽת׃

I was by him, suiting [myself to him], I was that wherein he took delight; and daily I rejoiced in his presence continually.

31 מְשַׂחֶקֶת בְּתֵבֵל אַרְצוֹ וְשַׁעֲשֻׁעַי אֶת־בְּנֵי אָדָֽם׃

For he rejoiced when he had completed the world, and rejoiced among the children of men.

32 וְעַתָּה בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִי וְאַשְׁרֵי דְּרָכַי יִשְׁמֹֽרוּ׃

Now then, [my] son, hear me: blessed is the man who shall listen to me, and the mortal who shall keep my ways;

33 שִׁמְעוּ מוּסָר וַחֲכָמוּ וְאַל־תִּפְרָֽעוּ׃

[Hear wisdom and be wise, and be not strangers to it. ]

34 אַשְֽׁרֵי אָדָם שֹׁמֵעַֽ לִי לִשְׁקֹד עַל־דַּלְתֹתַי יוֹם ׀ יוֹם לִשְׁמֹר מְזוּזֹת פְּתָחָֽי׃

watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my entrances.

35 כִּי מֹצְאִי מצאי מָצָא חַיִּים וַיָּפֶק רָצוֹן מֵיְהוָֽה׃

For my outgoings are the outgoings of life, and [in them] is prepared favor from the Lord.

36 וְֽחֹטְאִי חֹמֵס נַפְשׁוֹ כָּל־מְשַׂנְאַי אָהֲבוּ מָֽוֶת׃

But they that sin against me act wickedly against their own souls: and they that hate me love death.