מִשְׁלֵי 1

1 מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

2 לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר לְהָבִין אִמְרֵי בִינָֽה׃

To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

3 לָקַחַת מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

4 לָתֵת לִפְתָאיִם עָרְמָה לְנַעַר דַּעַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

5 יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיוֹסֶף לֶקַח וְנָבוֹן תַּחְבֻּלוֹת יִקְנֶֽה׃

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:

6 לְהָבִין מָשָׁל וּמְלִיצָה דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

7 יִרְאַת יְהוָה רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר אֱוִילִים בָּֽזוּ׃

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8 שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

My son, hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother:

9 כִּי ׀ לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ וַעֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

For they shall be an ornament of grace to your head, and chains about your neck.

10 בְּנִי אִם־יְפַתּוּךָ חַטָּאִים אַל־תֹּבֵֽא׃

My son, if sinners entice you, consent you not.

11 אִם־יֹאמְרוּ לְכָה אִתָּנוּ נֶאֶרְבָה לְדָם נִצְפְּנָה לְנָקִי חִנָּֽם׃

If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privately for the innocent without cause:

12 נִבְלָעֵם כִּשְׁאוֹל חַיִּים וּתְמִימִים כְּיוֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃ (Sheol h7585)

Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: (Sheol h7585)

13 כָּל־הוֹן יָקָר נִמְצָא נְמַלֵּא בָתֵּינוּ שָׁלָֽל׃

We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

14 גּוֹרָלְךָ תַּפִּיל בְּתוֹכֵנוּ כִּיס אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃

Cast in your lot among us; let us all have one purse:

15 בְּנִי אַל־תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אִתָּם מְנַע רַגְלְךָ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃

My son, walk not you in the way with them; refrain your foot from their path:

16 כִּי רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרוּצוּ וִֽימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּֽם׃

For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

17 כִּֽי־חִנָּם מְזֹרָה הָרָשֶׁת בְּעֵינֵי כָל־בַּעַל כָּנָֽף׃

Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

18 וְהֵם לְדָמָם יֶאֱרֹבוּ יִצְפְּנוּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privately for their own lives.

19 כֵּן אָרְחוֹת כָּל־בֹּצֵֽעַ בָּצַע אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלָיו יִקָּֽח׃

So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which takes away the life of the owners thereof.

20 חָכְמוֹת בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה בָּרְחֹבוֹת תִּתֵּן קוֹלָֽהּ׃

Wisdom cries without; she utters her voice in the streets:

21 בְּרֹאשׁ הֹמִיּוֹת תִּקְרָא בְּפִתְחֵי שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words, saying,

22 עַד־מָתַי ׀ פְּתָיִם תְּֽאֵהֲבוּ פֶתִי וְלֵצִים לָצוֹן חָמְדוּ לָהֶם וּכְסִילִים יִשְׂנְאוּ־דָֽעַת׃

How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23 תָּשׁוּבוּ לְֽתוֹכַחְתִּי הִנֵּה אַבִּיעָה לָכֶם רוּחִי אוֹדִיעָה דְבָרַי אֶתְכֶֽם׃

Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known my words to you.

24 יַעַן קָרָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵנוּ נָטִיתִי יָדִי וְאֵין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

Because I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25 וַתִּפְרְעוּ כָל־עֲצָתִי וְתוֹכַחְתִּי לֹא אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

But you have set at nothing all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26 גַּם־אֲנִי בְּאֵידְכֶם אֶשְׂחָק אֶלְעַג בְּבֹא פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear comes;

27 בְּבֹא כשאוה כְשׁוֹאָה ׀ פַּחְדְּכֶם וְֽאֵידְכֶם כְּסוּפָה יֶאֱתֶה בְּבֹא עֲלֵיכֶם צָרָה וְצוּקָֽה׃

When your fear comes as desolation, and your destruction comes as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish comes on you.

28 אָז יִקְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹא אֶֽעֱנֶה יְשַׁחֲרֻנְנִי וְלֹא יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

Then shall they call on me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

29 תַּחַת כִּי־שָׂנְאוּ דָעַת וְיִרְאַת יְהֹוָה לֹא בָחָֽרוּ׃

For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

30 לֹא־אָבוּ לַעֲצָתִי נָאֲצוּ כָּל־תּוֹכַחְתִּֽי׃

They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31 וְֽיֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִי דַרְכָּם וּֽמִמֹּעֲצֹתֵיהֶם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32 כִּי מְשׁוּבַת פְּתָיִם תַּֽהַרְגֵם וְשַׁלְוַת כְּסִילִים תְּאַבְּדֵֽם׃

For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 וְשֹׁמֵעַֽ לִי יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּטַח וְשַׁאֲנַן מִפַּחַד רָעָֽה׃

But whoever listens to me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

King Solomon in Old Age