מִשְׁלֵי 1

1 מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר לְהָבִין אִמְרֵי בִינָֽה׃

For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,

3 לָקַחַת מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,

4 לָתֵת לִפְתָאיִם עָרְמָה לְנַעַר דַּעַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.

5 יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיוֹסֶף לֶקַח וְנָבוֹן תַּחְבֻּלוֹת יִקְנֶֽה׃

(The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)

6 לְהָבִין מָשָׁל וּמְלִיצָה דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.

7 יִרְאַת יְהוָה רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר אֱוִילִים בָּֽזוּ׃

Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!

8 שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,

9 כִּי ׀ לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ וַעֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.

10 בְּנִי אִם־יְפַתּוּךָ חַטָּאִים אַל־תֹּבֵֽא׃

My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.

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

If they say, “Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,

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

We swallow them as Sheol—alive, And whole—as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)

13 כָּל־הוֹן יָקָר נִמְצָא נְמַלֵּא בָתֵּינוּ שָׁלָֽל׃

We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,

14 גּוֹרָלְךָ תַּפִּיל בְּתוֹכֵנוּ כִּיס אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃

You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”

15 בְּנִי אַל־תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אִתָּם מְנַע רַגְלְךָ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃

My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,

16 כִּי רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרוּצוּ וִֽימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּֽם׃

For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.

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

Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.

18 וְהֵם לְדָמָם יֶאֱרֹבוּ יִצְפְּנוּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.

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

So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.

20 חָכְמוֹת בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה בָּרְחֹבוֹת תִּתֵּן קוֹלָֽהּ׃

Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,

21 בְּרֹאשׁ הֹמִיּוֹת תִּקְרָא בְּפִתְחֵי שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:

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

“Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate knowledge?

23 תָּשׁוּבוּ לְֽתוֹכַחְתִּי הִנֵּה אַבִּיעָה לָכֶם רוּחִי אוֹדִיעָה דְבָרַי אֶתְכֶֽם׃

Turn back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.

24 יַעַן קָרָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵנוּ נָטִיתִי יָדִי וְאֵין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,

25 וַתִּפְרְעוּ כָל־עֲצָתִי וְתוֹכַחְתִּי לֹא אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.

26 גַּם־אֲנִי בְּאֵידְכֶם אֶשְׂחָק אֶלְעַג בְּבֹא פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,

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

When your fear comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.

28 אָז יִקְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹא אֶֽעֱנֶה יְשַׁחֲרֻנְנִי וְלֹא יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.

29 תַּחַת כִּי־שָׂנְאוּ דָעַת וְיִרְאַת יְהֹוָה לֹא בָחָֽרוּ׃

Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.

30 לֹא־אָבוּ לַעֲצָתִי נָאֲצוּ כָּל־תּוֹכַחְתִּֽי׃

They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,

31 וְֽיֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִי דַרְכָּם וּֽמִמֹּעֲצֹתֵיהֶם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.

32 כִּי מְשׁוּבַת פְּתָיִם תַּֽהַרְגֵם וְשַׁלְוַת כְּסִילִים תְּאַבְּדֵֽם׃

For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.

33 וְשֹׁמֵעַֽ לִי יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּטַח וְשַׁאֲנַן מִפַּחַד רָעָֽה׃

And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”

King Solomon in Old Age