מִשְׁלֵי 3

1 בְּ֭נִי תּוֹרָתִ֣י אַל־תִּשְׁכָּ֑ח וּ֝מִצְוֺתַ֗י יִצֹּ֥ר לִבֶּֽךָ׃

My son, mine instruction, do not thou forget, and, my commandment, let thy heart observe;

2 כִּ֤י אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים וּשְׁנ֣וֹת חַיִּ֑ים וְ֝שָׁל֗וֹם יוֹסִ֥יפוּ לָֽךְ׃

For, length of days and years of life, and blessedness, shall they add to thee.

3 חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶ֗ת אַֽל־יַעַ֫זְבֻ֥ךָ קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל־גַּרְגְּרוֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

Lovingkindness and faithfulness, let them not forsake thee, —bind them, upon thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart:

4 וּמְצָא־חֵ֖ן וְשֵֽׂכֶל־ט֑וֹב בְּעֵינֵ֖י אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאָדָֽם׃ פ

So find thou favour and good repute, in the eyes of God and man.

5 בְּטַ֣ח אֶל־יְ֭הוָה בְּכָל־לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְאֶל־בִּֽ֝ינָתְךָ֗ אַל־תִּשָּׁעֵֽן׃

Trust thou in Yahweh, with all thy heart, and, unto thine own understanding, do not lean:

6 בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ דָעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝ה֗וּא יְיַשֵּׁ֥ר אֹֽרְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃

In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and, he, will make straight thy paths.

7 אַל־תְּהִ֣י חָכָ֣ם בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ יְרָ֥א אֶת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וְס֣וּר מֵרָֽע׃

Do not become wise in thine own eyes, revere Yahweh, and avoid evil:

8 רִ֭פְאוּת תְּהִ֣י לְשָׁרֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝שִׁקּ֗וּי לְעַצְמוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Healing, shall it be to thy body, and refreshing, to thy bones.

9 כַּבֵּ֣ד אֶת־יְ֭הוָה מֵהוֹנֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מֵרֵאשִׁ֗ית כָּל־תְּבוּאָתֶֽךָ׃

Honour thou Yahweh, with thy substance, and with the firstfruit of all thine increase;

10 וְיִמָּלְא֣וּ אֲסָמֶ֣יךָ שָׂבָ֑ע וְ֝תִיר֗וֹשׁ יְקָבֶ֥יךָ יִפְרֹֽצוּ׃ פ

So shall thy storehouses be filled with plenty, and, with new wine, shall thy vats overflow.

11 מוּסַ֣ר יְ֭הוָה בְּנִ֣י אַל־תִּמְאָ֑ס וְאַל־תָּ֝קֹ֗ץ בְּתוֹכַחְתּֽוֹ׃

The, chastening of Yahweh, my son, do not reject, nor loathe his rebuke;

12 כִּ֤י אֶ֥ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶאֱהַ֣ב יְהוָ֣ה יוֹכִ֑יחַ וּ֝כְאָ֗ב אֶת־בֵּ֥ן יִרְצֶֽה׃

For, whom Yahweh loveth, he correcteth, he causeth pain to the son in whom he delighteth.

13 אַשְׁרֵ֣י אָ֭דָם מָצָ֣א חָכְמָ֑ה וְ֝אָדָ֗ם יָפִ֥יק תְּבוּנָֽה׃

How happy the man who hath found wisdom, and the man who draweth forth understanding,

14 כִּ֤י ט֣וֹב סַ֭חְרָהּ מִסְּחַר־כָּ֑סֶף וּ֝מֵחָר֗וּץ תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃

For better is her merchandise, than the merchandise of silver, yea, than gold, her increase;

15 יְקָ֣רָה הִ֭יא מפניים וְכָל־חֲ֝פָצֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ׃

More precious, is she, than corals, yea, none of thy delightful things, doth equal her:

16 אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים בִּֽימִינָ֑הּ בִּ֝שְׂמֹאולָ֗הּ עֹ֣שֶׁר וְכָבֽוֹד׃

Length of days, is in her right hand, in her left, are riches and honour;

17 דְּרָכֶ֥יהָ דַרְכֵי־נֹ֑עַם וְֽכָל־נְתִ֖יבוֹתֶ֣יהָ שָׁלֽוֹם׃

Her ways, are ways of pleasantness, and, all her paths, are peace;

18 עֵץ־חַיִּ֣ים הִ֭יא לַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים בָּ֑הּ וְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃ פ

A tree of life, is she, to them who secure her, —and, they who hold her fast, are every one to be pronounced happy.

19 יְֽהוָ֗ה בְּחָכְמָ֥ה יָֽסַד־אָ֑רֶץ כּוֹנֵ֥ן שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם בִּתְבוּנָֽה׃

Yahweh, in wisdom, founded the earth, establishing the heavens with understanding;

20 בְּ֭דַעְתּוֹ תְּהוֹמ֣וֹת נִבְקָ֑עוּ וּ֝שְׁחָקִ֗ים יִרְעֲפוּ־טָֽל׃

By his knowledge, the resounding deeps were burst open, and, the skies, drop down dew.

21 בְּ֭נִי אַל־יָלֻ֣זוּ מֵעֵינֶ֑יךָ נְצֹ֥ר תֻּ֝שִׁיָּ֗ה וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

My son, let them not depart from thine eyes, guard thou counsel, and purpose:

22 וְיִֽהְי֣וּ חַיִּ֣ים לְנַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ וְ֝חֵ֗ן לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

So shall they become life to thy soul, and an adorning to thy neck;

23 אָ֤ז תֵּלֵ֣ךְ לָבֶ֣טַח דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝רַגְלְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִגּֽוֹף׃

Then, shalt thou walk securely in thy way, and, thy foot, shall not stumble;

24 אִם־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ב לֹֽא־תִפְחָ֑ד וְ֝שָׁכַבְתָּ֗ וְֽעָרְבָ֥ה שְׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

When thou sittest down, thou shalt have no dread, yea thou shalt lie down, and sweet shall be thy sleep.

25 אַל־תִּ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹ֑ם וּמִשֹּׁאַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים כִּ֣י תָבֹֽא׃

Be not thou afraid of sudden dread, nor of the desolation of the lawless, when it cometh.

26 כִּֽי־יְ֭הוָה יִהְיֶ֣ה בְכִסְלֶ֑ךָ וְשָׁמַ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מִלָּֽכֶד׃

For, Yahweh, will be in all thy ways, and will keep thy foot from the snare.

27 אַל־תִּמְנַע־ט֥וֹב מִבְּעָלָ֑יו בִּהְי֨וֹת לְאֵ֖ל ידיך לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

Withhold not good from them who ask it, when it is in power of thy hand to do it:

28 אַל־תֹּ֘אמַ֤ר לרעיך ׀ לֵ֣ךְ וָ֭שׁוּב וּמָחָ֥ר אֶתֵּ֗ן וְיֵ֣שׁ אִתָּֽךְ׃

Do not say to thy neighbour, Go and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.

29 אַל־תַּחֲרֹ֣שׁ עַל־רֵעֲךָ֣ רָעָ֑ה וְהֽוּא־יוֹשֵׁ֖ב לָבֶ֣טַח אִתָּֽךְ׃

Devise not against thy neighbour an injury, seeing that, he, dwelleth securely by thee.

30 אַל־תרוב עִם־אָדָ֣ם חִנָּ֑ם אִם־לֹ֖א גְמָלְךָ֣ רָעָֽה׃

Contend not with a man without cause, if he hath dealt thee no wrong.

31 אַל־תְּ֭קַנֵּא בְּאִ֣ישׁ חָמָ֑ס וְאַל־תִּ֝בְחַ֗ר בְּכָל־דְּרָכָֽיו׃

Do not thou envy the man of violence, neither choose thou any of his ways;

32 כִּ֤י תוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה נָל֑וֹז וְֽאֶת־יְשָׁרִ֥ים סוֹדֽוֹ׃

For, an abomination to Yahweh, is the tortuous man, but, with the upright, he is intimate.

33 מְאֵרַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה בְּבֵ֣ית רָשָׁ֑ע וּנְוֵ֖ה צַדִּיקִ֣ים יְבָרֵֽךְ׃

The curse of Yahweh, is in the house of the lawless one, but, the home of the righteous, he blesseth.

34 אִם־לַלֵּצִ֥ים הֽוּא־יָלִ֑יץ ולעניים יִתֶּן־חֵֽן׃

Though at scoffers he scoffeth, yet, to the humbled, he granteth favour.

35 כָּ֭בוֹד חֲכָמִ֣ים יִנְחָ֑לוּ וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים מֵרִ֥ים קָלֽוֹן׃ פ

Honour, shall the wise inherit, —but, as for dullards, shame shall carry them away.