מִשְׁלֵי 6

1 בְּ֭נִי אִם־עָרַ֣בְתָּ לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ תָּקַ֖עְתָּ לַזָּ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

My son, if thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand for a stranger,

2 נוֹקַ֥שְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִ֑יךָ נִ֝לְכַּ֗דְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ ׃

thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

3 עֲשֵׂ֨ה זֹ֥את אֵפ֪וֹא ׀ בְּנִ֡י וְֽהִנָּצֵ֗ל כִּ֘י בָ֤אתָ בְכַף־רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֵ֥ךְ הִ֝תְרַפֵּ֗ס וּרְהַ֥ב רֵעֶֽיךָ׃

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, since thou hast come into the hand of thy friend: go, humble thyself, and be urgent with thy friend.

4 אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן שֵׁנָ֣ה לְעֵינֶ֑יךָ וּ֝תְנוּמָ֗ה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids:

5 הִ֭נָּצֵל כִּצְבִ֣י מִיָּ֑ד וּ֝כְצִפּ֗וֹר מִיַּ֥ד יָקֽוּשׁ׃ פ

deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 לֵֽךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָ֥ה עָצֵ֑ל רְאֵ֖ה דְרָכֶ֣יהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise:

7 אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֵֽין־לָ֥הּ קָצִ֗ין שֹׁטֵ֥ר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

8 תָּכִ֣ין בַּקַּ֣יִץ לַחְמָ֑הּ אָגְרָ֥ה בַ֝קָּצִ֗יר מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

provideth her bread in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest.

9 עַד־מָתַ֖י עָצֵ֥ל ׀ תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב מָ֝תַ֗י תָּק֥וּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

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

10 מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט ׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest!

11 וּבָֽא־כִמְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵאשֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹֽרְךָ֗ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃ פ

So shall thy poverty come as a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.

12 אָדָ֣ם בְּ֭לִיַּעַל אִ֣ישׁ אָ֑וֶן ה֝וֹלֵ֗ךְ עִקְּשׁ֥וּת פֶּֽה׃

A man of Belial, a wicked person, is he that goeth about with a perverse mouth;

13 קֹרֵ֣ץ בְּ֭עֵינָו מֹלֵ֣ל בְּרַגְלָ֑ו מֹ֝רֶ֗ה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

he winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

14 תַּֽהְפֻּכ֨וֹת ׀ בְּלִבּ֗וֹ חֹרֵ֣שׁ רָ֣ע בְּכָל־עֵ֑ת מדנים יְשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

deceits are in his heart; he deviseth mischief at all times, he soweth discords.

15 עַל־כֵּ֗ן פִּ֭תְאֹם יָב֣וֹא אֵיד֑וֹ פֶּ֥תַע יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר וְאֵ֣ין מַרְפֵּֽא׃ פ

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly: in a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy.

16 שֶׁשׁ־הֵ֭נָּה שָׂנֵ֣א יְהוָ֑ה וְ֝שֶׁ֗בַע תועבות נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

These six [things] doth Jehovah hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17 עֵינַ֣יִם רָ֭מוֹת לְשׁ֣וֹן שָׁ֑קֶר וְ֝יָדַ֗יִם שֹׁפְכ֥וֹת דָּם־נָקִֽי׃

haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;

18 לֵ֗ב חֹ֭רֵשׁ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָ֑וֶן רַגְלַ֥יִם מְ֝מַהֲר֗וֹת לָר֥וּץ לָֽרָעָה׃

a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations; feet that are swift in running to mischief;

19 יָפִ֣יחַ כְּ֭זָבִים עֵ֣ד שָׁ֑קֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּ֥חַ מְ֝דָנִ֗ים בֵּ֣ין אַחִֽים׃ פ

a false witness that uttereth lies, and he that soweth discords among brethren.

20 נְצֹ֣ר בְּ֭נִי מִצְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תּוֹרַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

My son, observe thy father's commandment, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;

21 קָשְׁרֵ֣ם עַל־לִבְּךָ֣ תָמִ֑יד עָ֝נְדֵ֗ם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck:

22 בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ֨ ׀ תַּנְחֶ֬ה אֹתָ֗ךְ בְּֽ֭שָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר עָלֶ֑יךָ וַ֝הֲקִיצ֗וֹתָ הִ֣יא תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃

when thou walkest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and [when] thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23 כִּ֤י נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה וְת֣וֹרָה א֑וֹר וְדֶ֥רֶךְ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תּוֹכְח֥וֹת מוּסָֽר׃

For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24 לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאֵ֣שֶׁת רָ֑ע מֵֽ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת לָשׁ֥וֹן נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25 אַל־תַּחְמֹ֣ד יָ֭פְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝קָּֽחֲךָ֗ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

Lust not after her beauty in thy heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids;

26 כִּ֤י בְעַד־אִשָּׁ֥ה זוֹנָ֗ה עַֽד־כִּכַּ֫ר לָ֥חֶם וְאֵ֥שֶׁת אִ֑ישׁ נֶ֖פֶשׁ יְקָרָ֣ה תָצֽוּד׃ פ

for by means of a whorish woman [a man is brought] to a loaf of bread, and another's wife doth hunt for the precious soul.

27 הֲיַחְתֶּ֤ה אִ֓ישׁ אֵ֬שׁ בְּחֵיק֑וֹ וּ֝בְגָדָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his garments not be burned?

28 אִם־יְהַלֵּ֣ךְ אִ֭ישׁ עַל־הַגֶּחָלִ֑ים וְ֝רַגְלָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃

Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

29 כֵּ֗ן הַ֭בָּא אֶל־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֑הוּ לֹ֥א יִ֝נָּקֶ֗ה כָּֽל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּֽהּ׃

So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife: whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

30 לֹא־יָב֣וּזוּ לַ֭גַּנָּב כִּ֣י יִגְנ֑וֹב לְמַלֵּ֥א נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ כִּ֣י יִרְעָֽב׃

They do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry:

31 וְ֭נִמְצָא יְשַׁלֵּ֣ם שִׁבְעָתָ֑יִם אֶת־כָּל־ה֖וֹן בֵּית֣וֹ יִתֵּֽן׃

and if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

32 נֹאֵ֣ף אִשָּׁ֣ה חֲסַר־לֵ֑ב מַֽשְׁחִ֥ית נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ ה֣וּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

Whoso committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

33 נֶֽגַע־וְקָל֥וֹן יִמְצָ֑א וְ֝חֶרְפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א תִמָּחֶֽה׃

A wound and contempt shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34 כִּֽי־קִנְאָ֥ה חֲמַת־גָּ֑בֶר וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חְמ֗וֹל בְּי֣וֹם נָקָֽם׃

For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance;

35 לֹא־יִ֭שָּׂא פְּנֵ֣י כָל־כֹּ֑פֶר וְלֹֽא־יֹ֝אבֶ֗ה כִּ֣י תַרְבֶּה־שֹֽׁחַד׃ פ

he will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content though thou multipliest [thy] gifts.