מִשְׁלֵי 23

1 כי תשב ללחום את מושל בין תבין את אשר לפניך׃

When you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.

2 ושמת שכין בלעך אם בעל נפש אתה׃

[Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.

3 אל תתאו למטעמותיו והוא לחם כזבים׃

Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.

4 אל תיגע להעשיר מבינתך חדל׃

Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,

5 התעוף עיניך בו ואיננו כי עשה יעשה לו כנפים כנשר ועיף השמים׃

because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.

6 אל תלחם את לחם רע עין ואל תתאו למטעמתיו׃

[If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,

7 כי כמו שער בנפשו כן הוא אכל ושתה יאמר לך ולבו בל עמך׃

because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.

8 פתך אכלת תקיאנה ושחת דבריך הנעימים׃

[When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.

9 באזני כסיל אל תדבר כי יבוז לשכל מליך׃

(Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.

10 אל תסג גבול עולם ובשדי יתומים אל תבא׃

Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,

11 כי גאלם חזק הוא יריב את ריבם אתך׃

because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.

12 הביאה למוסר לבך ואזנך לאמרי דעת׃

Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.

13 אל תמנע מנער מוסר כי תכנו בשבט לא ימות׃

Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,

14 אתה בשבט תכנו ונפשו משאול תציל׃ (Sheol h7585)

and it may save them from [going to] the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)

15 בני אם חכם לבך ישמח לבי גם אני׃

My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.

16 ותעלזנה כליותי בדבר שפתיך מישרים׃

I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.

17 אל יקנא לבך בחטאים כי אם ביראת יהוה כל היום׃

Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.

18 כי אם יש אחרית ותקותך לא תכרת׃

[If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.

19 שמע אתה בני וחכם ואשר בדרך לבך׃

My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).

20 אל תהי בסבאי יין בזללי בשר למו׃

Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),

21 כי סבא וזולל יורש וקרעים תלביש נומה׃

because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).

22 שמע לאביך זה ילדך ואל תבוז כי זקנה אמך׃

Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.

23 אמת קנה ואל תמכר חכמה ומוסר ובינה׃

Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.

24 גול יגול אבי צדיק יולד חכם וישמח בו׃

Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.

25 ישמח אביך ואמך ותגל יולדתך׃

[Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.

26 תנה בני לבך לי ועיניך דרכי תרצנה׃

My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.

27 כי שוחה עמקה זונה ובאר צרה נכריה׃

Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].

28 אף היא כחתף תארב ובוגדים באדם תוסף׃

They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.

29 למי אוי למי אבוי למי מדונים למי שיח למי פצעים חנם למי חכללות עינים׃

I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.

30 למאחרים על היין לבאים לחקר ממסך׃

[It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.

31 אל תרא יין כי יתאדם כי יתן בכיס עינו יתהלך במישרים׃

Do not look with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,

32 אחריתו כנחש ישך וכצפעני יפרש׃

because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].

33 עיניך יראו זרות ולבך ידבר תהפכות׃

You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.

34 והיית כשכב בלב ים וכשכב בראש חבל׃

You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.

35 הכוני בל חליתי הלמוני בל ידעתי מתי אקיץ אוסיף אבקשנו עוד׃

You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”