1 לְתַאֲוָה יְבַקֵּשׁ נִפְרָד בְּכָל־תּוּשִׁיָּה יִתְגַּלָּע | 1 In estrangement one seeks pretexts: with all persistence he picks a quarrel. |
2 לֹא־יַחְפֹּץ כְּסִיל בִּתְבוּנָה כִּי אִם־בְּהִתְגַּלֹּות לִבֹּו | 2 The fool takes no delight in understanding, but rather in displaying what he thinks. |
3 בְּבֹוא־רָשָׁע בָּא גַם־בּוּז וְעִם־קָלֹון חֶרְפָּה | 3 With wickedness comes contempt, and with disgrace comes scorn. |
4 מַיִם עֲמֻקִּים דִּבְרֵי פִי־אִישׁ נַחַל נֹבֵעַ מְקֹור חָכְמָה | 4 The words from a man's mouth are deep waters, but the source of wisdom is a flowing brook. |
5 שְׂאֵת פְּנֵי־רָשָׁע לֹא־טֹוב לְהַטֹּות צַדִּיק בַּמִּשְׁפָּט | 5 It is not good to be partial to the guilty, and so to reject a rightful claim. |
6 שִׂפְתֵי כְסִיל יָבֹאוּ בְרִיב וּפִיו לְמַהֲלֻמֹות יִקְרָא | 6 The fool's lips lead him into strife, and his mouth provokes a beating. |
7 פִּי־כְסִיל מְחִתָּה־לֹו וּשְׂפָתָיו מֹוקֵשׁ נַפְשֹׁו | 7 The fool's mouth is his ruin; his lips are a snare to his life. |
8 דִּבְרֵי נִרְגָּן כְּמִתְלַהֲמִים וְהֵם יָרְדוּ חַדְרֵי־בָטֶן | 8 The words of a talebearer are like dainty morsels that sink into one's inmost being. |
9 גַּם מִתְרַפֶּה בִמְלַאכְתֹּו אָח הוּא לְבַעַל מַשְׁחִית | 9 The man who is slack in his work is own brother to the man who is destructive. |
10 מִגְדַּל־עֹז שֵׁם יְהוָה בֹּו־יָרוּץ צַדִּיק וְנִשְׂגָּב | 10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the just man runs to it and is safe. |
11 הֹון עָשִׁיר קִרְיַת עֻזֹּו וּכְחֹומָה נִשְׂגָּבָה בְּמַשְׂכִּיתֹו | 11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city; he fancies it a high wall. |
12 לִפְנֵישֶׁ־בֶר יִגְבַּהּ לֵב־אִישׁ וְלִפְנֵי כָבֹוד עֲנָוָה | 12 Before his downfall a man's heart is haughty, but humility goes before honors. |
13 מֵשִׁיב דָּבָר בְּטֶרֶם יִשְׁמָע אִוֶּלֶת הִיא־לֹו וּכְלִמָּה | 13 He who answers before he hears-- his is the folly and the shame. |
14 רוּחַ־אִישׁ יְכַלְכֵּל מַחֲלֵהוּ וְרוּחַ נְכֵאָה מִי יִשָּׂאֶנָּה | 14 A man's spirit sustains him in infirmity-- but a broken spirit who can bear? |
15 לֵב נָבֹון יִקְנֶה־דָּעַת וְאֹזֶן חֲכָמִים תְּבַקֶּשׁ־דָּעַת | 15 The mind of the intelligent gains knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. |
16 מַתָּן אָדָם יַרְחִיב לֹו וְלִפְנֵי גְדֹלִים יַנְחֶנּוּ | 16 A man's gift clears the way for him, and gains him access to great men. |
17 צַדִּיק הָרִאשֹׁון בְּרִיבֹו [יָבֹא־ כ] (וּבָא־רֵעֵהוּ ק) וַחֲקָרֹו | 17 The man who pleads his case first seems to be in the right; then his opponent comes and puts him to the test. |
18 מִדְיָנִים יַשְׁבִּית הַגֹּורָל וּבֵין עֲצוּמִים יַפְרִיד | 18 The lot puts an end to disputes, and is decisive in a controversy between the mighty. |
19 אָח נִפְשָׁע מִקִּרְיַת־עֹז [וּמְדֹונִים כ] (וּמִדְיָנִים ק) כִּבְרִיחַ אַרְמֹון | 19 A brother is a better defense than a strong city, and a friend is like the bars of a castle. |
20 מִפְּרִי פִי־אִישׁ תִּשְׂבַּע בִּטְנֹו תְּבוּאַת שְׂפָתָיו יִשְׂבָּע | 20 From the fruit of his mouth a man has his fill; with the yield of his lips he sates himself. |
21 מָוֶת וְחַיִּים בְּיַד־לָשֹׁון וְאֹהֲבֶיהָ יֹאכַל פִּרְיָהּ | 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who make it a friend shall eat its fruit. |
22 מָצָא אִשָּׁה מָצָא טֹוב וַיָּפֶק רָצֹון מֵיְהוָה | 22 He who finds a wife finds happiness; it is a favor he receives from the LORD. |
23 תַּחֲנוּנִים יְדַבֶּר־רָשׁ וְעָשִׁיר יַעֲנֶה עַזֹּות | 23 The poor man implores, but the rich man answers harshly. |
24 אִישׁ רֵעִים לְהִתְרֹעֵעַ וְיֵשׁ אֹהֵב דָּבֵק מֵאָח | 24 Some friends bring ruin on us, but a true friend is more loyal than a brother. |