| 1 The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel: | 1 מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל |
| 2 That men may appreciate wisdom and discipline, may understand words of intelligence; | 2 לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר לְהָבִין אִמְרֵי בִינָה |
| 3 May receive training in wise conduct, in what is right, just and honest; | 3 לָקַחַת מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִים |
| 4 That resourcefulness may be imparted to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. | 4 לָתֵת לִפְתָאיִם עָרְמָה לְנַעַר דַּעַת וּמְזִמָּה |
| 5 A wise man by hearing them will advance in learning, an intelligent man will gain sound guidance, | 5 יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיֹוסֶף לֶקַח וְנָבֹון תַּחְבֻּלֹות יִקְנֶה |
| 6 That he may comprehend proverb and parable, the words of the wise and their riddles. | 6 לְהָבִין מָשָׁל וּמְלִיצָה דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְחִידֹתָם |
| 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and instruction fools despise. | 7 יִרְאַת יְהוָה רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר אֱוִילִים בָּזוּ׃ פ |
| 8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching; | 8 שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תֹּורַת אִמֶּךָ |
| 9 A graceful diadem will they be for your head; a torque for your neck. | 9 כִּי ׀ לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ וַעֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶיךָ |
| 10 My son, should sinners entice you, | 10 בְּנִי אִם־יְפַתּוּךָ חַטָּאִים אַל־תֹּבֵא |
| 11 and say, "Come along with us! Let us lie in wait for the honest man, let us, unprovoked, set a trap for the innocent; | 11 אִם־יֹאמְרוּ לְכָה אִתָּנוּ נֶאֶרְבָה לְדָם נִצְפְּנָה לְנָקִי חִנָּם |
| 12 Let us swallow them up, as the nether world does, alive, in the prime of life, like those who go down to the pit! | 12 נִבְלָעֵם כִּשְׁאֹול חַיִּים וּתְמִימִים כְּיֹורְדֵי בֹור |
| 13 All kinds of precious wealth shall we gain, we shall fill our houses with booty; | 13 כָּל־הֹון יָקָר נִמְצָא נְמַלֵּא בָתֵּינוּ שָׁלָל |
| 14 Cast in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse!"-- | 14 גֹּורָלְךָ תַּפִּיל בְּתֹוכֵנוּ כִּיס אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּנוּ |
| 15 My son, walk not in the way with them, hold back your foot from their path! | 15 בְּנִי אַל־תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אִתָּם מְנַע רַגְלְךָ מִנְּתִיבָתָם |
| 16 (For their feet run to evil, they hasten to shed blood.) | 16 כִּי רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרוּצוּ וִימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּם |
| 17 It is in vain that a net is spread before the eyes of any bird-- | 17 כִּי־חִנָּם מְזֹרָה הָרָשֶׁת בְּעֵינֵי כָל־בַּעַל כָּנָף |
| 18 These men lie in wait for their own blood, they set a trap for their own lives. | 18 וְהֵם לְדָמָם יֶאֱרֹבוּ יִצְפְּנוּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָם |
| 19 This is the fate of everyone greedy of loot: unlawful gain takes away the life of him who acquires it. | 19 כֵּן אָרְחֹות כָּל־בֹּצֵעַ בָּצַע אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלָיו יִקָּח׃ פ |
| 20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the open squares she raises her voice; | 20 חָכְמֹות בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה בָּרְחֹבֹות תִּתֵּן קֹולָהּ |
| 21 Down the crowded ways she calls out, at the city gates she utters her words: | 21 בְּרֹאשׁ הֹמִיֹּות תִּקְרָא בְּפִתְחֵי שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֹאמֵר |
| 22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love inanity, | 22 עַד־מָתַי ׀ פְּתָיִם תְּאֵהֲבוּ פֶתִי וְלֵצִים לָצֹון חָמְדוּ לָהֶם וּכְסִילִים יִשְׂנְאוּ־דָעַת |
| 23 how long will you turn away at my reproof? Lo! I will pour out to you my spirit, I will acquaint you with my words. | 23 תָּשׁוּבוּ לְתֹוכַחְתִּי הִנֵּה אַבִּיעָה לָכֶם רוּחִי אֹודִיעָה דְבָרַי אֶתְכֶם |
| 24 "Because I called and you refused, I extended my hand and no one took notice; | 24 יַעַן קָרָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵנוּ נָטִיתִי יָדִי וְאֵין מַקְשִׁיב |
| 25 Because you disdained all my counsel, and my reproof you ignored-- | 25 וַתִּפְרְעוּ כָל־עֲצָתִי וְתֹוכַחְתִּי לֹא אֲבִיתֶם |
| 26 I, in my turn, will laugh at your doom; I will mock when terror overtakes you; | 26 גַּם־אֲנִי בְּאֵידְכֶם אֶשְׂחָק אֶלְעַג בְּבֹא פַחְדְּכֶם |
| 27 When terror comes upon you like a storm, and your doom approaches like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish befall you. | 27 בְּבֹא [כְשַׁאֲוָה כ] (כְשֹׁואָה ׀ ק) פַּחְדְּכֶם וְאֵידְכֶם כְּסוּפָה יֶאֱתֶה בְּבֹא עֲלֵיכֶם צָרָה וְצוּקָה |
| 28 "Then they call me, but I answer not; they seek me, but find me not; | 28 אָז יִקְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹא אֶעֱנֶה יְשַׁחֲרֻנְנִי וְלֹא יִמְצָאֻנְנִי |
| 29 Because they hated knowledge, and chose not the fear of the LORD; | 29 תַּחַת כִּי־שָׂנְאוּ דָעַת וְיִרְאַת יְהֹוָה לֹא בָחָרוּ |
| 30 They ignored my counsel, they spurned all my reproof; And in their arrogance they preferred arrogance, and like fools they hated knowledge: | 30 לֹא־אָבוּ לַעֲצָתִי נָאֲצוּ כָּל־תֹּוכַחְתִּי |
| 31 "Now they must eat the fruit of their own way, and with their own devices be glutted. | 31 וְיֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִי דַרְכָּם וּמִמֹּעֲצֹתֵיהֶם יִשְׂבָּעוּ |
| 32 For the self-will of the simple kills them, the smugness of fools destroys them. | 32 כִּי מְשׁוּבַת פְּתָיִם תַּהַרְגֵם וְשַׁלְוַת כְּסִילִים תְּאַבְּדֵם |
| 33 But he who obeys me dwells in security, in peace, without fear of harm." | 33 וְשֹׁמֵעַ לִי יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּטַח וְשַׁאֲנַן מִפַּחַד רָעָה׃ פ |