1 פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם לֶב־מֶלֶךְ בְּיַד־יְהוָה עַל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר יַחְפֹּץ יַטֶּנּוּ | 1 Like flowing water is a king's heart in Yahweh's hand; he directs it wherever he pleases. |
2 כָּל־דֶּרֶךְ־אִישׁ יָשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו וְתֹכֵן לִבֹּות יְהוָה | 2 All actions are straight in the doer's own eyes, but it is Yahweh who weighs hearts. |
3 עֲשֹׂה צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט נִבְחָר לַיהוָה מִזָּבַח | 3 To do what is upright and just is more pleasing to Yahweh than sacrifice. |
4 רוּם־עֵינַיִם וּרְחַב־לֵב נִר רְשָׁעִים חַטָּאת | 4 Haughty eye, proud heart, lamp of the wicked, nothing but sin. |
5 מַחְשְׁבֹות חָרוּץ אַךְ־לְמֹותָר וְכָל־אָץ אַךְ־לְמַחְסֹור | 5 The hardworking is thoughtful, and al is gain; too much haste, and all that comes of it is want. |
6 פֹּעַל אֹוצָרֹות בִּלְשֹׁון שָׁקֶר הֶבֶל נִדָּף מְבַקְשֵׁי־מָוֶת | 6 To make a fortune with the help of a lying tongue: such is the idle fantasy of those who look for death. |
7 שֹׁד־רְשָׁעִים יְגֹורֵם כִּי מֵאֲנוּ לַעֲשֹׂות מִשְׁפָּט | 7 The violence of the wicked proves their ruin, for they refuse to do what is right. |
8 הֲפַכְפַּךְ דֶּרֶךְ אִישׁ וָזָר וְזַךְ יָשָׁר פָּעֳלֹו | 8 The way of the felon is devious, the conduct of the innocent straight. |
9 טֹוב לָשֶׁבֶת עַל־פִּנַּת־גָּג מֵאֵשֶׁת מִדְיָנִים וּבֵית חָבֶר | 9 Better the corner of a roof to live on than a house shared with a quarrelsome woman. |
10 נֶפֶשׁ רָשָׁע אִוְּתָה־רָע לֹא־יֻחַן בְּעֵינָיו רֵעֵהוּ | 10 The soul of the wicked is intent on evil, to such a person no neighbour can ever do right. |
11 בַּעְנָשׁ־לֵץ יֶחְכַּם־פֶּתִי וּבְהַשְׂכִּיל לְחָכָם יִקַּח־דָּעַת | 11 When a cynic is punished, simpletons grow wiser, but someone of understanding acquires knowledgeby instruction. |
12 מַשְׂכִּיל צַדִּיק לְבֵית רָשָׁע מְסַלֵּף רְשָׁעִים לָרָע | 12 The Upright One watches the house of the wicked; he hurls the wicked to destruction. |
13 אֹטֵם אָזְנֹו מִזַּעֲקַת־דָּל גַּם־הוּא יִקְרָא וְלֹא יֵעָנֶה | 13 Whoever refuses to listen to the cry of the weak, wil in turn plead and not be heard. |
14 מַתָּן בַּסֵּתֶר יִכְפֶּה־אָף וְשֹׁחַד בַּחֵק חֵמָה עַזָּה | 14 Anger is mol ified by a covert gift, raging fury by a present under cover of the cloak. |
15 שִׂמְחָה לַצַּדִּיק עֲשֹׂות מִשְׁפָּט וּמְחִתָּה לְפֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן | 15 Doing what is right fills the upright with joy, but evil-doers with terror. |
16 אָדָם תֹּועֶה מִדֶּרֶךְ הַשְׂכֵּל בִּקְהַל רְפָאִים יָנוּחַ | 16 Whoever strays far from the way of prudence wil rest in the assembly of shadows. |
17 אִישׁ מַחְסֹור אֹהֵב שִׂמְחָה אֹהֵב יַיִן־וָשֶׁמֶן לֹא יַעֲשִׁיר | 17 Pleasure-lovers stay poor, no one wil grow rich who loves wine and good living. |
18 כֹּפֶר לַצַּדִּיק רָשָׁע וְתַחַת יְשָׁרִים בֹּוגֵד | 18 The wicked is a ransom for the upright; and the law-breaker for the honest. |
19 טֹוב שֶׁבֶת בְּאֶרֶץ־מִדְבָּר מֵאֵשֶׁת [מְדֹונִים כ] (מִדְיָנִים ק) וָכָעַס | 19 Better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and irritable woman. |
20 אֹוצָר ׀ נֶחְמָד וָשֶׁמֶן בִּנְוֵה חָכָם וּכְסִיל אָדָם יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ | 20 The wise has valuables and oil at home, but a fool soon runs through both. |
21 רֹדֵף צְדָקָה וָחָסֶד יִמְצָא חַיִּים צְדָקָה וְכָבֹוד | 21 Whoever pursues uprightness and faithful love will find life, uprightness and honour. |
22 עִיר גִּבֹּרִים עָלָה חָכָם וַיֹּרֶד עֹז מִבְטֶחָה | 22 A sage can scale a garrisoned city and shatter the rampart on which it relied. |
23 שֹׁמֵר פִּיו וּלְשֹׁונֹו שֹׁמֵר מִצָּרֹות נַפְשֹׁו | 23 Watch kept over mouth and tongue keeps the watcher safe from disaster. |
24 זֵד יָהִיר לֵץ שְׁמֹו עֹושֶׂה בְּעֶבְרַת זָדֹון | 24 Insolent, haughty -- the name is 'Cynic'; overweening pride marks such behaviour. |
25 תַּאֲוַת עָצֵל תְּמִיתֶנּוּ כִּי־מֵאֲנוּ יָדָיו לַעֲשֹׂות | 25 The idler's desires are the death of him, since his hands wil do no work. |
26 כָּל־הַיֹּום הִתְאַוָּה תַאֲוָה וְצַדִּיק יִתֵּן וְלֹא יַחְשֹׂךְ | 26 Al day long the godless is racked by desire, the upright gives without ever refusing. |
27 זֶבַח רְשָׁעִים תֹּועֵבָה אַף כִּי־בְזִמָּה יְבִיאֶנּוּ | 27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abhorrent, above al if it is offered for bad motives. |
28 עֵד־כְּזָבִים יֹאבֵד וְאִישׁ ומֵעַ לָנֶצַח יְדַבֵּר | 28 The false witness wil perish, but no one who knows how to listen wil ever be silenced. |
29 הֵעֵז אִישׁ רָשָׁע בְּפָנָיו וְיָשָׁר הוּא ׀ [יָכִין כ] (יָבִין ק) [דְּרָכָיו כ] (דַּרְכֹּו׃ ק) | 29 The wicked man's strength shows on his face, but the honest it is whose steps are firm. |
30 אֵין חָכְמָה וְאֵין תְּבוּנָה וְאֵין עֵצָה לְנֶגֶד יְהוָה׃ פ | 30 No wisdom, no understanding, no advice is worth anything before Yahweh. |
31 סוּס מוּכָן לְיֹום מִלְחָמָה וְלַיהוָה הַתְּשׁוּעָה | 31 Fit out the cavalry for the day of battle, but the victory is Yahweh's. |