1 כְּדַבֵּר אֶפְרַיִם רְתֵת נָשָׂא הוּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֶּאְשַׁם בַּבַּעַל וַיָּמֹת | 1 He who touches pitch blackens his hand; he who associates with an impious man learns his ways. |
2 וְעַתָּה ׀ יֹוסִפוּ לַחֲטֹא וַיַּעְשׂוּ לָהֶם מַסֵּכָה מִכַּסְפָּם כִּתְבוּנָם עֲצַבִּים מַעֲשֵׂה חָרָשִׁים כֻּלֹּה לָהֶם הֵם אֹמְרִים זֹבְחֵי אָדָם עֲגָלִים יִשָּׁקוּן | 2 Bear no burden too heavy for you; go with no one greater or wealthier than yourself. How can the earthen pot go with the metal cauldron? When they knock together, the pot will be smashed: |
3 לָכֵן יִהְיוּ כַּעֲנַן־בֹּקֶר וְכַטַּל מַשְׁכִּים הֹלֵךְ כְּמֹץ יְסֹעֵר מִגֹּרֶן וּכְעָשָׁן מֵאֲרֻבָּה | 3 The rich man does wrong and boasts of it, the poor man is wronged and begs forgiveness. |
4 וְאָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וֵאלֹהִים זוּלָתִי לֹא תֵדָע וּמֹושִׁיעַ אַיִן בִּלְתִּי | 4 As long as the rich man can use you he will enslave you, but when you are exhausted, he will abandon you. |
5 אֲנִי יְדַעְתִּיךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ תַּלְאֻבֹות | 5 As long as you have anything he will speak fair words to you, and with smiles he will win your confidence; |
6 כְּמַרְעִיתָם וַיִּשְׂבָּעוּ שָׂבְעוּ וַיָּרָם לִבָּם עַל־כֵּן שְׁכֵחוּנִי | 6 When he needs something from you he will cajole you, then without regret he will impoverish you. |
7 וָאֱהִי לָהֶם כְּמֹו־שָׁחַל כְּנָמֵר עַל־דֶּרֶךְ אָשׁוּר | 7 While it serves his purpose he will beguile you, then twice or three times he will terrify you; When later he sees you he will pass you by, and shake his head over you. |
8 אֶפְגְּשֵׁם כְּדֹב שַׁכּוּל וְאֶקְרַע סְגֹור לִבָּם וְאֹכְלֵם שָׁם כְּלָבִיא חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה תְּבַקְּעֵם | 8 Guard against being presumptuous; be not as those who lack sense. |
9 שִׁחֶתְךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי־בִי בְעֶזְרֶךָ | 9 When invited by a man of influence, keep your distance; then he will urge you all the more. |
10 אֱהִי מַלְכְּךָ אֵפֹוא וְיֹושִׁיעֲךָ בְּכָל־עָרֶיךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתָּ תְּנָה־לִּי מֶלֶךְ וְשָׂרִים | 10 Be not bold with him lest you be rebuffed, but keep not too far away lest you be forgotten. |
11 אֶתֶּן־לְךָ מֶלֶךְ בְּאַפִּי וְאֶקַּח בְּעֶבְרָתִי׃ ס | 11 Engage not freely in discussion with him, trust not his many words; For by prolonged talk he will test you, and though smiling he will probe you. |
12 צָרוּר עֲוֹן אֶפְרָיִם צְפוּנָה חַטָּאתֹו | 12 Mercilessly he will make of you a laughingstock, and will not refrain from injury or chains. |
13 חֶבְלֵי יֹולֵדָה יָבֹאוּ לֹו הוּא־בֵן לֹא חָכָם כִּי־עֵת לֹא־יַעֲמֹד בְּמִשְׁבַּר בָּנִים | 13 Be on your guard and take care never to accompany men of violence. |
14 מִיַּד שְׁאֹול אֶפְדֵּם מִמָּוֶת אֶגְאָלֵם אֱהִי דְבָרֶיךָ מָוֶת אֱהִי קָטָבְךָ שְׁאֹול נֹחַם יִסָּתֵר מֵעֵינָי | 14 Every living thing loves its own kind, every man a man like himself. |
15 כִּי הוּא בֵּן אַחִים יַפְרִיא יָבֹוא קָדִים רוּחַ יְהוָה מִמִּדְבָּר עֹלֶה וְיֵבֹושׁ מְקֹורֹו וְיֶחֱרַב מַעְיָנֹו הוּא יִשְׁסֶה אֹוצַר כָּל־כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה | 15 Every being is drawn to its own kind; with his own kind every man associates. |
| 16 Is a wolf ever allied with a lamb? So it is with the sinner and the just. |
| 17 Can there be peace between the hyena and the dog? Or between the rich and the poor can there be peace? |
| 18 Lion's prey are the wild asses of the desert; so too the poor are feeding grounds for the rich. |
| 19 A proud man abhors lowliness; so does the rich man abhor the poor. |
| 20 When a rich man stumbles he is supported by a friend; when a poor man trips he is pushed down by a friend. |
| 21 Many are the supporters for a rich man when he speaks; though what he says is odious, it wins approval. When a poor man speaks they make sport of him; he speaks wisely and no attention is paid him. |
| 22 A rich man speaks and all are silent, his wisdom they extol to the clouds. A poor man speaks and they say: "Who is that?" If he slips they cast him down. |
| 23 Wealth is good when there is no sin; but poverty is evil by the standards of the proud. |
| 24 The heart of a man changes his countenance, either for good or for evil. |
| 25 The sign of a good heart is a cheerful countenance; withdrawn and perplexed is the laborious schemer. |