1 אַל־תִּשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל ׀ אֶל־גִּיל כָּעַמִּים כִּי זָנִיתָ מֵעַל אֱלֹהֶיךָ אָהַבְתָּ אֶתְנָן עַל כָּל־גָּרְנֹות דָּגָן | 1 Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she shew in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson. |
2 גֹּרֶן וָיֶקֶב לֹא יִרְעֵם וְתִירֹושׁ יְכַחֶשׁ בָּהּ | 2 Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded. |
3 לֹא יֵשְׁבוּ בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוָה וְשָׁב אֶפְרַיִם מִצְרַיִם וּבְאַשּׁוּר טָמֵא יֹאכֵלוּ | 3 Look not upon a woman that hath a mind for many: lest thou fall into her snares. |
4 לֹא־יִסְּכוּ לַיהוָה ׀ יַיִן וְלֹא יֶעֶרְבוּ־לֹו זִבְחֵיהֶם כְּלֶחֶם אֹונִים לָהֶם כָּל־אֹכְלָיו יִטַמָּאוּ כִּי־לַחְמָם לְנַפְשָׁם לֹא יָבֹוא בֵּית יְהוָה | 4 Use not much the company of her that is a dancer, and hearken not to her, lest thou perish by the force of her charms. |
5 מַה־תַּעֲשׂוּ לְיֹום מֹועֵד וּלְיֹום חַג־יְהוָה | 5 Gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumblingblock to thee. |
6 כִּי־הִנֵּה הָלְכוּ מִשֹּׁד מִצְרַיִם תְּקַבְּצֵם מֹף תְּקַבְּרֵם מַחְמַד לְכַסְפָּם קִמֹּושׂ יִירָשֵׁם חֹוחַ בְּאָהֳלֵיהֶם | 6 Give not thy soul to harlots in any point: lest thou destroy thyself and thy inheritance. |
7 בָּאוּ ׀ יְמֵי הַפְּקֻדָּה בָּאוּ יְמֵי הַשִׁלֻּם יֵדְעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֱוִיל הַנָּבִיא מְשֻׁגָּע אִישׁ הָרוּחַ עַל רֹב עֲוֹנְךָ וְרַבָּה מַשְׂטֵמָה | 7 Look not round about thee in the of the city, nor wander up and down in the streets thereof. |
8 צֹפֶה אֶפְרַיִם עִם־אֱלֹהָי נָבִיא פַּח יָקֹושׁ עַל־כָּל־דְּרָכָיו מַשְׂטֵמָה בְּבֵית אֱלֹהָיו | 8 Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze not about upon another's beauty. |
9 הֶעְמִיקוּ־שִׁחֵתוּ כִּימֵי הַגִּבְעָה יִזְכֹּור עֲוֹנָם יִפְקֹוד חַטֹּאותָם׃ ס | 9 For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as a fire. |
10 כַּעֲנָבִים בַּמִּדְבָּר מָצָאתִי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּבִכּוּרָה בִתְאֵנָה בְּרֵאשִׁיתָהּ רָאִיתִי אֲבֹותֵיכֶם הֵמָּה בָּאוּ בַעַל־פְּעֹור וַיִּנָּזְרוּ לַבֹּשֶׁת וַיִּהְיוּ שִׁקּוּצִים כְּאָהֳבָם | 10 Every woman that is a harlot, shall be trodden upon as dung in the way. |
11 אֶפְרַיִם כָּעֹוף יִתְעֹופֵף כְּבֹודָם מִלֵּדָה וּמִבֶּטֶן וּמֵהֵרָיֹון | 11 Many by admiring the beauty of another man's wife, have become reprobate, for her conversation burneth as fire. |
12 כִּי אִם־יְגַדְּלוּ אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם וְשִׁכַּלְתִּים מֵאָדָם כִּי־גַם־אֹוי לָהֶם בְּשׂוּרִי מֵהֶם | 12 Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor repose upon the bed with her: |
13 אֶפְרַיִם כַּאֲשֶׁר־רָאִיתִי לְצֹור שְׁתוּלָה בְנָוֶה וְאֶפְרַיִם לְהֹוצִיא אֶל־הֹרֵג בָּנָיו | 13 And strive not with her over wine, lest thy heart decline towards her, and by thy blood thou fall into destruction. |
14 תֵּן־לָהֶם יְהוָה מַה־תִּתֵּן תֵּן־לָהֶם רֶחֶם מַשְׁכִּיל וְשָׁדַיִם צֹמְקִים | 14 Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like to him. |
15 כָּל־רָעָתָם בַּגִּלְגָּל כִּי־שָׁם שְׂנֵאתִים עַל רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיהֶם מִבֵּיתִי אֲגָרְשֵׁם לֹא אֹוסֵף אַהֲבָתָם כָּל־שָׂרֵיהֶם סֹרְרִים | 15 A new friend is as new wine: it shall grow old, and thou shalt drink it with pleasure. |
16 הֻכָּה אֶפְרַיִם שָׁרְשָׁם יָבֵשׁ פְּרִי [בְלִי־ כ] (בַל־יַעֲשׂוּן ק) גַּם כִּי יֵלֵדוּן וְהֵמַתִּי מַחֲמַדֵּי בִטְנָם׃ ס | 16 Envy not the glory and riches of a sinner: for thou knowest not what his ruin shall be. |
17 יִמְאָסֵם אֱלֹהַי כִּי לֹא שָׁמְעוּ לֹו וְיִהְיוּ נֹדְדִים בַּגֹּויִם׃ ס | 17 Be not pleased with the wrong done by the unjust, knowing that even to hell the wicked shall not please. |
| 18 Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill, so thou shalt not suspect the fear of death. |
| 19 And if thou come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away thy life. |
| 20 Know it to be a communication with death: for thou art going in the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms of them that are grieved: |
| 21 According to thy power beware of thy neighbor, and treat with the wise and prudent. |
| 22 Let just men be thy guests, and let thy glory be in the fear of God. |
| 23 And let the thought of God be in thy mind, and all thy discourse on the commandments of the Highest. |
| 24 Works shall be praised for the hand of the artificers, and the prince of the people for the wisdom of his speech, but word of the ancients for the sense. |
| 25 A man full of tongue is terrible in his city, and he that is rash in his word shall be hateful. |