1 לֵץ הַיַּין הֹמֶה שֵׁכָר וְכָל־שֹׁגֶה בֹּו לֹא יֶחְכָּם | 1 Wine is arrogant, strong drink is riotous; none who goes astray for it is wise. |
2 נַהַם כַּכְּפִיר אֵימַת מֶלֶךְ מִתְעַבְּרֹו חֹוטֵא נַפְשֹׁו | 2 The dread of the king is as when a lion roars; he who incurs his anger forfeits his life. |
3 כָּבֹוד לָאִישׁ שֶׁבֶת מֵרִיב וְכָל־אֱוִיל יִתְגַּלָּע | 3 It is honorable for a man to shun strife, while every fool starts a quarrel. |
4 מֵחֹרֶף עָצֵל לֹא־יַחֲרֹשׁ [יִשְׁאַל כ] (וְשָׁאַל ק) בַּקָּצִיר וָאָיִן | 4 In seedtime the sluggard plows not; when he looks for the harvest, it is not there. |
5 מַיִם עֲמֻקִּים עֵצָה בְלֶב־אִישׁ וְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה יִדְלֶנָּה | 5 The intention in the human heart is like water far below the surface, but the man of intelligence draws it forth. |
6 רָב־אָדָם יִקְרָא אִישׁ חַסְדֹּו וְאִישׁ אֱמוּנִים מִי יִמְצָא | 6 Many are declared to be men of virtue: but who can find one worthy of trust? |
7 מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּתֻמֹּו צַדִּיק אַשְׁרֵי בָנָיו אַחֲרָיו | 7 When a man walks in integrity and justice, happy are his children after him! |
8 מֶלֶךְ יֹושֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא־דִין מְזָרֶה בְעֵינָיו כָּל־רָע | 8 A king seated on the throne of judgment dispels all evil with his glance. |
9 מִי־יֹאמַר זִכִּיתִי לִבִּי טָהַרְתִּי מֵחַטָּאתִי | 9 Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am cleansed of my sin"? |
10 אֶבֶן וָאֶבֶן אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה תֹּועֲבַת יְהוָה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶם | 10 Varying weights, varying measures, are both an abomination to the LORD. |
11 גַּם בְּמַעֲלָלָיו יִתְנַכֶּר־נָעַר אִם־זַךְ וְאִם־יָשָׁר פָּעֳלֹו | 11 Even by his manners the child betrays whether his conduct is innocent and right. |
12 אֹזֶן מַעַת וְעַיִן רֹאָה יְהוָה עָשָׂה גַם־שְׁנֵיהֶם | 12 The ear that hears, and the eye that sees-- the LORD has made them both. |
13 אַל־תֶּאֱהַב נָה פֶּן־תִּוָּרֵשׁ פְּקַח עֵינֶיךָ שְׂבַע־לָחֶם | 13 Love not sleep, lest you be reduced to poverty; eyes wide open mean abundant food. |
14 רַע רַע יֹאמַר הַקֹּונֶה וְאֹזֵל לֹו אָז יִתְהַלָּל | 14 "Bad, bad!" says the buyer; but once he has gone his way, he boasts. |
15 יֵשׁ זָהָב וְרָב־פְּנִינִים וּכְלִי יְקָר שִׂפְתֵי־דָעַת | 15 Like gold or a wealth of corals, wise lips are a precious ornament. |
16 לְקַח־בִּגְדֹו כִּי־עָרַב זָר וּבְעַד [נָכְרִים כ] (נָכְרִיָּה ק) חַבְלֵהוּ | 16 Take his garment who becomes surety for another, and for strangers yield it up! |
17 עָרֵב לָאִישׁ לֶחֶם שָׁקֶר וְאַחַר יִמָּלֵא־פִיהוּ חָצָץ | 17 The bread of deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. |
18 מַחֲשָׁבֹות בְּעֵצָה תִכֹּון וּבְתַחְבֻּלֹות עֲשֵׂה מִלְחָמָה | 18 Plans made after advice succeed; so with wise guidance wage your war. |
19 גֹּולֶה־סֹּוד הֹולֵךְ רָכִיל וּלְפֹתֶה פָתָיו לֹא תִתְעָרָב | 19 A newsmonger reveals secrets; so have nothing to do with a babbler! |
20 מְקַלֵּל אָבִיו וְאִמֹּו יִדְעַךְ נֵרֹו [בְּאִישֹׁון כ] (בֶּאֱשׁוּן ק) חֹשֶׁךְ | 20 If one curses his father or mother, his lamp will go out at the coming of darkness. |
21 נַחֲלָה [מְבֻחֶלֶת כ] (מְבֹהֶלֶת ק) בָּרִאשֹׁנָה וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ לֹא תְבֹרָךְ | 21 Possessions gained hastily at the outset will in the end not be blessed. |
22 אַל־תֹּאמַר אֲשַׁלְּמָה־רָע קַוֵּה לַיהוָה וְיֹשַׁע לָךְ | 22 Say not, "I will repay evil!" Trust in the LORD and he will help you. |
23 תֹּועֲבַת יְהוָה אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן וּמֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה לֹא־טֹוב | 23 Varying weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false scales are not good. |
24 מֵיְהוָה מִצְעֲדֵי־גָבֶר וְאָדָם מַה־יָּבִין דַּרְכֹּו | 24 Man's steps are from the LORD; how, then, can a man understand his way? |
25 מֹוקֵשׁ אָדָם יָלַע קֹדֶשׁ וְאַחַר נְדָרִים לְבַקֵּר | 25 Rashly to pledge a sacred gift is a trap for a man, or to regret a vow once made. |
26 מְזָרֶה רְשָׁעִים מֶלֶךְ חָכָם וַיָּשֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶם אֹופָן | 26 A wise king winnows the wicked, and threshes them under the cartwheel. |
27 נֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם חֹפֵשׂ כָּל־חַדְרֵי־בָטֶן | 27 A lamp from the LORD is the breath of man; it searches through all his inmost being. |
28 חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת יִצְּרוּ־מֶלֶךְ וְסָעַד בַּחֶסֶד כִּסְאֹו | 28 Kindness and piety safeguard the king, and he upholds his throne by justice. |
29 תִּפְאֶרֶת בַּחוּרִים כֹּחָם וַהֲדַר זְקֵנִים שֵׂיבָה | 29 The glory of young men is their strength, and the dignity of old men is gray hair. |
30 חַבֻּרֹות פֶּצַע [תַּמְרִיק כ] (תַּמְרוּק ק) בְּרָע וּמַכֹּות חַדְרֵי־בָטֶן | 30 Evil is cleansed away by bloody lashes, and a scourging to the inmost being. |