1 לֵץ הַיַּין הֹמֶה שֵׁכָר וְכָל־שֹׁגֶה בֹּו לֹא יֶחְכָּם | 1 It is a luxurious thing, wine, and inebriation is tumultuous. Anyone who is delighted by this will not be wise. |
2 נַהַם כַּכְּפִיר אֵימַת מֶלֶךְ מִתְעַבְּרֹו חֹוטֵא נַפְשֹׁו | 2 Just like the roaring of a lion, so also is the dread of a king. Whoever provokes him sins in his own soul. |
3 כָּבֹוד לָאִישׁ שֶׁבֶת מֵרִיב וְכָל־אֱוִיל יִתְגַּלָּע | 3 Honor is for the man who separates himself from contentions. But all the foolish meddle in altercations. |
4 מֵחֹרֶף עָצֵל לֹא־יַחֲרֹשׁ [יִשְׁאַל כ] (וְשָׁאַל ק) בַּקָּצִיר וָאָיִן | 4 Because of the cold, the lazy one was not willing to plough. Therefore, in the summer, he will beg, and it will not be given to him. |
5 מַיִם עֲמֻקִּים עֵצָה בְלֶב־אִישׁ וְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה יִדְלֶנָּה | 5 Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep waters. But a wise man will draw it out. |
6 רָב־אָדָם יִקְרָא אִישׁ חַסְדֹּו וְאִישׁ אֱמוּנִים מִי יִמְצָא | 6 Many men are called merciful. But who will find a faithful man? |
7 מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּתֻמֹּו צַדִּיק אַשְׁרֵי בָנָיו אַחֲרָיו | 7 The just who walks in his simplicity shall leave behind him blessed sons. |
8 מֶלֶךְ יֹושֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא־דִין מְזָרֶה בְעֵינָיו כָּל־רָע | 8 The king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters all evil with his gaze. |
9 מִי־יֹאמַר זִכִּיתִי לִבִּי טָהַרְתִּי מֵחַטָּאתִי | 9 Who is able to say: “My heart is clean. I am pure from sin?” |
10 אֶבֶן וָאֶבֶן אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה תֹּועֲבַת יְהוָה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶם | 10 Diverse weights, diverse measures: both are abominable with God. |
11 גַּם בְּמַעֲלָלָיו יִתְנַכֶּר־נָעַר אִם־זַךְ וְאִם־יָשָׁר פָּעֳלֹו | 11 A child may be understood by his interests: whether his works may be clean and upright. |
12 אֹזֶן מַעַת וְעַיִן רֹאָה יְהוָה עָשָׂה גַם־שְׁנֵיהֶם | 12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye: the Lord has made them both. |
13 אַל־תֶּאֱהַב נָה פֶּן־תִּוָּרֵשׁ פְּקַח עֵינֶיךָ שְׂבַע־לָחֶם | 13 Do not love sleep, lest deprivation oppress you. Open your eyes and be satisfied with bread. |
14 רַע רַע יֹאמַר הַקֹּונֶה וְאֹזֵל לֹו אָז יִתְהַלָּל | 14 “It is bad, it is bad,” says every buyer; and when he has withdrawn, then he will boast. |
15 יֵשׁ זָהָב וְרָב־פְּנִינִים וּכְלִי יְקָר שִׂפְתֵי־דָעַת | 15 There is gold, and there are a multitude of jewels. But lips of knowledge are a precious vessel. |
16 לְקַח־בִּגְדֹו כִּי־עָרַב זָר וּבְעַד [נָכְרִים כ] (נָכְרִיָּה ק) חַבְלֵהוּ | 16 Take away the vestments of him who stands up to vouch for a stranger, and take a pledge from him instead of from outsiders. |
17 עָרֵב לָאִישׁ לֶחֶם שָׁקֶר וְאַחַר יִמָּלֵא־פִיהוּ חָצָץ | 17 The bread of lies is sweet to a man. But afterwards, his mouth will be filled with pebbles. |
18 מַחֲשָׁבֹות בְּעֵצָה תִכֹּון וּבְתַחְבֻּלֹות עֲשֵׂה מִלְחָמָה | 18 Plans are strengthened by counsels. And wars are to be handled by governments. |
19 גֹּולֶה־סֹּוד הֹולֵךְ רָכִיל וּלְפֹתֶה פָתָיו לֹא תִתְעָרָב | 19 Do not become involved with him who reveals mysteries, and who walks deceitfully, and who enlarges his lips. |
20 מְקַלֵּל אָבִיו וְאִמֹּו יִדְעַךְ נֵרֹו [בְּאִישֹׁון כ] (בֶּאֱשׁוּן ק) חֹשֶׁךְ | 20 Whoever curses his father and mother, his lamp will be extinguished in the midst of darkness. |
21 נַחֲלָה [מְבֻחֶלֶת כ] (מְבֹהֶלֶת ק) בָּרִאשֹׁנָה וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ לֹא תְבֹרָךְ | 21 When an inheritance is obtained hastily in the beginning, in the end it will be without a blessing. |
22 אַל־תֹּאמַר אֲשַׁלְּמָה־רָע קַוֵּה לַיהוָה וְיֹשַׁע לָךְ | 22 Do not say, “I will repay evil.” Wait for the Lord, and he will free you. |
23 תֹּועֲבַת יְהוָה אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן וּמֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה לֹא־טֹוב | 23 Diverse weights are an abomination with the Lord. A deceitful balance is not good. |
24 מֵיְהוָה מִצְעֲדֵי־גָבֶר וְאָדָם מַה־יָּבִין דַּרְכֹּו | 24 The steps of men are directed by the Lord. But who is the man able to understand his own way? |
25 מֹוקֵשׁ אָדָם יָלַע קֹדֶשׁ וְאַחַר נְדָרִים לְבַקֵּר | 25 It is ruin for a man to devour what is holy, or, after making vows, to retract them. |
26 מְזָרֶה רְשָׁעִים מֶלֶךְ חָכָם וַיָּשֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶם אֹופָן | 26 A wise king scatters the impious and bends an archway over them. |
27 נֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם חֹפֵשׂ כָּל־חַדְרֵי־בָטֶן | 27 The spirit of a man is a lamp to the Lord, which investigates all the secrets of the inner self. |
28 חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת יִצְּרוּ־מֶלֶךְ וְסָעַד בַּחֶסֶד כִּסְאֹו | 28 Mercy and truth guard the king, and his throne is strengthened by clemency. |
29 תִּפְאֶרֶת בַּחוּרִים כֹּחָם וַהֲדַר זְקֵנִים שֵׂיבָה | 29 The joy of youths is their strength. And the dignity of old men is their grey hairs. |
30 חַבֻּרֹות פֶּצַע [תַּמְרִיק כ] (תַּמְרוּק ק) בְּרָע וּמַכֹּות חַדְרֵי־בָטֶן | 30 The bruise of a wound, as well as scourges, shall wipe away evils in the more secret places of the inner self. |