1 בְּנִי תֹּורָתִי אַל־תִּשְׁכָּח וּמִצְוֹתַי יִצֹּר לִבֶּךָ | 1 My child, do not forget my teaching, let your heart keep my principles, |
2 כִּי אֹרֶךְ יָמִים וּשְׁנֹות חַיִּים וְשָׁלֹום יֹוסִיפוּ לָךְ | 2 since they will increase your length of days, your years of life and your wel -being. |
3 חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת אַל־יַעַזְבֻךָ קָשְׁרֵם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹותֶיךָ כָּתְבֵם עַל־לוּחַ לִבֶּךָ | 3 Let faithful love and constancy never leave you: tie them round your neck, write them on the tablet ofyour heart. |
4 וּמְצָא־חֵן וְשֵׂכֶל־טֹוב בְּעֵינֵי אֱלֹהִים וְאָדָם׃ פ | 4 Thus you will find favour and success in the sight of God and of people. |
5 בְּטַח אֶל־יְהוָה בְּכָל־לִבֶּךָ וְאֶל־בִּינָתְךָ אַל־תִּשָּׁעֵן | 5 Trust wholeheartedly in Yahweh, put no faith in your own perception; |
6 בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶיךָ דָעֵהוּ וְהוּא יְיַשֵּׁר אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ | 6 acknowledge him in every course you take, and he wil see that your paths are smooth. |
7 אַל־תְּהִי חָכָם בְּעֵינֶיךָ יְרָא אֶת־יְהוָה וְסוּר מֵרָע | 7 Do not congratulate yourself on your own wisdom, fear Yahweh and turn your back on evil: |
8 רִפְאוּת תְּהִי לְשָׁרֶּךָ וְשִׁקּוּי לְעַצְמֹותֶיךָ | 8 health-giving, this, to your body, relief to your bones. |
9 כַּבֵּד אֶת־יְהוָה מֵהֹונֶךָ וּמֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל־תְּבוּאָתֶךָ | 9 Honour Yahweh with what goods you have and with the first-fruits of al your produce; |
10 וְיִמָּלְאוּ אֲסָמֶיךָ שָׂבָע וְתִירֹושׁ יְקָבֶיךָ יִפְרֹצוּ׃ פ | 10 then your barns will be fil ed with corn, your vats overflowing with new wine. |
11 מוּסַר יְהוָה בְּנִי אַל־תִּמְאָס וְאַל־תָּקֹץ בְּתֹוכַחְתֹּו | 11 My child, do not scorn correction from Yahweh, do not resent his reproof; |
12 כִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר יֶאֱהַב יְהוָה יֹוכִיחַ וּכְאָב אֶת־בֵּן יִרְצֶה | 12 for Yahweh reproves those he loves, as a father the child whom he loves. |
13 אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם מָצָא חָכְמָה וְאָדָם יָפִיק תְּבוּנָה | 13 Blessed are those who have discovered wisdom, those who have acquired understanding! |
14 כִּי טֹוב סַחְרָהּ מִסְּחַר־כָּסֶף וּמֵחָרוּץ תְּבוּאָתָהּ | 14 Gaining her is more rewarding than silver, her yield is more valuable than gold. |
15 יְקָרָה הִיא [מִפְּנִיִּים כ] (מִפְּנִינִים ק) וְכָל־חֲפָצֶיךָ לֹא יִשְׁווּ־בָהּ | 15 She is beyond the price of pearls, nothing you could covet is her equal. |
16 אֹרֶךְ יָמִים בִּימִינָהּ בִּשְׂמֹאולָהּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבֹוד | 16 In her right hand is length of days; in her left hand, riches and honour. |
17 דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי־נֹעַם וְכָל־נְתִיבֹותֶיהָ שָׁלֹום | 17 Her ways are filled with delight, her paths al lead to contentment. |
18 עֵץ־חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ וְתֹמְכֶיהָ מְאֻשָּׁר׃ פ | 18 She is a tree of life for those who hold her fast, those who cling to her live happy lives. |
19 יְהוָה בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד־אָרֶץ כֹּונֵן מַיִם בִּתְבוּנָה | 19 In wisdom, Yahweh laid the earth's foundations, in understanding he spread out the heavens. |
20 בְּדַעְתֹּו תְּהֹומֹות נִבְקָעוּ וּשְׁחָקִים יִרְעֲפוּ־טָל | 20 Through his knowledge the depths were cleft open, and the clouds distil the dew. |
21 בְּנִי אַל־יָלֻזוּ מֵעֵינֶיךָ נְצֹר תֻּשִׁיָּה וּמְזִמָּה | 21 My child, hold to sound advice and prudence, never let them out of sight; |
22 וְיִהְיוּ חַיִּים לְנַפְשֶׁךָ וְחֵן לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶיךָ | 22 they wil give life to your soul and beauty to your neck. |
23 אָז תֵּלֵךְ לָבֶטַח דַּרְכֶּךָ וְרַגְלְךָ לֹא תִגֹּוף | 23 You wil go on your way in safety, your feet wil not stumble. |
24 אִם־תִּשְׁכַּב לֹא־תִפְחָד וְשָׁכַבְתָּ וְעָרְבָה שְׁנָתֶךָ | 24 When you go to bed, you wil not be afraid; once in bed, your sleep will be sweet. |
25 אַל־תִּירָא מִפַּחַד פִּתְאֹם וּמִשֹּׁאַת רְשָׁעִים כִּי תָבֹא | 25 Have no fear either of sudden terror or of attack mounted by wicked men, |
26 כִּי־יְהוָה יִהְיֶה בְכִסְלֶךָ וְשָׁמַר רַגְלְךָ מִלָּכֶד | 26 since Yahweh will be your guarantor, he wil keep your steps from the snare. |
27 אַל־תִּמְנַע־טֹוב מִבְּעָלָיו בִּהְיֹות לְאֵל [יָדֶיךָ כ] (יָדְךָ ק) לַעֲשֹׂות | 27 Refuse no kindness to those who have a right to it, if it is in your power to perform it. |
28 אַל־תֹּאמַר [לְרֵעֶיךָ כ] (לְרֵעֲךָ ׀ ק) לֵךְ וָשׁוּב וּמָחָר אֶתֵּן וְיֵשׁ אִתָּךְ | 28 Do not say to your neighbour, 'Go away! Come another time! I will give it you tomorrow,' if you can do itnow. |
29 אַל־תַּחֲרֹשׁ עַל־רֵעֲךָ רָעָה וְהוּא־יֹושֵׁב לָבֶטַח אִתָּךְ | 29 Do not plot harm against your neighbour who is living unsuspecting beside you. |
30 אַל־ [תָּרֹוב כ] (תָּרִיב ק) עִם־אָדָם חִנָּם אִם־לֹא גְמָלְךָ רָעָה | 30 Do not pick a groundless quarrel with anyone who has done you no harm. |
31 אַל־תְּקַנֵּא בְּאִישׁ חָמָס וְאַל־תִּבְחַר בְּכָל־דְּרָכָיו | 31 Do not envy the man of violence, never model your conduct on his; |
32 כִּי תֹועֲבַת יְהוָה נָלֹוז וְאֶת־יְשָׁרִים סֹודֹו | 32 for the wilful wrong-doer is abhorrent to Yahweh, who confides only in the honest. |
33 מְאֵרַת יְהוָה בְּבֵית רָשָׁע וּנְוֵה צַדִּיקִים יְבָרֵךְ | 33 Yahweh's curse lies on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright. |
34 אִם־לַלֵּצִים הוּא־יָלִיץ [וְלַעֲנִיִּים כ] (וְלַעֲנָוִים ק) יִתֶּן־חֵן | 34 He mocks those who mock, but accords his favour to the humble. |
35 כָּבֹוד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ וּכְסִילִים מֵרִים קָלֹון׃ פ | 35 Glory is the portion of the wise, all that fools inherit is contempt. |