1 אַל־תְּקַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁי רָעָה וְאַל־ [תִּתְאָו כ] (תִּתְאָיו ק) לִהְיֹות אִתָּם | 1 Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them: |
2 כִּי־שֹׁד יֶהְגֶּה לִבָּם וְעָמָל שִׂפְתֵיהֶם תְּדַבֵּרְנָה | 2 Because their mind studieth robberies, and their lips speak deceits. |
3 בְּחָכְמָה יִבָּנֶה בָּיִת וּבִתְבוּנָה יִתְכֹּונָן | 3 By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened. |
4 וּבְדַעַת חֲדָרִים יִמָּלְאוּ כָּל־הֹון יָקָר וְנָעִים | 4 By instruction the storerooms shall be filled with all precious and most beautiful wealth. |
5 גֶּבֶר־חָכָם בַּעֹוז וְאִישׁ־דַּעַת מְאַמֶּץ־כֹּחַ | 5 A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant. |
6 כִּי בְתַחְבֻּלֹות תַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ מִלְחָמָה וּתְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹב יֹועֵץ | 6 Because war is managed by due ordering: and there shall be safety where there are many counsels. |
7 רָאמֹות לֶאֱוִיל חָכְמֹות בַּשַּׁעַר לֹא יִפְתַּח־פִּיהוּ | 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth. |
8 מְחַשֵּׁב לְהָרֵעַ לֹו בַּעַל־מְזִמֹּות יִקְרָאוּ | 8 He that deviseth to do evils, shall be called a fool. |
9 זִמַּת אִוֶּלֶת חַטָּאת וְתֹועֲבַת לְאָדָם לֵץ | 9 The thought of a fool is sin: and the detracter is the abomination of men. |
10 הִתְרַפִּיתָ בְּיֹום צָרָה צַר כֹּחֶכָה | 10 If thou lose hope being weary in the day of distress, thy strength shall be diminished. |
11 הַצֵּל לְקֻחִים לַמָּוֶת וּמָטִים לַהֶרֶג אִם־תַּחְשֹׂוךְ | 11 Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death forbear not to deliver. |
12 כִּי־תֹאמַר הֵן לֹא־יָדַעְנוּ זֶה הֲלֹא־תֹכֵן לִבֹּות ׀ הוּא־יָבִין וְנֹצֵר נַפְשְׁךָ הוּא יֵדָע וְהֵשִׁיב לְאָדָם כְּפָעֳלֹו | 12 If thou say: I have not strength enough: he that seeth into the heart, he understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, end he shall render to a man according to his works. |
13 אֱכָל־בְּנִי דְבַשׁ כִּי־טֹוב וְנֹפֶת מָתֹוק עַל־חִכֶּךָ | 13 Fat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat: |
14 כֵּן ׀ דְּעֶה חָכְמָה לְנַפְשֶׁךָ אִם־מָצָאתָ וְיֵשׁ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָתְךָ לֹא תִכָּרֵת׃ פ | 14 So also is the doctrine of wisdom to thy soul: which when thou hast found, thou shalt have hope in the end, and thy hope shall not perish. |
15 אַל־תֶּאֱרֹב רָשָׁע לִנְוֵה צַדִּיק אַל־תְּשַׁדֵּד רִבְצֹו | 15 Lie not in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest. |
16 כִּי שֶׁבַע ׀ יִפֹּול צַדִּיק וָקָם וּרְשָׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בְרָעָה | 16 For a just mall shall fall seven times and shall rise again: but the wicked shall fall down into evil. |
17 בִּנְפֹל [אֹויְבֶיךָ כ] (אֹויִבְךָ ק) אַל־תִּשְׂמָח וּבִכָּשְׁלֹו אַל־יָגֵל לִבֶּךָ | 17 When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice: |
18 פֶּן־יִרְאֶה יְהוָה וְרַע בְּעֵינָיו וְהֵשִׁיב מֵעָלָיו אַפֹּו | 18 Lest the Lord see, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. |
19 אַל־תִּתְחַר בַּמְּרֵעִים אַל־תְּקַנֵּא בָּרְשָׁעִים | 19 Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the ungodly: |
20 כִּי ׀ לֹא־תִהְיֶה אַחֲרִית לָרָע נֵר רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ | 20 For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. |
21 יְרָא־אֶת־יְהוָה בְּנִי וָמֶלֶךְ עִםשֹׁ־ונִים אַל־תִּתְעָרָב | 21 My son, fear the Lord and the king: and have nothing to do with detracters. |
22 כִּי־פִתְאֹם יָקוּם אֵידָם וּפִיד נֵיהֶם מִי יֹודֵעַ׃ ס | 22 For their destruction shall rise suddenly: and who knoweth the ruin of both? |
23 גַּם־אֵלֶּה לַחֲכָמִים הַכֵּר־פָּנִים בְּמִשְׁפָּט בַּל־טֹוב | 23 These things also to the wise: It is not good to have respect to persons in judgment. |
24 אֹמֵר ׀ לְרָשָׁע צַדִּיק אָתָּה יִקְּבֻהוּ עַמִּים יִזְעָמוּהוּ לְאֻמִּים | 24 They that say to the wicked man: Thou art just: shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall abhor them. |
25 וְלַמֹּוכִיחִים יִנְעָם וַעֲלֵיהֶם תָּבֹוא בִרְכַּת־טֹוב | 25 They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and a blessing shall come upon them. |
26 שְׂפָתַיִם יִשָּׁק מֵשִׁיב דְּבָרִים נְכֹחִים | 26 He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words. |
27 הָכֵן בַּחוּץ ׀ מְלַאכְתֶּךָ וְעַתְּדָהּ בַּשָּׂדֶה לָךְ אַחַר וּבָנִיתָ בֵיתֶךָ׃ פ | 27 Prepare thy work without, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house. |
28 אַל־תְּהִי עֵד־חִנָּם בְּרֵעֶךָ וַהֲפִתִּיתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶיךָ | 28 Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: and deceive not any man with thy lips. |
29 אַל־תֹּאמַר כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה־לִי כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה־לֹּו אָשִׁיב לָאִישׁ כְּפָעֳלֹו | 29 Say not: I will do to him as he hath done to me: I will render to every one according to his work. |
30 עַל־שְׂדֵה אִישׁ־עָצֵל עָבַרְתִּי וְעַל־כֶּרֶם אָדָם חֲסַר־לֵב | 30 I passed by the field of the slothful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish man: |
31 וְהִנֵּה עָלָה כֻלֹּו ׀ קִמְּשֹׂנִים כָּסּוּ פָנָיו חֲרֻלִּים וְגֶדֶר אֲבָנָיו נֶהֱרָסָה | 31 And behold it was all filled with nettles, and thorns had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down. |
32 וָאֶחֱזֶה אָנֹכִי אָשִׁית לִבִּי רָאִיתִי לָקַחְתִּי מוּסָר | 32 Which when I had seen, I laid it up in my heart, and by the example I received instruction. |
33 מְעַט נֹות מְעַט תְּנוּמֹות מְעַט ׀ חִבֻּק יָדַיִם לִשְׁכָּב | 33 Thou wilt sleep a little, said I, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to rest: |
34 וּבָא־מִתְהַלֵּךְ רֵישֶׁךָ וּמַחְסֹרֶיךָ כְּאִישׁ מָגֵן׃ פ | 34 And poverty shall come to thee as a runner, and beggary as an armed man. |