1 גֶּפֶן בֹּוקֵק יִשְׂרָאֵל פְּרִי יְשַׁוֶּה־לֹּו כְּרֹב לְפִרְיֹו הִרְבָּה לַמִּזְבְּחֹות כְּטֹוב לְאַרְצֹו הֵיטִיבוּ מַצֵּבֹות | 1 A wise judge will instruct his people; and the government of a prudent man is well ordered. |
2 חָלַק לִבָּם עַתָּה יֶאְשָׁמוּ הוּא יַעֲרֹף מִזְבְּחֹותָם יְשֹׁדֵד מַצֵּבֹותָם | 2 As the judge of the people is himself, so are his officers; and what manner of man the ruler of the city is, such are all they that dwell therein. |
3 כִּי עַתָּה יֹאמְרוּ אֵין מֶלֶךְ לָנוּ כִּי לֹא יָרֵאנוּ אֶת־יְהוָה וְהַמֶּלֶךְ מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּנוּ | 3 An unwise king destroyeth his people; but through the prudence of them which are in authority the city shall be inhabited. |
4 דִּבְּרוּ דְבָרִים אָלֹות שָׁוְא כָּרֹת בְּרִית וּפָרַח כָּרֹאשׁ מִשְׁפָּט עַל תַּלְמֵי שָׂדָי | 4 The power of the earth is in the hand of the Lord, and in due time he will set over it one that is profitable. |
5 לְעֶגְלֹות בֵּית אָוֶן יָגוּרוּ שְׁכַן שֹׁמְרֹון כִּי־אָבַל עָלָיו עַמֹּו וּכְמָרָיו עָלָיו יָגִילוּ עַל־כְּבֹודֹו כִּי־גָלָה מִמֶּנּוּ | 5 In the hand of God is the prosperity of man: and upon the person of the scribe shall he lay his honour. |
6 גַּם־אֹותֹו לְאַשּׁוּר יוּבָל מִנְחָה לְמֶלֶךְ יָרֵב בָּשְׁנָה אֶפְרַיִם יִקָּח וְיֵבֹושׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעֲצָתֹו | 6 Bear not hatred to thy neighbour for every wrong; and do nothing at all by injurious practices. |
7 נִדְמֶה שֹׁמְרֹון מַלְכָּהּ כְּקֶצֶף עַל־פְּנֵי־מָיִם | 7 Pride is hateful before God and man: and by both doth one commit iniquity. |
8 וְנִשְׁמְדוּ בָּמֹות אָוֶן חַטַּאת יִשְׂרָאֵל קֹוץ וְדַרְדַּר יַעֲלֶה עַל־מִזְבְּחֹותָם וְאָמְרוּ לֶהָרִים כַּסּוּנוּ וְלַגְּבָעֹות נִפְלוּ עָלֵינוּ׃ ס | 8 Because of unrighteous dealings, injuries, and riches got by deceit, the kingdom is translated from one people to another. |
9 מִימֵי הַגִּבְעָה חָטָאתָ יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׁם עָמָדוּ לֹא־תַשִּׂיגֵם בַּגִּבְעָה מִלְחָמָה עַל־בְּנֵי עַלְוָה | 9 Why is earth and ashes proud? There is not a more wicked thing than a covetous man: for such an one setteth his own soul to sale; because while he liveth he casteth away his bowels. |
10 בְּאַוָּתִי וְאֶסֳּרֵם וְאֻסְּפוּ עֲלֵיהֶם עַמִּים בְּאָסְרָם לִשְׁתֵּי [עֵינֹתָם כ] (עֹונֹתָם׃ ק) | 10 The physician cutteth off a long disease; and he that is to day a king to morrow shall die. |
11 וְאֶפְרַיִם עֶגְלָה מְלֻמָּדָה אֹהַבְתִּי לָדוּשׁ וַאֲנִי עָבַרְתִּי עַל־טוּב צַוָּארָהּ אַרְכִּיב אֶפְרַיִם יַחֲרֹושׁ יְהוּדָה יְשַׂדֶּד־לֹו יַעֲקֹב | 11 For when a man is dead, he shall inherit creeping things, beasts, and worms. |
12 זִרְעוּ לָכֶם לִצְדָקָה קִצְרוּ לְפִי־חֶסֶד נִירוּ לָכֶם נִיר וְעֵת לִדְרֹושׁ אֶת־יְהוָה עַד־יָבֹוא וְיֹרֶה צֶדֶק לָכֶם | 12 The beginning of pride is when one departeth from God, and his heart is turned away from his Maker. |
13 חֲרַשְׁתֶּם־רֶשַׁע עַוְלָתָה קְצַרְתֶּם אֲכַלְתֶּם פְּרִי־כָחַשׁ כִּי־בָטַחְתָּ בְדַרְכְּךָ בְּרֹב גִּבֹּורֶיךָ | 13 For pride is the beginning of sin, and he that hath it shall pour out abomination: and therefore the Lord brought upon them strange calamities, and overthrew them utterly. |
14 וְקָאם שָׁאֹון בְּעַמֶּךָ וְכָל־מִבְצָרֶיךָ יוּשַּׁד כְּשֹׁד שַׁלְמַן בֵּית אַרְבֵאל בְּיֹום מִלְחָמָה אֵם עַל־בָּנִים רֻטָּשָׁה | 14 The Lord hath cast down the thrones of proud princes, and set up the meek in their stead. |
15 כָּכָה עָשָׂה לָכֶם בֵּית־אֵל מִפְּנֵי רָעַת רָעַתְכֶם בַּשַּׁחַר נִדְמֹה נִדְמָה מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל | 15 The Lord hath plucked up the roots of the proud nations, and planted the lowly in their place. |
| 16 The Lord overthrew countries of the heathen, and destroyed them to the foundations of the earth. |
| 17 He took some of them away, and destroyed them, and hath made their memorial to cease from the earth. |
| 18 Pride was not made for men, nor furious anger for them that are born of a woman. |
| 19 They that fear the Lord are a sure seed, and they that love him an honourable plant: they that regard not the law are a dishonourable seed; they that transgress the commandments are a deceivable seed. |
| 20 Among brethren he that is chief is honorable; so are they that fear the Lord in his eyes. |
| 21 The fear of the Lord goeth before the obtaining of authority: but roughness and pride is the losing thereof. |
| 22 Whether he be rich, noble, or poor, their glory is the fear of the Lord. |
| 23 It is not meet to despise the poor man that hath understanding; neither is it convenient to magnify a sinful man. |
| 24 Great men, and judges, and potentates, shall be honoured; yet is there none of them greater than he that feareth the Lord. |
| 25 Unto the servant that is wise shall they that are free do service: and he that hath knowledge will not grudge when he is reformed. |
| 26 Be not overwise in doing thy business; and boast not thyself in the time of thy distress. |
| 27 Better is he that laboureth, and aboundeth in all things, than he that boasteth himself, and wanteth bread. |
| 28 My son, glorify thy soul in meekness, and give it honour according to the dignity thereof. |
| 29 Who will justify him that sinneth against his own soul? and who will honour him that dishonoureth his own life? |
| 30 The poor man is honoured for his skill, and the rich man is honoured for his riches. |
| 31 He that is honoured in poverty, how much more in riches? and he that is dishonourable in riches, how much more in poverty? |