| 1 כַּשֶּׁלֶג ׀ בַּקַּיִץ וְכַמָּטָר בַּקָּצִיר כֵּן לֹא־נָאוֶה לִכְסִיל כָּבֹוד | 1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. |
| 2 כַּצִּפֹּור לָנוּד כַּדְּרֹור לָעוּף כֵּן קִלְלַת חִנָּם [לֹא כ] (לֹו ק) תָבֹא | 2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. |
| 3 שֹׁוט לַסּוּס מֶתֶג לַחֲמֹור וְשֵׁבֶט לְגֵו כְּסִילִים | 3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools. |
| 4 אַל־תַּעַן כְּסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתֹּו פֶּן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לֹּו גַם־אָתָּה | 4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. |
| 5 עֲנֵה כְסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתֹּו פֶּן־יִהְיֶה חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו | 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. |
| 6 מְקַצֶּה רַגְלַיִם חָמָס שֹׁתֶה שֹׁלֵחַ דְּבָרִים בְּיַד־כְּסִיל | 6 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. |
| 7 דַּלְיוּ קַיִם מִפִּסֵּחַ וּמָשָׁל בְּפִי כְסִילִים | 7 Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools. |
| 8 כִּצְרֹור אֶבֶן בְּמַרְגֵּמָה כֵּן־נֹותֵן לִכְסִיל כָּבֹוד | 8 Like one who binds the stone in the sling is he who gives honor to a fool. |
| 9 חֹוחַ עָלָה בְיַד־שִׁכֹּור וּמָשָׁל בְּפִי כְסִילִים | 9 Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools. |
| 10 רַב מְחֹולֵל־כֹּל וְשֹׂכֵר כְּסִיל וְשֹׂכֵר עֹבְרִים | 10 Like an archer who wounds everybody is he who hires a passing fool or drunkard. |
| 11 כְּכֶלֶב שָׁב עַל־קֵאֹו כְּסִיל שֹׁונֶה בְאִוַּלְתֹּו | 11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool that repeats his folly. |
| 12 רָאִיתָ אִישׁ חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו תִּקְוָה לִכְסִיל מִמֶּנּוּ | 12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. |
| 13 אָמַר עָצֵל שַׁחַל בַּדָּרֶךְ אֲרִי בֵּין הָרְחֹבֹות | 13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!" |
| 14 הַדֶּלֶת תִּסֹּוב עַל־צִירָהּ וְעָצֵל עַל־מִטָּתֹו | 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. |
| 15 טָמַן עָצֵל יָדֹו בַּצַּלָּחַת נִלְאָה לַהֲשִׁיבָהּ אֶל־פִּיו | 15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. |
| 16 חָכָם עָצֵל בְּעֵינָיו מִשִּׁבְעָה מְשִׁיבֵי טָעַם | 16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer discreetly. |
| 17 מַחֲזִיק בְּאָזְנֵי־כָלֶב עֹבֵר מִתְעַבֵּר עַל־רִיב לֹּא־לֹו | 17 He who meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears. |
| 18 כְּמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶה זִקִּים חִצִּים וָמָוֶת | 18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, |
| 19 כֵּן־אִישׁ רִמָּה אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וְאָמַר הֲלֹא־מְשַׂחֵק אָנִי | 19 is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I am only joking!" |
| 20 בְּאֶפֶס עֵצִים תִּכְבֶּה־אֵשׁ וּבְאֵין נִרְגָּן יִשְׁתֹּק מָדֹון | 20 For lack of wood the fire goes out; and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. |
| 21 פֶּחָם לְגֶחָלִים וְעֵצִים לְאֵשׁ וְאִישׁ [מִדֹונִים כ] (מִדְיָנִים ק) לְחַרְחַר־רִיב׃ פ | 21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. |
| 22 דִּבְרֵי נִרְגָּן כְּמִתְלַהֲמִים וְהֵם יָרְדוּ חַדְרֵי־בָטֶן | 22 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. |
| 23 כֶּסֶף סִיגִים מְצֻפֶּה עַל־חָרֶשׂ שְׂפָתַיִם דֹּלְקִים וְלֶב־רָע | 23 Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are smooth lips with an evil heart. |
| 24 [בִּשְׂפָתֹו כ] (בִּשְׂפָתָיו ק) יִנָּכֵר שֹׂונֵא וּבְקִרְבֹּו יָשִׁית מִרְמָה | 24 He who hates, dissembles with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; |
| 25 כִּי־יְחַנֵּן קֹולֹו אַל־תַּאֲמֶן־בֹּו כִּי שֶׁבַע תֹּועֵבֹות בְּלִבֹּו | 25 when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; |
| 26 תִּכַּסֶּה נְאָה בְּמַשָּׁאֹון תִּגָּלֶה רָעָתֹו בְקָהָל | 26 though his hatred be covered with guile, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. |
| 27 כֹּרֶהשַּׁ־חַת בָּהּ יִפֹּל וְגֹלֵל אֶבֶן אֵלָיו תָּשׁוּב | 27 He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back upon him who starts it rolling. |
| 28 לְשֹׁוןשֶׁ־קֶר יִשְׂנָא דַכָּיו וּפֶה חָלָק יַעֲשֶׂה מִדְחֶה | 28 A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin. |
