1 לְאָדָם מַעַרְכֵי־לֵב וּמֵיְהוָה מַעֲנֵה לָשֹׁון | 1 A human heart makes the plans, Yahweh gives the answer. |
2 כָּל־דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ זַךְ בְּעֵינָיו וְתֹכֵן רוּחֹות יְהוָה | 2 A person's own acts seem right to the doer, but Yahweh is the weigher of souls. |
3 גֹּל אֶל־יְהוָה מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְיִכֹּנוּ מַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ | 3 Commend what you do to Yahweh, and what you plan wil be achieved. |
4 כֹּל פָּעַל יְהוָה לַמַּעֲנֵהוּ וְגַם־רָשָׁע לְיֹום רָעָה | 4 Yahweh made everything for its own purpose, yes, even the wicked for the day of disaster. |
5 תֹּועֲבַת יְהוָה כָּל־גְּבַהּ־לֵב יָד לְיָד לֹא יִנָּקֶה | 5 Every arrogant heart is abhorrent to Yahweh: be sure this wil not go unpunished. |
6 בְּחֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת יְכֻפַּר עָוֹן וּבְיִרְאַת יְהוָה סוּר מֵרָע | 6 By faithful love and constancy sin is expiated; by fear of Yahweh evil is avoided. |
7 בִּרְצֹות יְהוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ גַּם־אֹויְבָיו יַשְׁלִם אִתֹּו | 7 Let Yahweh be pleased with someone's way of life and he makes that person's very enemies intofriends. |
8 טֹוב־מְעַט בִּצְדָקָה מֵרֹב תְּבוּאֹות בְּלֹא מִשְׁפָּט | 8 Better have little and with it uprightness than great revenues with injustice. |
9 לֵב אָדָם יְחַשֵּׁב דַּרְכֹּו וַיהוָה יָכִין צַעֲדֹו | 9 The human heart may plan a course, but it is Yahweh who makes the steps secure. |
10 קֶסֶם ׀ עַל־שִׂפְתֵי־מֶלֶךְ בְּמִשְׁפָּט לֹא יִמְעַל־פִּיו | 10 The lips of the king utter prophecies, he keeps faith when he speaks in judgement. |
11 פֶּלֶס ׀ וּמֹאזְנֵי מִשְׁפָּט לַיהוָה מַעֲשֵׂהוּ כָּל־אַבְנֵי־כִיס | 11 The balances and scales belong to Yahweh, al the weights in the bag are of his making. |
12 תֹּועֲבַת מְלָכִים עֲשֹׂות רֶשַׁע כִּי בִצְדָקָה יִכֹּון כִּסֵּא | 12 Evil-doing is abhorrent to kings, since uprightness is a throne's foundation. |
13 רְצֹון מְלָכִים שִׂפְתֵי־צֶדֶק וְדֹבֵר יְשָׁרִים יֶאֱהָב | 13 Upright lips are welcome to a king, he loves someone of honest words. |
14 חֲמַת־מֶלֶךְ מַלְאֲכֵי־מָוֶת וְאִישׁ חָכָם יְכַפְּרֶנָּה | 14 The king's wrath is the herald of death, but the wise will appease it. |
15 בְּאֹור־פְּנֵי־מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים וּרְצֹונֹו כְּעָב מַלְקֹושׁ | 15 When the king's face brightens it spel s life, his favour is like the rain in spring. |
16 קְנֹה־חָכְמָה מַה־טֹּוב מֵחָרוּץ וּקְנֹות בִּינָה נִבְחָר מִכָּסֶף | 16 Better gain wisdom than gold, choose understanding in preference to silver. |
17 מְסִלַּת יְשָׁרִים סוּר מֵרָע שֹׁמֵר נַפְשֹׁו נֹצֵר דַּרְכֹּו | 17 To turn from evil is the way of the honest; whoever watches the path keeps life safe. |
18 לִפְנֵי־שֶׁבֶר גָּאֹון וְלִפְנֵי כִשָּׁלֹון גֹּבַהּ רוּחַ | 18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fal . |
19 טֹוב שְׁפַל־רוּחַ אֶת־ [עֲנִיִּים כ] (עֲנָוִים ק) מֵחַלֵּק לָל אֶת־גֵּאִים | 19 Better be humble with the poor than share the booty with the proud. |
20 מַשְׂכִּיל עַל־דָּבָר יִמְצָא־טֹוב וּבֹוטֵחַ בַּיהוָה אַשְׁרָיו | 20 Whoever listens closely to the word finds happiness; whoever trusts Yahweh is blessed. |
21 לַחֲכַם־לֵב יִקָּרֵא נָבֹון וּמֶתֶק פָתַיִם יֹסִיף לֶקַח | 21 The wise of heart is acclaimed as intel igent, sweetness of speech increases knowledge. |
22 מְקֹור חַיִּים שֵׂכֶל בְּעָלָיו וּמוּסַר אֱוִלִים אִוֶּלֶת | 22 Shrewdness is a fountain of life for its possessor, the fol y of fools is their own punishment. |
23 לֵב חָכָם יַשְׂכִּיל פִּיהוּ וְעַלשְׂ־פָתָיו יֹסִיף לֶקַח | 23 The heart of the wise lends shrewdness to speech and makes words more persuasive. |
24 צוּף־דְּבַשׁ אִמְרֵי־נֹעַם מָתֹוק לַנֶּפֶשׁ וּמַרְפֵּא לָעָצֶם | 24 Kindly words are a honeycomb, sweet to the taste, wholesome to the body. |
25 יֵשׁ דֶּרֶךְ יָשָׁר לִפְנֵי־אִישׁ וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ דַּרְכֵי־מָוֶת | 25 There is a way that some think straight, but it leads in the end to death. |
26 נֶפֶשׁ עָמֵל עָמְלָה לֹּו כִּי־אָכַף עָלָיו פִּיהוּ | 26 A worker's appetite works on his behalf, for his hunger urges him on. |
27 אִישׁ בְּלִיַּעַל כֹּרֶה רָעָה וְעַל־ [שְׂפָתָיו כ] (פָתֹו ק) כְּאֵשׁ צָרָבֶת | 27 A worthless person concocts evil, such a one's talk is like a scorching fire. |
28 אִישׁ תַּהְפֻּכֹות יְשַׁלַּח מָדֹון וְנִרְגָּן מַפְרִיד אַלּוּף | 28 A troublemaker sows strife, a slanderer divides friend from friend. |
29 אִישׁ חָמָס יְפַתֶּה רֵעֵהוּ וְהֹולִיכֹו בְּדֶרֶךְ לֹא־טֹוב | 29 The violent lures his neighbour astray and leads him by a way that is not good. |
30 עֹצֶה עֵינָיו לַחְשֹׁב תַּהְפֻּכֹות קֹרֵץ פָתָיו כִּלָּה רָעָה | 30 Whoever narrows the eyes to think up tricks and purses the lips has already done wrong. |
31 עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת שֵׂיבָה בְּדֶרֶךְ צְדָקָה תִּמָּצֵא | 31 White hairs are a crown of honour, they are found in the ways of uprightness. |
32 טֹוב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבֹּור וּמֹשֵׁל בְּרוּחֹו מִלֹּכֵד עִיר | 32 Better an equable person than a hero, someone with self-mastery than one who takes a city. |
33 בַּחֵיק יוּטַל אֶת־הַגֹּורָל וּמֵיְהוָה כָּל־מִשְׁפָּטֹו | 33 In the fold of the garment the lot is thrown, but from Yahweh comes the decision. |