1 לְאָדָם מַעַרְכֵי־לֵב וּמֵיְהוָה מַעֲנֵה לָשֹׁון | 1 It is for man to prepare the soul, and for the Lord to govern the tongue. |
2 כָּל־דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ זַךְ בְּעֵינָיו וְתֹכֵן רוּחֹות יְהוָה | 2 All the ways of a man are open to his eyes; the Lord is the one who weighs spirits. |
3 גֹּל אֶל־יְהוָה מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְיִכֹּנוּ מַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ | 3 Open your works to the Lord, and your intentions will be set in order. |
4 כֹּל פָּעַל יְהוָה לַמַּעֲנֵהוּ וְגַם־רָשָׁע לְיֹום רָעָה | 4 The Lord has wrought all things because of himself. Likewise the impious is for the evil day. |
5 תֹּועֲבַת יְהוָה כָּל־גְּבַהּ־לֵב יָד לְיָד לֹא יִנָּקֶה | 5 All the arrogant are an abomination to the Lord. Even if hand will be joined to hand, he is not innocent. The beginning of a good way is to do justice. And this is more acceptable with God than to immolate sacrifices. |
6 בְּחֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת יְכֻפַּר עָוֹן וּבְיִרְאַת יְהוָה סוּר מֵרָע | 6 By mercy and truth, iniquity is redeemed. And by the fear of the Lord, one turns away from evil. |
7 בִּרְצֹות יְהוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ גַּם־אֹויְבָיו יַשְׁלִם אִתֹּו | 7 When the ways of man will please the Lord, he will convert even his enemies to peace. |
8 טֹוב־מְעַט בִּצְדָקָה מֵרֹב תְּבוּאֹות בְּלֹא מִשְׁפָּט | 8 Better is a little with justice, than many fruits with iniquity. |
9 לֵב אָדָם יְחַשֵּׁב דַּרְכֹּו וַיהוָה יָכִין צַעֲדֹו | 9 The heart of man disposes his way. But it is for Lord to direct his steps. |
10 קֶסֶם ׀ עַל־שִׂפְתֵי־מֶלֶךְ בְּמִשְׁפָּט לֹא יִמְעַל־פִּיו | 10 Foreknowledge is in the lips of the king. His mouth shall not err in judgment. |
11 פֶּלֶס ׀ וּמֹאזְנֵי מִשְׁפָּט לַיהוָה מַעֲשֵׂהוּ כָּל־אַבְנֵי־כִיס | 11 Weights and scales are judgments of the Lord. And all the stones in the bag are his work. |
12 תֹּועֲבַת מְלָכִים עֲשֹׂות רֶשַׁע כִּי בִצְדָקָה יִכֹּון כִּסֵּא | 12 Those who act impiously are abominable to the king. For the throne is made firm by justice. |
13 רְצֹון מְלָכִים שִׂפְתֵי־צֶדֶק וְדֹבֵר יְשָׁרִים יֶאֱהָב | 13 Just lips are the will of kings. He who speaks honestly shall be loved. |
14 חֲמַת־מֶלֶךְ מַלְאֲכֵי־מָוֶת וְאִישׁ חָכָם יְכַפְּרֶנָּה | 14 The indignation of a king is a herald of death. And the wise man will appease it. |
15 בְּאֹור־פְּנֵי־מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים וּרְצֹונֹו כְּעָב מַלְקֹושׁ | 15 In the cheerfulness of the king’s countenance, there is life. And his clemency is like belated rain. |
16 קְנֹה־חָכְמָה מַה־טֹּוב מֵחָרוּץ וּקְנֹות בִּינָה נִבְחָר מִכָּסֶף | 16 Possess wisdom, for it is better than gold. And acquire prudence, for it is more precious than silver. |
17 מְסִלַּת יְשָׁרִים סוּר מֵרָע שֹׁמֵר נַפְשֹׁו נֹצֵר דַּרְכֹּו | 17 The path of the just turns away from evils. He who guards his soul preserves his way. |
18 לִפְנֵי־שֶׁבֶר גָּאֹון וְלִפְנֵי כִשָּׁלֹון גֹּבַהּ רוּחַ | 18 Arrogance precedes destruction. And the spirit is exalted before a fall. |
19 טֹוב שְׁפַל־רוּחַ אֶת־ [עֲנִיִּים כ] (עֲנָוִים ק) מֵחַלֵּק לָל אֶת־גֵּאִים | 19 It is better to be humbled with the meek, than to divide spoils with the arrogant. |
20 מַשְׂכִּיל עַל־דָּבָר יִמְצָא־טֹוב וּבֹוטֵחַ בַּיהוָה אַשְׁרָיו | 20 The learned in word shall find good things. And whoever hopes in the Lord is blessed. |
21 לַחֲכַם־לֵב יִקָּרֵא נָבֹון וּמֶתֶק פָתַיִם יֹסִיף לֶקַח | 21 Whoever is wise in heart shall be called prudent. And whoever is sweet in eloquence shall attain to what is greater. |
22 מְקֹור חַיִּים שֵׂכֶל בְּעָלָיו וּמוּסַר אֱוִלִים אִוֶּלֶת | 22 Learning is a fountain of life to one who possesses it. The doctrine of the foolish is senseless. |
23 לֵב חָכָם יַשְׂכִּיל פִּיהוּ וְעַלשְׂ־פָתָיו יֹסִיף לֶקַח | 23 The heart of the wise shall instruct his mouth and add grace to his lips. |
24 צוּף־דְּבַשׁ אִמְרֵי־נֹעַם מָתֹוק לַנֶּפֶשׁ וּמַרְפֵּא לָעָצֶם | 24 Careful words are a honeycomb: sweet to the soul and healthful to the bones. |
25 יֵשׁ דֶּרֶךְ יָשָׁר לִפְנֵי־אִישׁ וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ דַּרְכֵי־מָוֶת | 25 There is a way which seems right to a man, and its end result leads to death. |
26 נֶפֶשׁ עָמֵל עָמְלָה לֹּו כִּי־אָכַף עָלָיו פִּיהוּ | 26 The soul of the laborer labors for himself, because his mouth has driven him to it. |
27 אִישׁ בְּלִיַּעַל כֹּרֶה רָעָה וְעַל־ [שְׂפָתָיו כ] (פָתֹו ק) כְּאֵשׁ צָרָבֶת | 27 The impious man digs up evil, and in his lips is a burning fire. |
28 אִישׁ תַּהְפֻּכֹות יְשַׁלַּח מָדֹון וְנִרְגָּן מַפְרִיד אַלּוּף | 28 A perverse man stirs up lawsuits. And one who is verbose divides leaders. |
29 אִישׁ חָמָס יְפַתֶּה רֵעֵהוּ וְהֹולִיכֹו בְּדֶרֶךְ לֹא־טֹוב | 29 A man of iniquity entices his friend, and he leads him along a way that is not good. |
30 עֹצֶה עֵינָיו לַחְשֹׁב תַּהְפֻּכֹות קֹרֵץ פָתָיו כִּלָּה רָעָה | 30 Whoever, with astonished eyes, thinks up depravities, biting his lips, accomplishes evil. |
31 עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת שֵׂיבָה בְּדֶרֶךְ צְדָקָה תִּמָּצֵא | 31 Old age is a crown of dignity, when it is found in the ways of justice. |
32 טֹוב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבֹּור וּמֹשֵׁל בְּרוּחֹו מִלֹּכֵד עִיר | 32 A patient man is better than a strong one. And whoever rules his soul is better than one who assaults cities. |
33 בַּחֵיק יוּטַל אֶת־הַגֹּורָל וּמֵיְהוָה כָּל־מִשְׁפָּטֹו | 33 Lots are cast into the lap, but they are tempered by the Lord. |