1 טֹוב פַּת חֲרֵבָה וְשַׁלְוָה־בָהּ מִבַּיִת מָלֵא זִבְחֵי־רִיב | 1 Better a mouthful of dry bread with peace than a house fil ed with quarrelsome sacrifices. |
2 עֶבֶד־מַשְׂכִּיל יִמְשֹׁל בְּבֵן מֵבִישׁ וּבְתֹוךְ אַחִים יַחֲלֹק נַחֲלָה | 2 A shrewd servant comes off better than an unworthy child, he will share the inheritance with thebrothers. |
3 מַצְרֵף לַכֶּסֶף וְכוּר לַזָּהָב וּבֹחֵן לִבֹּות יְהוָה | 3 A furnace for silver, a foundry for gold, but Yahweh for the testing of hearts! |
4 מֵרַע מַקְשִׁיב עַל־שְׂפַת־אָוֶן שֶׁקֶר מֵזִין עַל־לְשֹׁון הַוֹּת | 4 An evil-doer pays heed to malicious talk, a liar listens to a slanderous tongue. |
5 לֹעֵג לָרָשׁ חֵרֵף עֹשֵׂהוּ שָׂמֵחַ לְאֵיד לֹא יִנָּקֶה | 5 To mock the poor is to insult the Creator, no one who laughs at distress wil go unpunished. |
6 עֲטֶרֶת זְקֵנִים בְּנֵי בָנִים וְתִפְאֶרֶת בָּנִים אֲבֹותָם | 6 The crown of the aged is their children's children; the children's glory is their father. |
7 לֹא־נָאוָה לְנָבָל שְׂפַת־יֶתֶר אַף כִּי־לְנָדִיב שְׂפַת־שָׁקֶר | 7 Fine words do not become the foolish, false words become a prince stil less. |
8 אֶבֶן־חֵן הַשֹּׁחַד בְּעֵינֵי בְעָלָיו אֶל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר יִפְנֶה יַשְׂכִּיל | 8 A gift works like a talisman for one who holds it: it brings prosperity at every turn. |
9 מְכַסֶּה־פֶּשַׁע מְבַקֵּשׁ אַהֲבָה וְשֹׁנֶה בְדָבָר מַפְרִיד אַלּוּף | 9 Whoever covers an offence promotes love, whoever again raises the matter divides friends. |
10 תֵּחַת גְּעָרָה בְמֵבִין מֵהַכֹּות כְּסִיל מֵאָה | 10 A reproof makes more impression on a person of understanding than a hundred strokes on a fool. |
11 אַךְ־מְרִי יְבַקֶּשׁ־רָע וּמַלְאָךְ אַכְזָרִי יְשֻׁלַּח־בֹּו | 11 The wicked person thinks of nothing but rebellion, but a cruel messenger wil be sent to such a one. |
12 פָּגֹושׁ דֹּב שַׁכּוּל בְּאִישׁ וְאַל־כְּסִיל בְּאִוַּלְתֹּו | 12 Rather come on a bear robbed of her cubs than on a fool in his fol y. |
13 מֵשִׁיב רָעָה תַּחַת טֹובָה לֹא־ [תָמִישׁ כ] (תָמוּשׁ ק) רָעָה מִבֵּיתֹו | 13 Disaster wil never be far from the house of one who returns evil for good. |
14 פֹּוטֵר מַיִם רֵאשִׁית מָדֹון וְלִפְנֵי הִתְגַּלַּע הָרִיב נְטֹושׁ | 14 As well unleash a flood as start a dispute; desist before the quarrel breaks out. |
15 מַצְדִּיק רָשָׁע וּמַרְשִׁיעַ צַדִּיק תֹּועֲבַת יְהוָה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶם | 15 To absolve the guilty and condemn the upright, both alike are abhorrent to Yahweh. |
16 לָמָּה־זֶּה מְחִיר בְּיַד־כְּסִיל לִקְנֹות חָכְמָה וְלֶב־אָיִן | 16 What good is money in the hand of a fool? To buy wisdom with it? The desire is not there. |
17 בְּכָל־עֵת אֹהֵב הָרֵעַ וְאָח לְצָרָה יִוָּלֵד | 17 A friend is a friend at all times, it is for adversity that a brother is born. |
18 אָדָם חֲסַר־לֵב תֹּוקֵעַ כָּף עֹרֵב עֲרֻבָּה לִפְנֵי רֵעֵהוּ | 18 Whoever offers guarantees lacks sense and goes surety for a neighbour. |
19 אֹהֵב פֶּשַׁע אֹהֵב מַצָּה מַגְבִּיהַּ פִּתְחֹו מְבַקֶּשׁ־שָׁבֶר | 19 The double-dealer loves sin, the proud courts ruin. |
20 עִקֶּשׁ־לֵב לֹא יִמְצָא־טֹוב וְנֶהְפָּךְ בִּלְשֹׁונֹו יִפֹּול בְּרָעָה | 20 The tortuous of heart finds no happiness, the perverse of speech fal s into misery. |
21 יֹלֵד כְּסִיל לְתוּגָה לֹו וְלֹא־יִשְׂמַח אֲבִי נָבָל | 21 He who fathers a stupid child does so to his sorrow, the father of a fool knows no joy. |
22 לֵב מֵחַ יֵיטִב גֵּהָה וְרוּחַ נְכֵאָה תְּיַבֶּשׁ־גָּרֶם | 22 A glad heart is excel ent medicine, a depressed spirit wastes the bones away. |
23 שֹׁחַד מֵחֵיק רָשָׁע יִקָּח לְהַטֹּות אָרְחֹות מִשְׁפָּט | 23 Under cover of his cloak a bad man takes a gift to pervert the course of justice. |
24 אֶת־פְּנֵי מֵבִין חָכְמָה וְעֵינֵי כְסִיל בִּקְצֵה־אָרֶץ | 24 The intelligent has wisdom there before him, but the eyes of a fool range to the ends of the earth. |
25 כַּעַס לְאָבִיו בֵּן כְּסִיל וּמֶמֶר לְיֹולַדְתֹּו | 25 A foolish child is a father's sorrow, and the grief of her who gave the child birth. |
26 גַּם עֲנֹושׁ לַצַּדִּיק לֹא־טֹוב לְהַכֹּות נְדִיבִים עַל־יֹשֶׁר | 26 To fine the upright is indeed a crime, to strike the noble is an injustice. |
27 חֹושֵׂךְ אֲמָרָיו יֹודֵעַ דָּעַת [וְקַר־ כ] (יְקַר־רוּחַ ק) אִישׁ תְּבוּנָה | 27 Whoever can control the tongue knows what knowledge is, someone of understanding keeps a cooltemper. |
28 גַּם אֱוִיל מַחֲרִישׁ חָכָם יֵחָשֵׁב אֹטֵם שְׂפָתָיו נָבֹון | 28 If the fool holds his tongue, he may pass for wise; if he seals his lips, he may pass for intel igent. |