1 הֲלֹא־חָכְמָה תִקְרָא וּתְבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קֹולָהּ | 1 Doth not wisdom cry aloud, and prudence put forth her voice ? |
2 בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרֹומִים עֲלֵי־דָרֶךְ בֵּית נְתִיבֹות נִצָּבָה | 2 Standing in the top of the highest places by the way, in the midst of the paths. |
3 לְיַד־שְׁעָרִים לְפִי־קָרֶת מְבֹוא פְתָחִים תָּרֹנָּה | 3 Beside the gates of the city, in the very doors she speaketh, saying: |
4 אֲלֵיכֶם אִישִׁים אֶקְרָא וְקֹולִי אֶל־בְּנֵי אָדָם | 4 O ye men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. |
5 הָבִינוּ פְתָאיִם עָרְמָה וּכְסִילִים הָבִינוּ לֵב | 5 O little ones, understand subtilty, and ye unwise, take notice. |
6 מְעוּ כִּי־נְגִידִים אֲדַבֵּר וּמִפְתַּח פָתַי מֵישָׁרִים | 6 Hear, for I will speak of great things: and my lips shall be opened to preach right things. |
7 כִּי־אֱמֶת יֶהְגֶּה חִכִּי וְתֹועֲבַת שְׂפָתַי רֶשַׁע | 7 My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness. |
8 בְּצֶדֶק כָּל־אִמְרֵי־פִי אֵין בָּהֶם נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּשׁ | 8 All my words are just, there is nothing wicked nor perverse in them. |
9 כֻּלָּם נְכֹחִים לַמֵּבִין וִישָׁרִים לְמֹצְאֵי דָעַת | 9 They are right to them that understand, and just to them that find knowledge. |
10 קְחוּ־מוּסָרִי וְאַל־כָּסֶף וְדַעַת מֵחָרוּץ נִבְחָר | 10 Receive my instruction, and not money: choose knowledge rather than gold. |
11 כִּי־טֹובָה חָכְמָה מִפְּנִינִים וְכָל־חֲפָצִים לֹא יִשְׁווּ־בָהּ | 11 ,11For wisdom is better than all the most precious things: and whatsoever may be desired cannot be compared to |
12 אֲנִי־חָכְמָה שָׁכַנְתִּי עָרְמָה וְדַעַת מְזִמֹּות אֶמְצָא | 12 I wisdom dwell in counsel, and am present in learned thoughts. |
13 יִרְאַת יְהוָה שְׂנֹאת רָע גֵּאָה וְגָאֹון ׀ וְדֶרֶךְ רָע וּפִי תַהְפֻּכֹות שָׂנֵאתִי | 13 The fear of the Lord hateth evil: I hate arrogance, and pride, and every wicked way, and a mouth with a double tongue. |
14 לִי־עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה אֲנִי בִינָה לִי גְבוּרָה | 14 Counsel and equity is mine, prudence is mine, strength is mine. |
15 בִּי מְלָכִים יִמְלֹכוּ וְרֹוזְנִים יְחֹקְקוּ צֶדֶק | 15 By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things, |
16 בִּי שָׂרִים יָשֹׂרוּ וּנְדִיבִים כָּל־שֹׁפְטֵי צֶדֶק | 16 By me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice. |
17 אֲנִי [אֹהֲבֶיהָ כ] (אֹהֲבַי ק) אֵהָב וּמְשַׁחֲרַי יִמְצָאֻנְנִי | 17 I love them that love me: and they that in the morning early watch for me, shall find me. |
18 עֹשֶׁר־וְכָבֹוד אִתִּי הֹון עָתֵק וּצְדָקָה | 18 With me are riches and glory, glorious riches and justice. |
19 טֹוב פִּרְיִי מֵחָרוּץ וּמִפָּז וּתְבוּאָתִי מִכֶּסֶף נִבְחָר | 19 For my fruit is better than gold and the precious stone, and my blossoms than choice silver. |
20 בְּאֹרַח־צְדָקָה אֲהַלֵּך בְּתֹוךְ נְתִיבֹות מִשְׁפָּט | 20 I walk in the way of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment, |
21 לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי ׀ יֵשׁ וְאֹצְרֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּא׃ פ | 21 That I may enrich them that love me, and may fill their treasures. |
22 יְהוָה קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכֹּו קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָז | 22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning. |
23 מֵעֹולָם נִסַּכְתִּי מֵרֹאשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי־אָרֶץ | 23 I was set up from eternity, and of old before the earth was made. |
24 בְּאֵין־תְּהֹמֹות חֹולָלְתִּי בְּאֵין מַעְיָנֹות נִכְבַּדֵּי־מָיִם | 24 The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived. neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out: |
25 בְּטֶרֶם הָרִים הָטְבָּעוּ לִפְנֵי גְבָעֹות חֹולָלְתִּי | 25 The mountains with their huge bulk had not as yet been established: before the hills I was brought forth: |
26 עַד־לֹא עָשָׂה אֶרֶץ וְחוּצֹות וְרֹאשׁ עָפְרֹות תֵּבֵל | 26 He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world. |
27 בַּהֲכִינֹו מַיִם שָׁם אָנִי בְּחוּקֹו חוּג עַל־פְּנֵי תְהֹום | 27 When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law and compass he enclosed the depths: |
28 בְּאַמְּצֹו שְׁחָקִים מִמָּעַל בַּעֲזֹוז עִינֹות תְּהֹום | 28 When he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters: |
29 בְּשׂוּמֹו לַיָּם ׀ חֻקֹּו וּמַיִם לֹא יַעַבְרוּ־פִיו בְּחוּקֹו מֹוסְדֵי אָרֶץ | 29 When he compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their limits: when be balanced the foundations of the earth; |
30 וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלֹו אָמֹון וָאֶהְיֶה עֲשֻׁעִים יֹום ׀ יֹום מְשַׂחֶקֶת לְפָנָיו בְּכָל־עֵת | 30 I was with him forming all things: and was delighted every day, playing before him at all times; |
31 מְשַׂחֶקֶת בְּתֵבֵל אַרְצֹו וְשַׁעֲשֻׁעַי אֶת־בְּנֵי אָדָם׃ פ | 31 Playing in the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men. |
32 וְעַתָּה בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִי וְאַשְׁרֵי דְּרָכַי יִשְׁמֹרוּ | 32 Now therefore, ye children, hear me: Blessed are they that keep my ways. |
33 שִׁמְעוּ מוּסָר וַחֲכָמוּ וְאַל־תִּפְרָעוּ | 33 Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not. |
34 אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם שֹׁמֵעַ לִי לִשְׁקֹד עַל־דַּלְתֹתַי יֹום ׀ יֹום לִשְׁמֹר מְזוּזֹת פְּתָחָי | 34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. |
35 כִּי מֹצְאִי [מֹצְאֵי כ] (מָצָא ק) חַיִּים וַיָּפֶק רָצֹון מֵיְהוָה | 35 He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord: |
36 וְחֹטְאִי חֹמֵס נַפְשֹׁו כָּל־מְשַׂנְאַי אָהֲבוּ מָוֶת׃ פ | 36 But he that shall sin against me, shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death. |