1 שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־יְהוָה בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי רִיב לַיהוָה עִם־יֹושְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ כִּי אֵין־אֱמֶת וְאֵין־חֶסֶד וְאֵין־דַּעַת אֱלֹהִים בָּאָרֶץ | 1 Son, defraud not the poor of alms, and turn not away thy eyes from the poor. |
2 אָלֹה וְכַחֵשׁ וְרָצֹחַ וְגָנֹב וְנָאֹף פָּרָצוּ וְדָמִים בְּדָמִים נָגָעוּ | 2 Despise not the hungry soul: and provoke not the Boor in his want. |
3 עַל־כֵּן ׀ תֶּאֱבַל הָאָרֶץ וְאֻמְלַל כָּל־יֹושֵׁב בָּהּ בְּחַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וּבְעֹוף הַשָּׁמָיִם וְגַם־דְּגֵי הַיָּם יֵאָסֵפוּ | 3 Afflict not the heart of the needy, and defer not to give to him that is in distress. |
4 אַךְ אִישׁ אַל־יָרֵב וְאַל־יֹוכַח אִישׁ וְעַמְּךָ כִּמְרִיבֵי כֹהֵן | 4 Reject not the petition of the afflicted: and turn not away thy face from the needy. |
5 וְכָשַׁלְתָּ הַיֹּום וְכָשַׁל גַּם־נָבִיא עִמְּךָ לָיְלָה וְדָמִיתִי אִמֶּךָ | 5 Turn not away thy eyes from the poor for fear of anger: and leave not to them that ask of thee to curse thee behind thy back. |
6 נִדְמוּ עַמִּי מִבְּלִי הַדָּעַת כִּי־אַתָּה הַדַּעַת מָאַסְתָּ וְאֶמְאָסְאךָ מִכַּהֵן לִי וַתִּשְׁכַּח תֹּורַת אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶשְׁכַּח בָּנֶיךָ גַּם־אָנִי | 6 For the prayer of him that curseth thee in the bitterness of his soul, shall be heard, for he that made him will hear him. |
7 כְּרֻבָּם כֵּן חָטְאוּ־לִי כְּבֹודָם בְּקָלֹון אָמִיר | 7 Make thyself affable to the congregation of the poor, and humble thy soul to the ancient, and bow thy head to a great man. |
8 חַטַּאת עַמִּי יֹאכֵלוּ וְאֶל־עֲוֹנָם יִשְׂאוּ נַפְשֹׁו | 8 Bow down thy ear cheerfully to the poor, and pay what thou owest, and answer him peaceable words with mildness. |
9 וְהָיָה כָעָם כַּכֹּהֵן וּפָקַדְתִּי עָלָיו דְּרָכָיו וּמַעֲלָלָיו אָשִׁיב לֹו | 9 Deliver him that suffereth wrong out of the hand of the proud: and be not fainthearted in thy soul. |
10 וְאָכְלוּ וְלֹא יִשְׂבָּעוּ הִזְנוּ וְלֹא יִפְרֹצוּ כִּי־אֶת־יְהוָה עָזְבוּ לִשְׁמֹר | 10 In judging be merciful to the fatherless as a father, and as a husband to their mother. |
11 זְנוּת וְיַיִן וְתִירֹושׁ יִקַּח־לֵב | 11 And thou shalt be as the obedient son of the most High, and he will have mercy on thee more than a mother. |
12 עַמִּי בְּעֵצֹו יִשְׁאָל וּמַקְלֹו יַגִּיד לֹו כִּי רוּחַ זְנוּנִים הִתְעָה וַיִּזְנוּ מִתַּחַת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם | 12 Wisdom inspireth life into her children, and protecteth them that seek after her, and will go before them in the way of justice. |
13 עַל־רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים יְזַבֵּחוּ וְעַל־הַגְּבָעֹות יְקַטֵּרוּ תַּחַת אַלֹּון וְלִבְנֶה וְאֵלָה כִּי טֹוב צִלָּהּ עַל־כֵּן תִּזְנֶינָה בְּנֹותֵיכֶם וְכַלֹּותֵיכֶם תְּנָאַפְנָה | 13 And he that loveth her, loveth life: and they that watch for her, shall embrace her sweetness. |
14 לֹא־אֶפְקֹוד עַל־בְּנֹותֵיכֶם כִּי תִזְנֶינָה וְעַל־כַּלֹּותֵיכֶם כִּי תְנָאַפְנָה כִּי־הֵם עִם־הַזֹּנֹות יְפָרֵדוּ וְעִם־הַקְּדֵשֹׁות יְזַבֵּחוּ וְעָם לֹא־יָבִין יִלָּבֵט | 14 They that hold her fast, shall inherit life: and whithersoever she entereth, God will give a blessing. |
15 אִם־זֹנֶה אַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אַל־יֶאְשַׁם יְהוּדָה וְאַל־תָּבֹאוּ הַגִּלְגָּל וְאַל־תַּעֲלוּ בֵּית אָוֶן וְאַל־תִּשָּׁבְעוּ חַי־יְהוָה | 15 They that serve her, shall be servants to the holy one: and God loveth them that love her. |
16 כִּי כְּפָרָה סֹרֵרָה סָרַר יִשְׂרָאֵל עַתָּה יִרְעֵם יְהוָה כְּכֶבֶשׂ בַּמֶּרְחָב | 16 He that hearkeneth to her, shall judge nations: and he that looketh upon her, shall remain secure. |
17 חֲבוּר עֲצַבִּים אֶפְרָיִם הַנַּח־לֹו | 17 If he trust to her, he shall inherit her, and his generation shall be in assurance. |
18 סָר סָבְאָם הַזְנֵה הִזְנוּ אָהֲבוּ הֵבוּ קָלֹון מָגִנֶּיהָ | 18 For she walketh with him in temptation, and at the first she chooseth him. |
19 צָרַר רוּחַ אֹותָהּ בִּכְנָפֶיהָ וְיֵבֹשׁוּ מִזִּבְחֹותָם׃ ס | 19 She will bring upon him fear and dread and trial: and she will scourge him with the affliction of her discipline, till she try him by her laws, and trust his soul. |
| 20 Then she will strengthen him, and make a straight way to him, and give him joy, |
| 21 And will disclose her secrets to him, and will heap upon him treasures of knowledge and understanding of justice. |
| 22 But if he go astray, she will forsake him, and deliver him into the hands of his enemy. |
| 23 Son, observe the time, and fly from evil. |
| 24 For thy soul be not ashamed to say the truth. |
| 25 For there is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that bringeth glory and grace. |
| 26 Accept no person against thy own person, nor against thy soul a lie. |
| 27 Reverence not thy neighbour in his fall: |
| 28 And refrain not to speak in the time of salvation. Hide not thy wisdom in her beauty. |
| 29 For by the tongue wisdom is discerned: and understanding, and knowledge, and learning by the word of the wise, and steadfastness in the works of justice. |
| 30 In nowise speak against the truth, but be ashamed of the lie of thy ignorance. |
| 31 Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, but submit not thyself to every man for sin. |
| 32 Resist not against the face of the mighty, and do not strive against the stream of the river. |
| 33 Strive for justice for thy soul, and even unto death fight for justice, and God will overthrow thy enemies for thee. |
| 34 Be not hasty in thy tongue: and slack and remiss in thy works. |
| 35 Be not as a lion in thy house, terrifying them of thy household, and oppressing them that are under thee. |
| 36 Let not thy hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldst give. |