1 מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל | 1 The parables of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, |
2 לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר לְהָבִין אִמְרֵי בִינָה | 2 in order to know wisdom and discipline, |
3 לָקַחַת מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִים | 3 to understand words of prudence, and to accept the instruction of doctrine, justice and judgment, and equity, |
4 לָתֵת לִפְתָאיִם עָרְמָה לְנַעַר דַּעַת וּמְזִמָּה | 4 so as to give discernment to little ones, knowledge and understanding to adolescents. |
5 יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיֹוסֶף לֶקַח וְנָבֹון תַּחְבֻּלֹות יִקְנֶה | 5 By listening, the wise shall become wiser and the intelligent shall possess governments. |
6 לְהָבִין מָשָׁל וּמְלִיצָה דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְחִידֹתָם | 6 He shall turn his soul to a parable and to its interpretation, to the words of the wise and their enigmas. |
7 יִרְאַת יְהוָה רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר אֱוִילִים בָּזוּ׃ פ | 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The foolish despise wisdom as well as doctrine. |
8 שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תֹּורַת אִמֶּךָ | 8 Listen, my son, to the discipline of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother, |
9 כִּי ׀ לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ וַעֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶיךָ | 9 so that grace may be added to your head and a collar to your neck. |
10 בְּנִי אִם־יְפַתּוּךָ חַטָּאִים אַל־תֹּבֵא | 10 My son, if sinners should entice you, do not consent to them. |
11 אִם־יֹאמְרוּ לְכָה אִתָּנוּ נֶאֶרְבָה לְדָם נִצְפְּנָה לְנָקִי חִנָּם | 11 If they should say: “Come with us. We will lie in wait for blood. We will lay traps against the innocent, without cause. |
12 נִבְלָעֵם כִּשְׁאֹול חַיִּים וּתְמִימִים כְּיֹורְדֵי בֹור | 12 Let us swallow him alive, like Hell, and whole, like one descending into the pit. |
13 כָּל־הֹון יָקָר נִמְצָא נְמַלֵּא בָתֵּינוּ שָׁלָל | 13 We will discover every precious substance. We will fill our houses with spoils. |
14 גֹּורָלְךָ תַּפִּיל בְּתֹוכֵנוּ כִּיס אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּנוּ | 14 Cast your lot with us. One purse will be for us all.” |
15 בְּנִי אַל־תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אִתָּם מְנַע רַגְלְךָ מִנְּתִיבָתָם | 15 My son, do not walk with them. Preclude your feet from their paths. |
16 כִּי רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרוּצוּ וִימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּם | 16 For their feet rush to evil, and they hurry to shed blood. |
17 כִּי־חִנָּם מְזֹרָה הָרָשֶׁת בְּעֵינֵי כָל־בַּעַל כָּנָף | 17 But a net is thrown in vain before the eyes of those who have wings. |
18 וְהֵם לְדָמָם יֶאֱרֹבוּ יִצְפְּנוּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָם | 18 Likewise, they lie in ambush against their own blood, and they undertake deceits against their own souls. |
19 כֵּן אָרְחֹות כָּל־בֹּצֵעַ בָּצַע אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלָיו יִקָּח׃ פ | 19 Thus, the ways of all those who are greedy seize the souls of those who possess. |
20 חָכְמֹות בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה בָּרְחֹבֹות תִּתֵּן קֹולָהּ | 20 Wisdom forewarns far and wide; she bestows her voice in the streets. |
21 בְּרֹאשׁ הֹמִיֹּות תִּקְרָא בְּפִתְחֵי שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֹאמֵר | 21 She cries out at the head of crowds; at the entrance of the gates of the city, she offers her words, saying: |
22 עַד־מָתַי ׀ פְּתָיִם תְּאֵהֲבוּ פֶתִי וְלֵצִים לָצֹון חָמְדוּ לָהֶם וּכְסִילִים יִשְׂנְאוּ־דָעַת | 22 “Little ones, how long will you choose to be childish, and how long will the foolish desire what is harmful to themselves, and how long will the imprudent hate knowledge? |
23 תָּשׁוּבוּ לְתֹוכַחְתִּי הִנֵּה אַבִּיעָה לָכֶם רוּחִי אֹודִיעָה דְבָרַי אֶתְכֶם | 23 Be converted by my correction. Lo, I will offer my spirit to you, and I will reveal my words to you. |
24 יַעַן קָרָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵנוּ נָטִיתִי יָדִי וְאֵין מַקְשִׁיב | 24 For I called, and you refused. I extended my hand, and there was no one who watched. |
25 וַתִּפְרְעוּ כָל־עֲצָתִי וְתֹוכַחְתִּי לֹא אֲבִיתֶם | 25 You have despised all my counsels, and you have neglected my rebukes. |
26 גַּם־אֲנִי בְּאֵידְכֶם אֶשְׂחָק אֶלְעַג בְּבֹא פַחְדְּכֶם | 26 Similarly, I will ridicule you at your demise, and I will mock you, when that which you feared shall overcome you. |
27 בְּבֹא [כְשַׁאֲוָה כ] (כְשֹׁואָה ׀ ק) פַּחְדְּכֶם וְאֵידְכֶם כְּסוּפָה יֶאֱתֶה בְּבֹא עֲלֵיכֶם צָרָה וְצוּקָה | 27 When sudden calamity rushes upon you, and your demise advances like a tempest, when tribulation and anguish overcome you, |
28 אָז יִקְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹא אֶעֱנֶה יְשַׁחֲרֻנְנִי וְלֹא יִמְצָאֻנְנִי | 28 then they will call to me, and I will not heed, they will arise in the morning, and not find me. |
29 תַּחַת כִּי־שָׂנְאוּ דָעַת וְיִרְאַת יְהֹוָה לֹא בָחָרוּ | 29 For they held hatred for discipline, and they would not accept the fear of the Lord; |
30 לֹא־אָבוּ לַעֲצָתִי נָאֲצוּ כָּל־תֹּוכַחְתִּי | 30 they would not consent to my counsel, but they detracted from all of my corrections. |
31 וְיֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִי דַרְכָּם וּמִמֹּעֲצֹתֵיהֶם יִשְׂבָּעוּ | 31 Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their way, and they shall have their fill of their own counsels. |
32 כִּי מְשׁוּבַת פְּתָיִם תַּהַרְגֵם וְשַׁלְוַת כְּסִילִים תְּאַבְּדֵם | 32 The loathing of the little ones shall destroy them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall perish them. |
33 וְשֹׁמֵעַ לִי יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּטַח וְשַׁאֲנַן מִפַּחַד רָעָה׃ פ | 33 But whoever will listen to me shall rest without terror, and shall have full enjoyment of abundance, without fear of evils.” |