1 נִבְחָר ם מֵעֹשֶׁר רָב מִכֶּסֶף וּמִזָּהָב חֵן טֹוב | 1 A good name is better than great riches: and good favour is above silver and gold. |
2 עָשִׁיר וָרָשׁ נִפְגָּשׁוּ עֹשֵׂה כֻלָּם יְהוָה | 2 The rich and poor have met one another: the Lord is the maker of them both. |
3 עָרוּם ׀ רָאָה רָעָה [וְיִסָּתֵר כ] (וְנִסְתָּר ק) וּפְתָיִים עָבְרוּ וְנֶעֱנָשׁוּ | 3 The prudent man saw the evil, and hid himself: the simple passed on, and suffered loss. |
4 עֵקֶב עֲנָוָה יִרְאַת יְהוָה עֹשֶׁר וְכָבֹוד וְחַיִּים | 4 The fruit of humility is the fear of the Lord, riches and glory and life. |
5 צִנִּים פַּחִים בְּדֶרֶךְ עִקֵּשׁ שֹׁומֵר נַפְשֹׁו יִרְחַק מֵהֶם | 5 Arms and swords are in the way of the perverse: but he that keepeth his own soul departeth far from them. |
6 חֲנֹךְ לַנַּעַר עַל־פִּי דַרְכֹּו גַּם כִּי־יַזְקִין לֹא־יָסוּר מִמֶּנָּה | 6 It is a proverb: A young man according to his way, even when he is old he will not depart from it. |
7 עָשִׁיר בְּרָשִׁים יִמְשֹׁול וְעֶבֶד לֹוֶה לְאִישׁ מַלְוֶה | 7 The rich ruleth over the poor: and the borrower is servant to him that lendeth. |
8 זֹורֵעַ עַוְלָה [יִקְצֹור־ כ] (יִקְצָר־אָוֶן ק) וְשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתֹו יִכְלֶה | 8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap evils, and with the rod of his anger he shall be consumed. |
9 טֹוב־עַיִן הוּא יְבֹרָךְ כִּי־נָתַן מִלַּחְמֹו לַדָּל | 9 He that is inclined to mercy shall be blessed: for of his bread he hath given to the poor. He that maketh presents shall purchase victory and honour: but he carrieth away the souls of the receivers. |
10 גָּרֵשׁ לֵץ וְיֵצֵא מָדֹון וְיִשְׁבֹּת דִּין וְקָלֹון | 10 Cast out the scoffer, and contention shall go out with him, and quarrels and reproaches shall cease. |
11 אֹהֵב [טְהֹור־ כ] (טְהָר־לֵב ק) חֵן פָתָיו רֵעֵהוּ מֶלֶךְ | 11 He that loveth cleanness of heart, for the grace of his lips shall have the king for his friend. |
12 עֵינֵי יְהוָה נָצְרוּ דָעַת וַיְסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי בֹגֵד | 12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge: and the words of the unjust are overthrown. |
13 אָמַר עָצֵל אֲרִי בַחוּץ בְּתֹוךְ רְחֹבֹות אֵרָצֵחַ | 13 The slothful man saith: There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the midst of the streets. |
14 שׁוּחָה עֲמֻקָּה פִּי זָרֹות זְעוּם יְהוָה [יִפֹּול־ כ] (יִפָּל־שָׁם׃ ק) | 14 The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit: he whom the Lord is angry with, shall fall into it. |
15 אִוֶּלֶת קְשׁוּרָה בְלֶב־נָעַר שֵׁבֶט מוּסָר יַרְחִיקֶנָּה מִמֶּנּוּ | 15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, and the rod of correction shall drive it away. |
16 עֹשֵׁק דָּל לְהַרְבֹּות לֹו נֹתֵן לְעָשִׁיר אַךְ־לְמַחְסֹור | 16 He that oppresseth the poor, to increase his own riches, shall himself give to one that is richer, and shall be in need. |
17 הַט אָזְנְךָ וּשְׁמַע דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְלִבְּךָ תָּשִׁית לְדַעְתִּי | 17 Incline thy ear, and hear the words of the wise: and apply thy heart to my doctrine : |
18 כִּי־נָעִים כִּי־תִשְׁמְרֵם בְּבִטְנֶךָ יִכֹּנוּ יַחְדָּו עַל־שְׂפָתֶיךָ | 18 Which shall be beautiful for thee, if thou keep it in thy bowels, and it shall flow in thy lips: |
19 לִהְיֹות בַּיהוָה מִבְטַחֶךָ הֹודַעְתִּיךָ הַיֹּום אַף־אָתָּה | 19 That thy trust may be in the Lord, wherefore I have also shewn it to thee this day. |
20 הֲלֹא כָתַבְתִּי לְךָ [שִׁלְשֹׁום כ] (שָׁלִישִׁים ק) בְּמֹועֵצֹת וָדָעַת | 20 Behold I have described it to thee three manner of ways, in thoughts and knowledge : |
21 לְהֹודִיעֲךָ קֹשְׁטְ אִמְרֵי אֱמֶת לְהָשִׁיב אֲמָרִים אֱמֶת לְשֹׁלְחֶיךָ׃ פ | 21 That I might shew thee the certainty, and the words of truth, to answer out of these to them that sent thee. |
22 אַל־תִּגְזָל־דָּל כִּי דַל־הוּא וְאַל־תְּדַכֵּא עָנִי בַשָּׁעַר | 22 Do no violence to the poor, because he is poor: and do not oppress the needy in the gate: |
23 כִּי־יְהוָה יָרִיב רִיבָם וְקָבַע אֶת־קֹבְעֵיהֶם נָפֶשׁ | 23 Because the Lord will judge his cause, and will afflict them that have afflicted his soul. |
24 אַל־תִּתְרַע אֶת־בַּעַל אָף וְאֶת־אִישׁ חֵמֹות לֹא תָבֹוא | 24 Be not a friend to an angry man, and do not walk with a furious man: |
25 פֶּן־תֶּאֱלַף [אָרְחָתֹו כ] (אֹרְחֹתָיו ק) וְלָקַחְתָּ מֹוקֵשׁ לְנַפְשֶׁךָ | 25 Lest perhaps thou learn his ways, and take scandal to thy soul. |
26 אַל־תְּהִי בְתֹקְעֵי־כָף בַּעֹרְבִים מַשָּׁאֹות | 26 Be not with them that fasten down their hands, and that offer themselves sureties for debts: |
27 אִם־אֵין־לְךָ לְשַׁלֵּם לָמָּה יִקַּח מִשְׁכָּבְךָ מִתַּחְתֶּיךָ | 27 For if thou have not wherewith to restore, what cause is there, that he should take the covering from thy bed? |
28 אַל־תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עֹולָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֲבֹותֶיךָ | 28 Pass not beyond the ancient bounds which thy fathers have set. |
29 חָזִיתָ אִישׁ ׀ מָהִיר בִּמְלַאכְתֹּו לִפְנֵי־מְלָכִים יִתְיַצָּב בַּל־יִתְיַצֵּב לִפְנֵי חֲשֻׁכִּים׃ פ | 29 Hast thou seen a man swift in his work? he shall stand before kings, and shall not be before those that are obscure. |
30 כֹּה ׀ אָמַר יְהוָה כִּתְבוּ אֶת־הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה עֲרִירִי גֶּבֶר לֹא־יִצְלַח בְּיָמָיו כִּי לֹא יִצְלַח מִזַּרְעֹו אִישׁ יֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא דָוִד וּמֹשֵׁל עֹוד בִּיהוּדָה | |