1 אֶל־חִכְּךָ שֹׁפָר כַּנֶּשֶׁר עַל־בֵּית יְהוָה יַעַן עָבְרוּ בְרִיתִי וְעַל־תֹּורָתִי פָּשָׁעוּ | 1 Contend not with an influential man, lest you fall into his power. |
2 לִי יִזְעָקוּ אֱלֹהַי יְדַעֲנוּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל | 2 Quarrel not with a rich man, lest he pay out the price of your downfall; For gold has dazzled many, and perverts the character of princes. |
3 זָנַח יִשְׂרָאֵל טֹוב אֹויֵב יִרְדְּפֹו | 3 Dispute not with a man of railing speech, heap no wood upon his fire. |
4 הֵם הִמְלִיכוּ וְלֹא מִמֶּנִּי הֵשִׂירוּ וְלֹא יָדָעְתִּי כַּסְפָּם וּזְהָבָם עָשׂוּ לָהֶם עֲצַבִּים לְמַעַן יִכָּרֵת | 4 Be not too familiar with an unruly man, lest he speak ill of your forebears. |
5 זָנַח עֶגְלֵךְ שֹׁמְרֹון חָרָה אַפִּי בָּם עַד־מָתַי לֹא יוּכְלוּ נִקָּיֹן | 5 Shame not a repentant sinner; remember, we all are guilty. |
6 כִּי מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְהוּא חָרָשׁ עָשָׂהוּ וְלֹא אֱלֹהִים הוּא כִּי־שְׁבָבִים יִהְיֶה עֵגֶל שֹׁמְרֹון | 6 Insult no man when he is old, for some of us, too, will grow old. |
7 כִּי רוּחַ יִזְרָעוּ וְסוּפָתָה יִקְצֹרוּ קָמָה אֵין־לֹו צֶמַח בְּלִי יַעֲשֶׂה־קֶּמַח אוּלַי יַעֲשֶׂה זָרִים יִבְלָעֻהוּ | 7 Rejoice not when a man dies; remember, we are all to die. |
8 נִבְלַע יִשְׂרָאֵל עַתָּה הָיוּ בַגֹּויִם כִּכְלִי אֵין־חֵפֶץ בֹּו | 8 Spurn not the discourse of the wise, but acquaint yourself with their proverbs; From them you will acquire the training to serve in the presence of princes. |
9 כִּי־הֵמָּה עָלוּ אַשּׁוּר פֶּרֶא בֹּודֵד לֹו אֶפְרַיִם הִתְנוּ אֲהָבִים | 9 Reject not the tradition of old men which they have learned from their fathers; From it you will obtain the knowledge how to answer in time of need. |
10 גַּם כִּי־יִתְנוּ בַגֹּויִם עַתָּה אֲקַבְּצֵם וַיָּחֵלּוּ מְּעָט מִמַּשָּׂא מֶלֶךְ שָׂרִים | 10 Kindle not the coals of a sinner, lest you be consumed in his flaming fire. |
11 כִּי־הִרְבָּה אֶפְרַיִם מִזְבְּחֹת לַחֲטֹא הָיוּ־לֹו מִזְבְּחֹות לַחֲטֹא | 11 Let not the impious man intimidate you; it will set him in ambush against you. |
12 [אֶכתֹוב־ כ] (אֶכְתָּב־לֹו ק) [רִבֹּו כ] (רֻבֵּי ק) תֹּורָתִי כְּמֹו־זָר נֶחְשָׁבוּ | 12 Lend not to one more powerful than yourself; and whatever you lend, count it as lost. |
13 זִבְחֵי הַבְהָבַי יִזְבְּחוּ בָשָׂר וַיֹּאכֵלוּ יְהוָה לֹא רָצָם עַתָּה יִזְכֹּר עֲוֹנָם וְיִפְקֹד חַטֹּאותָם הֵמָּה מִצְרַיִם יָשׁוּבוּ | 13 Go not surety beyond your means; think any pledge a debt you must pay. |
14 וַיִּשְׁכַּח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־עֹשֵׂהוּ וַיִּבֶן הֵיכָלֹות וִיהוּדָה הִרְבָּה עָרִים בְּצֻרֹות וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי־אֵשׁ בְּעָרָיו וְאָכְלָה אַרְמְנֹתֶיהָ׃ ס | 14 Contend not at law with a judge, for he will settle it according to his whim. |
| 15 Travel not with a ruthless man, lest he weigh you down with calamity; For he will go his own way straight, and through his folly you will perish with him. |
| 16 Provoke no quarrel with a quick-tempered man, nor ride with him through the desert, For bloodshed is nothing to him; when there is no one to help you, he will destroy you. |
| 17 Take no counsel with a fool, for he can keep nothing to himself. |
| 18 Before a stranger do nothing that should be kept secret, for you know not what it will engender. |
| 19 Open your heart to no man, and banish not your happiness. |