1 The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.

1 מִ֭שְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בֶן־דָּוִ֑ד מֶ֝֗לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

2 To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:

2 לָדַ֣עַת חָכְמָ֣ה וּמוּסָ֑ר לְ֝הָבִ֗ין אִמְרֵ֥י בִינָֽה׃

3 To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:

3 לָ֭קַחַת מוּסַ֣ר הַשְׂכֵּ֑ל צֶ֥דֶק וּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט וּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

4 To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:

4 לָתֵ֣ת לִפְתָאיִ֣ם עָרְמָ֑ה לְ֝נַ֗עַר דַּ֣עַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

5 (The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:)

5 יִשְׁמַ֣ע חָ֭כָם וְיֹ֣וסֶף לֶ֑קַח וְ֝נָבֹ֗ון תַּחְבֻּלֹ֥ות יִקְנֶֽה׃

6 To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.

6 לְהָבִ֣ין מָ֭שָׁל וּמְלִיצָ֑ה דִּבְרֵ֥י³ חֲ֝כָמִ֗ים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

7 The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.

7 יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה רֵאשִׁ֣ית דָּ֑עַת חָכְמָ֥ה וּ֝מוּסָ֗ר אֱוִילִ֥ים בָּֽזוּ׃

8 My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:

8 שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי מוּסַ֣ר אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תֹּורַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

9 For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.

9 כִּ֤י׀ לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן הֵ֬ם לְרֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲנָקִ֗ים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

10 My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.

10 בְּנִ֡י אִם־יְפַתּ֥וּךָ חַ֝טָּאִ֗ים אַל־תֹּבֵֽא׃

11 If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;

11 אִם־יֹאמְרוּ֮ לְכָ֪ה אִ֫תָּ֥נוּ נֶאֶרְבָ֥ה לְדָ֑ם נִצְפְּנָ֖ה לְנָקִ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

12 Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death;

12 נִ֭בְלָעֵם כִּשְׁאֹ֣ול חַיִּ֑ים וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים כְּיֹ֣ורְדֵי בֹֽור׃

13 Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;

13 כָּל־הֹ֣ון יָקָ֣ר נִמְצָ֑א נְמַלֵּ֖א בָתֵּ֣ינוּ שָׁלָֽל׃

14 Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:

14 גֹּ֭ורָ֣לְךָ תַּפִּ֣יל בְּתֹוכֵ֑נוּ כִּ֥יס אֶ֝חָ֗ד יִהְיֶ֥ה לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃

15 My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:

15 בְּנִ֗י אַל־תֵּלֵ֣ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אִתָּ֑ם מְנַ֥ע רַ֝גְלְךָ֗ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃

16 For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.

16 כִּ֣י רַ֭גְלֵיהֶם לָרַ֣ע יָר֑וּצוּ וִֽ֝ימַהֲר֗וּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּֽם׃

17 Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:

17 כִּֽי־חִ֭נָּם מְזֹרָ֣ה הָרָ֑שֶׁת בְּ֝עֵינֵ֗י כָל־בַּ֥עַל¹ כָּנָֽף׃

18 And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.

18 וְ֭הֵם לְדָמָ֣ם יֶאֱרֹ֑בוּ יִ֝צְפְּנ֗וּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

19 Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.

19 כֵּ֗ן אָ֭רְחֹות כָּל־בֹּ֣צֵֽעַ בָּ֑צַע אֶת־נֶ֖פֶשׁ בְּעָלָ֣יו יִקָּֽח׃

20 Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;

20 חָ֭כְמֹות בַּח֣וּץ תָּרֹ֑נָּה בָּ֝רְחֹבֹ֗ות תִּתֵּ֥ן קֹולָֽהּ׃

21 Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:

21 בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הֹמִיֹּ֗ות תִּ֫קְרָ֥א בְּפִתְחֵ֖י שְׁעָרִ֥ים בָּעִ֗יר אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

22 How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?

22 עַד־מָתַ֣י׀ פְּתָיִם֮ תְּֽאֵהֲב֫וּ פֶ֥תִי וְלֵצִ֗ים לָ֭צֹון חָמְד֣וּ לָהֶ֑ם וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים יִשְׂנְאוּ־דָֽעַת׃

23 Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.

23 תָּשׁ֗וּבוּ לְֽתֹ֫וכַחְתִּ֥י הִנֵּ֤ה אַבִּ֣יעָה לָכֶ֣ם רוּחִ֑י אֹודִ֖יעָה דְבָרַ֣י אֶתְכֶֽם׃

24 Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;

24 יַ֣עַן קָ֭רָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵ֑נוּ נָטִ֥יתִי יָ֝דִ֗י וְאֵ֣ין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

25 You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:

25 וַתִּפְרְע֥וּ כָל־עֲצָתִ֑י וְ֝תֹוכַחְתִּ֗י לֹ֣א אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

26 So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;

26 גַּם־אֲ֭נִי בְּאֵידְכֶ֣ם אֶשְׂחָ֑ק אֶ֝לְעַ֗ג בְּבֹ֣א פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

27 When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.

27 בְּבֹ֤א כְשַׁאֲוָה כְשֹׁואָ֨ה׀ פַּחְדְּכֶ֗ם וְֽ֭אֵידְכֶם כְּסוּפָ֣ה יֶאֱתֶ֑ה בְּבֹ֥א עֲ֝לֵיכֶ֗ם צָרָ֥ה וְצוּקָֽה׃

28 Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:

28 אָ֣ז יִ֭קְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹ֣א אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה יְ֝שַׁחֲרֻ֗נְנִי וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

29 For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:

29 תַּ֭חַת כִּי־שָׂ֣נְאוּ דָ֑עַת וְיִרְאַ֥ת יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה לֹ֣א בָחָֽרוּ׃

30 They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.

30 לֹא־אָב֥וּ לַעֲצָתִ֑י נָ֝אֲצ֗וּ כָּל־תֹּוכַחְתִּֽי׃

31 So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.

31 וְֽ֭יֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִ֣י דַרְכָּ֑ם וּֽמִמֹּעֲצֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

32 For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.

32 כִּ֤י מְשׁוּבַ֣ת פְּתָיִ֣ם תַּֽהַרְגֵ֑ם וְשַׁלְוַ֖ת כְּסִילִ֣ים תְּאַבְּדֵֽם׃

33 But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.

33 וְשֹׁמֵ֣עַֽ לִ֭י יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּ֑טַח וְ֝שַׁאֲנַ֗ן מִפַּ֥חַד רָעָֽה׃