1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

1 מִ֭שְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בֶן־דָּוִ֑ד מֶ֝֗לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

2 לָדַ֣עַת חָכְמָ֣ה וּמוּסָ֑ר לְ֝הָבִ֗ין אִמְרֵ֥י בִינָֽה׃

3 to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness and judgment, and equity;

3 לָ֭קַחַת מוּסַ֣ר הַשְׂכֵּ֑ל צֶ֥דֶק וּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט וּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

4 to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

4 לָתֵ֣ת לִפְתָאיִ֣ם עָרְמָ֑ה לְ֝נַ֗עַר דַּ֣עַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

5 He that is wise will hear, and will increase learning; and the intelligent will gain wise counsels:

5 יִשְׁמַ֣ע חָ֭כָם וְיֹ֣וסֶף לֶ֑קַח וְ֝נָבֹ֗ון תַּחְבֻּלֹ֥ות יִקְנֶֽה׃

6 to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.

6 לְהָבִ֣ין מָ֭שָׁל וּמְלִיצָ֑ה דִּבְרֵ֥י³ חֲ֝כָמִ֗ים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.

7 יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה רֵאשִׁ֣ית דָּ֑עַת חָכְמָ֥ה וּ֝מוּסָ֗ר אֱוִילִ֥ים בָּֽזוּ׃

8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;

8 שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי מוּסַ֣ר אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תֹּורַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

9 for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

9 כִּ֤י׀ לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן הֵ֬ם לְרֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲנָקִ֗ים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not.

10 בְּנִ֡י אִם־יְפַתּ֥וּךָ חַ֝טָּאִ֗ים אַל־תֹּבֵֽא׃

11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

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

12 let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit;

12 נִ֭בְלָעֵם כִּשְׁאֹ֣ול חַיִּ֑ים וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים כְּיֹ֣ורְדֵי בֹֽור׃

13 we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

13 כָּל־הֹ֣ון יָקָ֣ר נִמְצָ֑א נְמַלֵּ֖א בָתֵּ֣ינוּ שָׁלָֽל׃

14 cast in thy lot among us; we will all have one purse:

14 גֹּ֭ורָ֣לְךָ תַּפִּ֣יל בְּתֹוכֵ֑נוּ כִּ֥יס אֶ֝חָ֗ד יִהְיֶ֥ה לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃

15 -- my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path;

15 בְּנִ֗י אַל־תֵּלֵ֣ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אִתָּ֑ם מְנַ֥ע רַ֝גְלְךָ֗ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃

16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

16 כִּ֣י רַ֭גְלֵיהֶם לָרַ֣ע יָר֑וּצוּ וִֽ֝ימַהֲר֗וּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּֽם׃

17 For in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything which hath wings.

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

18 And these lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.

18 וְ֭הֵם לְדָמָ֣ם יֶאֱרֹ֑בוּ יִ֝צְפְּנ֗וּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

19 So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain: it taketh away the life of its possessors.

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

20 Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways;

20 חָ֭כְמֹות בַּח֣וּץ תָּרֹ֑נָּה בָּ֝רְחֹבֹ֗ות תִּתֵּ֥ן קֹולָֽהּ׃

21 she calleth in the chief [place] of concourse, in the entry of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words:

21 בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הֹמִיֹּ֗ות תִּ֫קְרָ֥א בְּפִתְחֵ֖י שְׁעָרִ֥ים בָּעִ֗יר אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

22 How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness, and scorners take pleasure in their scorning, and the foolish hate knowledge?

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

23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words.

23 תָּשׁ֗וּבוּ לְֽתֹ֫וכַחְתִּ֥י הִנֵּ֤ה אַבִּ֣יעָה לָכֶ֣ם רוּחִ֑י אֹודִ֖יעָה דְבָרַ֣י אֶתְכֶֽם׃

24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;

24 יַ֣עַן קָ֭רָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵ֑נוּ נָטִ֥יתִי יָ֝דִ֗י וְאֵ֣ין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

25 and ye have rejected all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

25 וַתִּפְרְע֥וּ כָל־עֲצָתִ֑י וְ֝תֹוכַחְתִּ֗י לֹ֣א אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

26 I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;

26 גַּם־אֲ֭נִי בְּאֵידְכֶ֣ם אֶשְׂחָ֑ק אֶ֝לְעַ֗ג בְּבֹ֣א פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

27 when your fear cometh as sudden destruction, and your calamity cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you:

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

28 -- then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, and shall not find me.

28 אָ֣ז יִ֭קְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹ֣א אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה יְ֝שַׁחֲרֻ֗נְנִי וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah;

29 תַּ֭חַת כִּי־שָׂ֣נְאוּ דָ֑עַת וְיִרְאַ֥ת יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה לֹ֣א בָחָֽרוּ׃

30 they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof:

30 לֹא־אָב֥וּ לַעֲצָתִ֑י נָ֝אֲצ֗וּ כָּל־תֹּוכַחְתִּֽי׃

31 therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way, and be filled with their own devices.

31 וְֽ֭יֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִ֣י דַרְכָּ֑ם וּֽמִמֹּעֲצֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall cause them to perish.

32 כִּ֤י מְשׁוּבַ֣ת פְּתָיִ֣ם תַּֽהַרְגֵ֑ם וְשַׁלְוַ֖ת כְּסִילִ֣ים תְּאַבְּדֵֽם׃

33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from fear of evil.

33 וְשֹׁמֵ֣עַֽ לִ֭י יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּ֑טַח וְ֝שַׁאֲנַ֗ן מִפַּ֥חַד רָעָֽה׃