1 When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;

1 כִּֽי־תֵ֭שֵׁב לִלְחֹ֣ום אֶת־מֹושֵׁ֑ל בִּ֥ין תָּ֝בִ֗ין אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃

2 And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.

2 וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ שַׂכִּ֣ין בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ אִם־בַּ֖עַל נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃

3 Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.

3 אַל־תִּ֭תְאָו^q לְמַטְעַמֹּותָ֑יו וְ֝ה֗וּא לֶ֣חֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃

4 Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.

4 אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ חֲדָֽל׃

5 Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.

5 הֲתָעוּף הֲתָ֤עִיף עֵינֶ֥יךָ בֹּ֗ו וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ כִּ֤י עָשֹׂ֣ה יַעֲשֶׂה־לֹּ֣ו כְנָפַ֑יִם כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר וְעָיֵף יָע֥וּף הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

6 Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:

6 אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן וְאַל־ תִּתְאָו תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃

7 For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.

7 כִּ֤י׀ כְּמֹו־שָׁעַ֥ר בְּנַפְשֹׁ֗ו כֶּ֫ן־ה֥וּא אֱכֹ֣ל וּ֭שְׁתֵה יֹ֣אמַר לָ֑ךְ וְ֝לִבֹּ֗ו בַּל־עִמָּֽךְ׃

8 The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.

8 פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃

9 Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.

9 בְּאָזְנֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר כִּֽי־יָ֝ב֗וּז לְשֵׂ֣כֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ׃

10 Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;

10 אַל־תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עֹולָ֑ם וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י יְ֝תֹומִ֗ים אַל־תָּבֹֽא׃

11 For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.

11 כִּֽי־גֹאֲלָ֥ם חָזָ֑ק הֽוּא־יָרִ֖יב אֶת־רִיבָ֣ם אִתָּֽךְ׃

12 Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.

12 הָבִ֣יאָה לַמּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝אָזְנֶ֗ךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃

13 Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.

13 אַל־תִּמְנַ֣ע מִנַּ֣עַר מוּסָ֑ר כִּֽי־תַכֶּ֥נּוּ בַ֝שֵּׁ֗בֶט לֹ֣א יָמֽוּת׃

14 Give him blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld.

14 אַ֭תָּה בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ וְ֝נַפְשֹׁ֗ו מִשְּׁאֹ֥ול תַּצִּֽיל׃

15 My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;

15 בְּ֭נִי אִם־חָכַ֣ם לִבֶּ֑ךָ יִשְׂמַ֖ח לִבִּ֣י גַם־אָֽנִי׃

16 And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.

16 וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה כִלְיֹותָ֑י בְּדַבֵּ֥ר פָתֶ֗יךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃

17 Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;

17 אַל־יְקַנֵּ֣א לִ֭בְּךָ בַּֽחַטָּאִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה כָּל־הַיֹּֽום׃

18 For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

18 כִּ֭י אִם־יֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃

19 Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.

19 שְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה בְנִ֣י וַחֲכָ֑ם וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

20 Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:

20 אַל־תְּהִ֥י בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן בְּזֹלֲלֵ֖י בָשָׂ֣ר לָֽמֹו׃

21 For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.

21 כִּי־סֹבֵ֣א וְ֭זֹולֵל יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ נוּמָֽה׃

22 Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.

22 שְׁמַ֣ע לְ֭אָבִיךָ זֶ֣ה יְלָדֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תָּ֝ב֗וּז כִּֽי־זָקְנָ֥ה אִמֶּֽךָ׃

23 Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.

23 אֱמֶ֣ת קְ֭נֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר חָכְמָ֖ה וּמוּסָ֣ר וּבִינָֽה׃

24 The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.

24 גֹּול גִּ֣יל יָגֹול יָ֭גִיל אֲבִ֣י צַדִּ֑יק יֹולֵד וְיֹולֵ֥ד חָ֝כָ֗ם וְיִשְׂמַח־ יִשְׂמַח־בֹּֽו׃

25 Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.

25 יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֹֽולַדְתֶּֽךָ׃

26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.

26 תְּנָֽה־בְנִ֣י לִבְּךָ֣ לִ֑י וְ֝עֵינֶ֗יךָ דְּרָכַ֥י תִּרְצֶנָה תִּצֹּֽרְנָה^a׃

27 For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.

27 כִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲמֻקָּ֣ה זֹונָ֑ה וּבְאֵ֥ר צָ֝רָ֗ה נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

28 Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.

28 אַף־הִ֭יא כְּחֶ֣תֶף תֶּֽאֱרֹ֑ב וּ֝בֹוגְדִ֗ים בְּאָדָ֥ם תֹּוסִֽף׃

29 Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?

29 לְמִ֨י אֹ֥וי לְמִ֪י אֲבֹ֡וי לְמִ֤י מִדֹונִים מִדְיָנִ֨ים׀ לְמִ֥י שִׂ֗יחַ לְ֭מִי פְּצָעִ֣ים חִנָּ֑ם לְ֝מִ֗י חַכְלִל֥וּת עֵינָֽיִם׃

30 Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.

30 לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ׃

31 Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:

31 אַל־תֵּ֥רֶא יַיִן֮ כִּ֪י יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם כִּֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן בַּכִּיס בַּכֹּ֣וס עֵינֹ֑ו יִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

32 In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.

32 אַ֭חֲרִיתֹו כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃

33 Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.

33 עֵ֭ינֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּ זָרֹ֑ות וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ יְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֹֽות׃

34 Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.

34 וְ֭הָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּלֶב־יָ֑ם וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּרֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃

35 They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.

35 הִכּ֥וּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי֮ הֲלָמ֗וּנִי בַּל־יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי מָתַ֥י אָקִ֑יץ אֹ֝וסִ֗יף אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ עֹֽוד׃