1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well who is before thee;

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

2 and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.

2 וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ שַׂכִּ֣ין בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ אִם־בַּ֖עַל נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃

3 Be not desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food.

3 אַל־תִּ֭תְאָו^q לְמַטְעַמֹּותָ֑יו וְ֝ה֗וּא לֶ֣חֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃

4 Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from thine own intelligence:

4 אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ חֲדָֽל׃

5 wilt thou set thine eyes upon it, it is gone; for indeed it maketh itself wings and it flieth away as an eagle towards the heavens.

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

6 Eat thou not the food of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties.

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

7 For as he thinketh in his soul, so is he. Eat and drink! will he say unto thee; but his heart is not with thee.

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

8 Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou vomit up, and thou wilt have wasted thy sweet words.

8 פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃

9 Speak not in the ears of a foolish [man], for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

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

10 Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:

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

11 for their redeemer is mighty; he will plead their cause against thee.

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

12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

12 הָבִ֣יאָה לַמּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝אָזְנֶ֗ךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃

13 Withhold not correction from the child; for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die:

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

14 thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol.

14 אַ֭תָּה בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ וְ֝נַפְשֹׁ֗ו מִשְּׁאֹ֥ול תַּצִּֽיל׃

15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine;

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

16 and my reins shall exult, when thy lips speak right things.

16 וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה כִלְיֹותָ֑י בְּדַבֵּ֥ר פָתֶ֗יךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃

17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day;

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

18 for surely there is a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

18 כִּ֭י אִם־יֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃

19 Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct thy heart in the way.

19 שְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה בְנִ֣י וַחֲכָ֑ם וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

20 Be not among winebibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh.

20 אַל־תְּהִ֥י בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן בְּזֹלֲלֵ֖י בָשָׂ֣ר לָֽמֹו׃

21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth with rags.

21 כִּי־סֹבֵ֣א וְ֭זֹולֵל יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ נוּמָֽה׃

22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

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

23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and intelligence.

23 אֱמֶ֣ת קְ֭נֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר חָכְמָ֖ה וּמוּסָ֣ר וּבִינָֽה׃

24 The father of a righteous [man] shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise [son] shall have joy of him:

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

25 let thy father and thy mother have joy, and let her that bore thee rejoice.

25 יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֹֽולַדְתֶּֽךָ׃

26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

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

27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

27 כִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲמֻקָּ֣ה זֹונָ֑ה וּבְאֵ֥ר צָ֝רָ֗ה נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

28 She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.

28 אַף־הִ֭יא כְּחֶ֣תֶף תֶּֽאֱרֹ֑ב וּ֝בֹוגְדִ֗ים בְּאָדָ֥ם תֹּוסִֽף׃

29 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes?

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

30 -- They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.

30 לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ׃

31 Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkleth in the cup, and goeth down smoothly:

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

32 at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

32 אַ֭חֲרִיתֹו כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃

33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall speak froward things;

33 עֵ֭ינֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּ זָרֹ֑ות וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ יְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֹֽות׃

34 and thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, and as he that lieth down upon the top of a mast:

34 וְ֭הָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּלֶב־יָ֑ם וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּרֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃

35 -- ''They have smitten me, [and] I am not sore; they have beaten me, [and] I knew it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.''

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