1 My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand,

1 בְּ֭נִי אִם־עָרַ֣בְתָּ לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ תָּקַ֖עְתָּ³ לַזָּ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

2 Hast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings of thy mouth,

2 נֹוקַ֥שְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִ֑יךָ נִ֝לְכַּ֗דְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

3 Do this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend,

3 עֲשֵׂ֨ה זֹ֥את אֵפֹ֪וא³׀ בְּנִ֡י וְֽהִנָּצֵ֗ל כִּ֘י בָ֤אתָ בְכַף־רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֵ֥ךְ הִ֝תְרַפֵּ֗ס וּרְהַ֥ב רֵעֶֽיךָ׃

4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids,

4 אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן שֵׁנָ֣ה לְעֵינֶ֑יךָ וּ֝תְנוּמָ֗ה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

5 Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.

5 הִ֭נָּצֵל כִּצְבִ֣י מִיָּ֑ד וּ֝כְצִפֹּ֗ור מִיַּ֥ד יָקֽוּשׁ׃

6 Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;

6 לֵֽךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָ֥ה עָצֵ֑ל רְאֵ֖ה דְרָכֶ֣יהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

7 Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,

7 אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֵֽין־לָ֥הּ קָצִ֗ין שֹׁטֵ֥ר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

8 She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food.

8 תָּכִ֣ין בַּקַּ֣יִץ לַחְמָ֑הּ אָגְרָ֥ה בַ֝קָּצִ֗יר מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

9 Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?

9 עַד־מָתַ֖י עָצֵ֥ל׀ תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב מָ֝תַ֗י תָּק֥וּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,

10 מְעַ֣ט נֹות מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמֹ֑ות מְעַ֓ט׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

11 And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.

11 וּבָֽא־כִמְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵאשֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹֽרְךָ֗ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃

12 A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking `with' perverseness of mouth,

12 אָדָ֣ם בְּ֭לִיַּעַל אִ֣ישׁ אָ֑וֶן הֹ֝ולֵ֗ךְ עִקְּשׁ֥וּת פֶּֽה׃

13 Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers,

13 קֹרֵ֣ץ בְּ֭עֵינָיו^q מֹלֵ֣ל בְּרַגְלָ֑ו^q מֹ֝רֶ֗ה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

14 Frowardness `is' in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.

14 תַּֽהְפֻּכֹ֨ות׀ בְּלִבֹּ֗ו חֹרֵ֣שׁ רָ֣ע בְּכָל־עֵ֑ת מְדָנִים מִדְיָנִ֥ים יְשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

15 Therefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken -- and no healing.

15 עַל־כֵּ֗ן פִּ֭תְאֹם יָבֹ֣וא אֵידֹ֑ו פֶּ֥תַע יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר וְאֵ֣ין מַרְפֵּֽא׃

16 These six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven `are' abominations to His soul.

16 שֶׁשׁ־הֵ֭נָּה שָׂנֵ֣א יְהוָ֑ה וְ֝שֶׁ֗בַע תֹּועֲבֹות תֹּועֲבַ֥ת^y נַפְשֹֽׁו׃

17 Eyes high -- tongues false -- And hands shedding innocent blood --

17 עֵינַ֣יִם רָ֭מֹות לְשֹׁ֣ון שָׁ֑קֶר וְ֝יָדַ֗יִם שֹׁפְכֹ֥ות דָּם־נָקִֽי׃

18 A heart devising thoughts of vanity -- Feet hasting to run to evil --

18 לֵ֗ב חֹ֭רֵשׁ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ות אָ֑וֶן רַגְלַ֥יִם מְ֝מַהֲרֹ֗ות לָר֥וּץ לָֽרָעָה׃

19 A false witness `who' doth breathe out lies -- And one sending forth contentions between brethren.

19 יָפִ֣יחַ כְּ֭זָבִים עֵ֣ד שָׁ֑קֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּ֥חַ מְ֝דָנִ֗ים בֵּ֣ין אַחִֽים׃

20 Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.

20 נְצֹ֣ר בְּ֭נִי מִצְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תֹּורַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

21 Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck.

21 קָשְׁרֵ֣ם עַל־לִבְּךָ֣ תָמִ֑יד עָ֝נְדֵ֗ם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

22 In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked -- it talketh `with' thee.

22 בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ֨³׀ תַּנְחֶ֬ה אֹתָ֗ךְ בְּֽ֭שָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר עָלֶ֑יךָ וַ֝הֲקִיצֹ֗ותָ הִ֣יא תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃

23 For a lamp `is' the command, And the law a light, And a way of life `are' reproofs of instruction,

23 כִּ֤י נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה וְתֹ֣ורָה אֹ֑ור וְדֶ֥רֶךְ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תֹּוכְחֹ֥ות מוּסָֽר׃

24 To preserve thee from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

24 לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאֵ֣שֶׁת רָ֑ע מֵֽ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת לָשֹׁ֥ון נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

25 Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids.

25 אַל־תַּחְמֹ֣ד יָ֭פְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝קָּֽחֲךָ֗ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

26 For a harlot consumeth unto a cake of bread, And an adulteress the precious soul hunteth.

26 כִּ֤י בְעַד־אִשָּׁ֥ה זֹונָ֗ה עַֽד־כִּכַּ֫ר לָ֥חֶם וְאֵ֥שֶׁת אִ֑ישׁ נֶ֖פֶשׁ יְקָרָ֣ה תָצֽוּד׃

27 Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt?

27 הֲיַחְתֶּ֤ה אִ֓ישׁ אֵ֬שׁ בְּחֵיקֹ֑ו וּ֝בְגָדָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

28 Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched?

28 אִם־יְהַלֵּ֣ךְ אִ֭ישׁ עַל־הַגֶּחָלִ֑ים וְ֝רַגְלָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃

29 So `is' he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.

29 כֵּ֗ן הַ֭בָּא אֶל־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֑הוּ לֹ֥א יִ֝נָּקֶ֗ה כָּֽל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּֽהּ׃

30 They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,

30 לֹא־יָב֣וּזוּ לַ֭גַּנָּב כִּ֣י יִגְנֹ֑וב לְמַלֵּ֥א נַ֝פְשֹׁ֗ו כִּ֣י יִרְעָֽב׃

31 And being found he repayeth sevenfold, All the substance of his house he giveth.

31 וְ֭נִמְצָא יְשַׁלֵּ֣ם שִׁבְעָתָ֑יִם אֶת־כָּל־הֹ֖ון בֵּיתֹ֣ו יִתֵּֽן׃

32 He who committeth adultery `with' a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it.

32 נֹאֵ֣ף אִשָּׁ֣ה חֲסַר־לֵ֑ב מַֽשְׁחִ֥ית נַ֝פְשֹׁ֗ו ה֣וּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

33 A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away,

33 נֶֽגַע־וְקָלֹ֥ון יִמְצָ֑א וְ֝חֶרְפָּתֹ֗ו לֹ֣א תִמָּחֶֽה׃

34 For jealousy `is' the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance.

34 כִּֽי־קִנְאָ֥ה חֲמַת־גָּ֑בֶר וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חְמֹ֗ול בְּיֹ֣ום נָקָֽם׃

35 He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!

35 לֹא־יִ֭שָּׂא פְּנֵ֣י כָל־כֹּ֑פֶר וְלֹֽא־יֹ֝אבֶ֗ה כִּ֣י תַרְבֶּה־שֹֽׁחַד׃