1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

1 מִ֭שְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בֶן־דָּוִ֑ד מֶ֝֗לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

2 לָדַ֣עַת חָכְמָ֣ה וּמוּסָ֑ר לְ֝הָבִ֗ין אִמְרֵ֥י בִינָֽה׃

3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

3 לָ֭קַחַת מוּסַ֣ר הַשְׂכֵּ֑ל צֶ֥דֶק וּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט וּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

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

4 לָתֵ֣ת לִפְתָאיִ֣ם עָרְמָ֑ה לְ֝נַ֗עַר דַּ֣עַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:

5 יִשְׁמַ֣ע חָ֭כָם וְיֹ֣וסֶף לֶ֑קַח וְ֝נָבֹ֗ון תַּחְבֻּלֹ֥ות יִקְנֶֽה׃

6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

6 לְהָבִ֣ין מָ֭שָׁל וּמְלִיצָ֑ה דִּבְרֵ֥י³ חֲ֝כָמִ֗ים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

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

7 יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה רֵאשִׁ֣ית דָּ֑עַת חָכְמָ֥ה וּ֝מוּסָ֗ר אֱוִילִ֥ים בָּֽזוּ׃

8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

8 שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי מוּסַ֣ר אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תֹּורַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

9 For they shalt be an ornament of grace to thy head, and chains about thy neck.

9 כִּ֤י׀ לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן הֵ֬ם לְרֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲנָקִ֗ים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

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

10 בְּנִ֡י אִם־יְפַתּ֥וּךָ חַ֝טָּאִ֗ים אַל־תֹּבֵֽא׃

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

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

12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; 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; let us all have one purse:

14 גֹּ֭ורָ֣לְךָ תַּפִּ֣יל בְּתֹוכֵ֑נוּ כִּ֥יס אֶ֝חָ֗ד יִהְיֶ֥ה לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃

15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

15 בְּנִ֗י אַל־תֵּלֵ֣ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אִתָּ֑ם מְנַ֥ע רַ֝גְלְךָ֗ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃

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

16 כִּ֣י רַ֭גְלֵיהֶם לָרַ֣ע יָר֑וּצוּ וִֽ֝ימַהֲר֗וּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּֽם׃

17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

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

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

18 וְ֭הֵם לְדָמָ֣ם יֶאֱרֹ֑בוּ יִ֝צְפְּנ֗וּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; who taketh away the life of its owners.

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

20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

20 חָ֭כְמֹות בַּח֣וּץ תָּרֹ֑נָּה בָּ֝רְחֹבֹ֗ות תִּתֵּ֥ן קֹולָֽהּ׃

21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

21 בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הֹמִיֹּ֗ות תִּ֫קְרָ֥א בְּפִתְחֵ֖י שְׁעָרִ֥ים בָּעִ֗יר אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools 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 out my spirit to 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 man regarded;

24 יַ֣עַן קָ֭רָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵ֑נוּ נָטִ֥יתִי יָ֝דִ֗י וְאֵ֣ין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

25 But ye have set at naught all my counsel, and rejected my reproof:

25 וַתִּפְרְע֥וּ כָל־עֲצָתִ֑י וְ֝תֹוכַחְתִּ֗י לֹ֣א אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

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

26 גַּם־אֲ֭נִי בְּאֵידְכֶ֣ם אֶשְׂחָ֑ק אֶ֝לְעַ֗ג בְּבֹ֣א פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

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

28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

28 אָ֣ז יִ֭קְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹ֣א אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה יְ֝שַׁחֲרֻ֗נְנִי וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

29 תַּ֭חַת כִּי־שָׂ֣נְאוּ דָ֑עַת וְיִרְאַ֥ת יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה לֹ֣א בָחָֽרוּ׃

30 They rejected my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

30 לֹא־אָב֥וּ לַעֲצָתִ֑י נָ֝אֲצ֗וּ כָּל־תֹּוכַחְתִּֽי׃

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own 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 fools shall destroy them.

32 כִּ֤י מְשׁוּבַ֣ת פְּתָיִ֣ם תַּֽהַרְגֵ֑ם וְשַׁלְוַ֖ת כְּסִילִ֣ים תְּאַבְּדֵֽם׃

33 But whoever hearkeneth to me shall dwell in safety, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

33 וְשֹׁמֵ֣עַֽ לִ֭י יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּ֑טַח וְ֝שַׁאֲנַ֗ן מִפַּ֥חַד רָעָֽה׃