Proverbs 1

מִ֭שְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בֶן־דָּוִ֑ד מֶ֝֗לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,

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

לָדַ֣עַת חָכְמָ֣ה וּמוּסָ֑ר לְ֝הָבִ֗ין אִמְרֵ֥י בִינָֽה׃

for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,

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

לָ֭קַחַת מוּסַ֣ר הַשְׂכֵּ֑ל צֶ֥דֶק וּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט וּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.

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

לָתֵ֣ת לִפְתָאיִ֣ם עָרְמָ֑ה לְ֝נַ֗עַר דַּ֣עַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,

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

יִשְׁמַ֣ע חָ֭כָם וְי֣וֹסֶף לֶ֑קַח וְ֝נָב֗וֹן תַּחְבֻּל֥וֹת יִקְנֶֽה׃

let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel

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

לְהָבִ֣ין מָ֭שָׁל וּמְלִיצָ֑ה דִּבְרֵ֥י חֲ֝כָמִ֗ים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

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

יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה רֵאשִׁ֣ית דָּ֑עַת חָכְמָ֥ה וּ֝מוּסָ֗ר אֱוִילִ֥ים בָּֽזוּ׃

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

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

שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי מוּסַ֣ר אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תּוֹרַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.

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

כִּ֤י ׀ לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן הֵ֬ם לְרֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲנָקִ֗ים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.

For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

בְּנִ֡י אִם־יְפַתּ֥וּךָ חַ֝טָּאִ֗ים אַל־תֹּבֵֽא׃

My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.

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

אִם־יֹאמְרוּ֮ לְכָ֪ה אִ֫תָּ֥נוּ נֶאֶרְבָ֥ה לְדָ֑ם נִצְפְּנָ֖ה לְנָקִ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,

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

נִ֭בְלָעֵם כִּשְׁא֣וֹל חַיִּ֑ים וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים כְּי֣וֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃

let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit.

Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

כָּל־ה֣וֹן יָקָ֣ר נִמְצָ֑א נְמַלֵּ֖א בָתֵּ֣ינוּ שָׁלָֽל׃

We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.

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

גּ֭וֹרָ֣לְךָ תַּפִּ֣יל בְּתוֹכֵ֑נוּ כִּ֥יס אֶ֝חָ֗ד יִהְיֶ֥ה לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃

Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—

Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

בְּנִ֗י אַל־תֵּלֵ֣ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אִתָּ֑ם מְנַ֥ע רַ֝גְלְךָ֗ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃

my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.

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

כִּ֣י רַ֭גְלֵיהֶם לָרַ֣ע יָר֑וּצוּ וִֽ֝ימַהֲר֗וּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּֽם׃

For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.

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

כִּֽי־חִ֭נָּם מְזֹרָ֣ה הָרָ֑שֶׁת בְּ֝עֵינֵ֗י כָל־בַּ֥עַל כָּנָֽף׃

How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!

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

וְ֭הֵם לְדָמָ֣ם יֶאֱרֹ֑בוּ יִ֝צְפְּנ֗וּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.

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

כֵּ֗ן אָ֭רְחוֹת כָּל־בֹּ֣צֵֽעַ בָּ֑צַע אֶת־נֶ֖פֶשׁ בְּעָלָ֣יו יִקָּֽח׃

Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.

So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

חָ֭כְמוֹת בַּח֣וּץ תָּרֹ֑נָּה בָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹת תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽהּ׃

Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;

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

בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הֹמִיּ֗וֹת תִּ֫קְרָ֥א בְּפִתְחֵ֖י שְׁעָרִ֥ים בָּעִ֗יר אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:

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

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

“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

תָּשׁ֗וּבוּ לְֽת֫וֹכַחְתִּ֥י הִנֵּ֤ה אַבִּ֣יעָה לָכֶ֣ם רוּחִ֑י אוֹדִ֖יעָה דְבָרַ֣י אֶתְכֶֽם׃

If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.

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

יַ֣עַן קָ֭רָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵ֑נוּ נָטִ֥יתִי יָ֝דִ֗י וְאֵ֣ין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,

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

וַתִּפְרְע֥וּ כָל־עֲצָתִ֑י וְ֝תוֹכַחְתִּ֗י לֹ֣א אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,

But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

גַּם־אֲ֭נִי בְּאֵידְכֶ֣ם אֶשְׂחָ֑ק אֶ֝לְעַ֗ג בְּבֹ֣א פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,

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

בְּבֹ֤א (כשאוה) [כְשׁוֹאָ֨ה] ׀ פַּחְדְּכֶ֗ם וְֽ֭אֵידְכֶם כְּסוּפָ֣ה יֶאֱתֶ֑ה בְּבֹ֥א עֲ֝לֵיכֶ֗ם צָרָ֥ה וְצוּקָֽה׃

when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.

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

אָ֣ז יִ֭קְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹ֣א אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה יְ֝שַׁחֲרֻ֗נְנִי וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.

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

תַּ֭חַת כִּי־שָׂ֣נְאוּ דָ֑עַת וְיִרְאַ֥ת יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה לֹ֣א בָחָֽרוּ׃

For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.

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

לֹא־אָב֥וּ לַעֲצָתִ֑י נָ֝אֲצ֗וּ כָּל־תּוֹכַחְתִּֽי׃

They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.

They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

וְֽ֭יֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִ֣י דַרְכָּ֑ם וּֽמִמֹּעֲצֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

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

כִּ֤י מְשׁוּבַ֣ת פְּתָיִ֣ם תַּֽהַרְגֵ֑ם וְשַׁלְוַ֖ת כְּסִילִ֣ים תְּאַבְּדֵֽם׃

For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

וְשֹׁמֵ֣עַֽ לִ֭י יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּ֑טַח וְ֝שַׁאֲנַ֗ן מִפַּ֥חַד רָעָֽה׃

But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”

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