The Bible
כִּֽי־תֵ֭שֵׁב לִלְח֣וֹם אֶת־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל בִּ֥ין תָּ֝בִ֗ין אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃
When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you,
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ שַׂכִּ֣ין בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ אִם־בַּ֖עַל נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃
and put a knife to your throat if you possess a great appetite.
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
אַל־תִּ֭תְאָו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָ֑יו וְ֝ה֗וּא לֶ֣חֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃
Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.
Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ חֲדָֽל׃
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
(התעוף) [הֲתָ֤עִיף] עֵינֶ֥יךָ בּ֗וֹ וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ כִּ֤י עָשֹׂ֣ה יַעֲשֶׂה־לּ֣וֹ כְנָפַ֑יִם כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר (ועיף) [יָע֥וּף] הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן וְאַל־(תתאו) [תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו] לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃
Do not eat the bread of a stingy man, and do not crave his delicacies;
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
כִּ֤י ׀ כְּמוֹ־שָׁעַ֥ר בְּנַפְשׁ֗וֹ כֶּ֫ן־ה֥וּא אֱכֹ֣ל וּ֭שְׁתֵה יֹ֣אמַר לָ֑ךְ וְ֝לִבּ֗וֹ בַּל־עִמָּֽךְ׃
for he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃
You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
בְּאָזְנֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר כִּֽי־יָ֝ב֗וּז לְשֵׂ֣כֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ׃
Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
אַל־תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עוֹלָ֑ם וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י יְ֝תוֹמִ֗ים אַל־תָּבֹֽא׃
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
כִּֽי־גֹאֲלָ֥ם חָזָ֑ק הֽוּא־יָרִ֖יב אֶת־רִיבָ֣ם אִתָּֽךְ׃
for their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you.
For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
הָבִ֣יאָה לַמּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝אָזְנֶ֗ךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
אַל־תִּמְנַ֣ע מִנַּ֣עַר מוּסָ֑ר כִּֽי־תַכֶּ֥נּוּ בַ֝שֵּׁ֗בֶט לֹ֣א יָמֽוּת׃
Do not withhold discipline from a child; although you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
אַ֭תָּה בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מִשְּׁא֥וֹל תַּצִּֽיל׃
Strike him with a rod, and you will deliver his soul from Sheol.
Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
בְּ֭נִי אִם־חָכַ֣ם לִבֶּ֑ךָ יִשְׂמַ֖ח לִבִּ֣י גַם־אָֽנִי׃
My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice.
My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה כִלְיוֹתָ֑י בְּדַבֵּ֥ר שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃
My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
אַל־יְקַנֵּ֣א לִ֭בְּךָ בַּֽחַטָּאִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD.
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
כִּ֭י אִם־יֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃
For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
שְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה בְנִ֣י וַחֲכָ֑ם וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃
Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
אַל־תְּהִ֥י בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן בְּזֹלֲלֵ֖י בָשָׂ֣ר לָֽמוֹ׃
Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat.
Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
כִּי־סֹבֵ֣א וְ֭זוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ נוּמָֽה׃
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
שְׁמַ֣ע לְ֭אָבִיךָ זֶ֣ה יְלָדֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תָּ֝ב֗וּז כִּֽי־זָקְנָ֥ה אִמֶּֽךָ׃
Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
אֱמֶ֣ת קְ֭נֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר חָכְמָ֖ה וּמוּסָ֣ר וּבִינָֽה׃
Invest in truth and never sell it—in wisdom and instruction and understanding.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
(גול) [גִּ֣יל] (יגול) [יָ֭גִיל] אֲבִ֣י צַדִּ֑יק (יולד) [וְיוֹלֵ֥ד] חָ֝כָ֗ם (וישמח) [יִשְׂמַח] ־בּֽוֹ׃
The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃
May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice!
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
תְּנָֽה־בְנִ֣י לִבְּךָ֣ לִ֑י וְ֝עֵינֶ֗יךָ דְּרָכַ֥י (תרצנה) [תִּצֹּֽרְנָה] ׃
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
כִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲמֻקָּ֣ה זוֹנָ֑ה וּבְאֵ֥ר צָ֝רָ֗ה נָכְרִיָּֽה׃
For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well.
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
אַף־הִ֭יא כְּחֶ֣תֶף תֶּֽאֱרֹ֑ב וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים בְּאָדָ֥ם תּוֹסִֽף׃
Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men.
She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
לְמִ֨י א֥וֹי לְמִ֪י אֲב֡וֹי לְמִ֤י (מדונים) [מִדְיָנִ֨ים] ׀ לְמִ֥י שִׂ֗יחַ לְ֭מִי פְּצָעִ֣ים חִנָּ֑ם לְ֝מִ֗י חַכְלִל֥וּת עֵינָֽיִם׃
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ׃
Those who linger over wine, who go to taste mixed drinks.
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
אַל־תֵּ֥רֶא יַיִן֮ כִּ֪י יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם כִּֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן (בכיס) [בַּכּ֣וֹס] עֵינ֑וֹ יִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃
Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃
In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
עֵ֭ינֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּ זָר֑וֹת וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ יְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃
Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perversities.
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
וְ֭הָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּלֶב־יָ֑ם וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּרֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃
You will be like one sleeping on the high seas or lying on the top of a mast:
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
הִכּ֥וּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי֮ הֲלָמ֗וּנִי בַּל־יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי מָתַ֥י אָקִ֑יץ א֝וֹסִ֗יף אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ עֽוֹד׃
“They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I did not know it! When can I wake up to search for another drink?”
They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.