The Bible
שִׁמְע֣וּ בָ֭נִים מ֣וּסַר אָ֑ב וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לָדַ֥עַת בִּינָֽה׃
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
כִּ֤י לֶ֣קַח ט֭וֹב נָתַ֣תִּי לָכֶ֑ם תּֽ֝וֹרָתִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃
For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
כִּי־בֵ֭ן הָיִ֣יתִי לְאָבִ֑י רַ֥ךְ וְ֝יָחִ֗יד לִפְנֵ֥י אִמִּֽי׃
When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
וַיֹּרֵ֗נִי וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לִ֗י יִֽתְמָךְ־דְּבָרַ֥י לִבֶּ֑ךָ שְׁמֹ֖ר מִצְוֺתַ֣י וֶֽחְיֵֽה׃
he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
קְנֵ֣ה חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה בִינָ֑ה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח וְאַל־תֵּ֝֗ט מֵֽאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
אַל־תַּעַזְבֶ֥הָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶ֑ךָּ אֱהָבֶ֥הָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
רֵאשִׁ֣ית חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה חָכְמָ֑ה וּבְכָל־קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗ קְנֵ֣ה בִינָֽה׃
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
סַלְסְלֶ֥הָ וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶ֑ךָּ תְּ֝כַבֵּ֗דְךָ כִּ֣י תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃
Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
תִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭רֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵ֑ן עֲטֶ֖רֶת תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃
She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי וְקַ֣ח אֲמָרָ֑י וְיִרְבּ֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ שְׁנ֣וֹת חַיִּֽים׃
Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ חָ֭כְמָה הֹרֵתִ֑יךָ הִ֝דְרַכְתִּ֗יךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃
I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
בְּֽ֭לֶכְתְּךָ לֹא־יֵצַ֣ר צַעֲדֶ֑ךָ וְאִם־תָּ֝ר֗וּץ לֹ֣א תִכָּשֵֽׁל׃
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
הַחֲזֵ֣ק בַּמּוּסָ֣ר אַל־תֶּ֑רֶף נִ֝צְּרֶ֗הָ כִּי־הִ֥יא חַיֶּֽיךָ׃
Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
בְּאֹ֣רַח רְ֭שָׁעִים אַל־תָּבֹ֑א וְאַל־תְּ֝אַשֵּׁ֗ר בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ רָעִֽים׃
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
פְּרָעֵ֥הוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בּ֑וֹ שְׂטֵ֖ה מֵעָלָ֣יו וַעֲבֽוֹר׃
Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
כִּ֤י לֹ֣א יִֽ֭שְׁנוּ אִם־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֑עוּ וְֽנִגְזְלָ֥ה שְׁ֝נָתָ֗ם אִם־לֹ֥א (יכשולו) [יַכְשִֽׁילוּ] ׃
For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
כִּ֣י לָ֭חֲמוּ לֶ֣חֶם רֶ֑שַׁע וְיֵ֖ין חֲמָסִ֣ים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
וְאֹ֣רַח צַ֭דִּיקִים כְּא֣וֹר נֹ֑גַהּ הוֹלֵ֥ךְ וָ֝א֗וֹר עַד־נְכ֥וֹן הַיּֽוֹם׃
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
דֶּ֣רֶךְ רְ֭שָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָ֑ה לֹ֥א יָ֝דְע֗וּ בַּמֶּ֥ה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
בְּ֭נִי לִדְבָרַ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗י הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
אַל־יַלִּ֥יזוּ מֵעֵינֶ֑יךָ שָׁ֝מְרֵ֗ם בְּת֣וֹךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃
Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
כִּֽי־חַיִּ֣ים הֵ֭ם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑ם וּֽלְכָל־בְּשָׂר֥וֹ מַרְפֵּֽא׃
For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
מִֽכָּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר נְצֹ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ תּוֹצְא֥וֹת חַיִּֽים׃
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
הָסֵ֣ר מִ֭מְּךָ עִקְּשׁ֣וּת פֶּ֑ה וּלְז֥וּת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם הַרְחֵ֥ק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃
Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
עֵ֭ינֶיךָ לְנֹ֣כַח יַבִּ֑יטוּ וְ֝עַפְעַפֶּ֗יךָ יַיְשִׁ֥רוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃
Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
פַּ֭לֵּס מַעְגַּ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃
Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול הָסֵ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מֵרָֽע׃
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.