| א בְּנִי, אִם-עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ; תָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר כַּפֶּיךָ. | 1 My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger-- |
| ב נוֹקַשְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי-פִיךָ; נִלְכַּדְתָּ, בְּאִמְרֵי-פִיךָ. | 2 Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, thou art caught by the words of thy mouth-- |
| ג עֲשֵׂה זֹאת אֵפוֹא בְּנִי, וְהִנָּצֵל-- כִּי בָאתָ בְכַף-רֵעֶךָ; לֵךְ הִתְרַפֵּס, וּרְהַב רֵעֶיךָ. | 3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour;{N} go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbour. |
| ד אַל-תִּתֵּן שֵׁנָה לְעֵינֶיךָ; וּתְנוּמָה, לְעַפְעַפֶּיךָ. | 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. |
| ה הִנָּצֵל, כִּצְבִי מִיָּד; וּכְצִפּוֹר, מִיַּד יָקוּשׁ. | 5 Deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.{P} |
| ו לֵךְ-אֶל-נְמָלָה עָצֵל; רְאֵה דְרָכֶיהָ וַחֲכָם. | 6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise; |
| ז אֲשֶׁר אֵין-לָהּ קָצִין-- שֹׁטֵר וּמֹשֵׁל. | 7 Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler, |
| ח תָּכִין בַּקַּיִץ לַחְמָהּ; אָגְרָה בַקָּצִיר, מַאֲכָלָהּ. | 8 Provideth her bread in the summer, and gatherest her food in the harvest. |
| ט עַד-מָתַי עָצֵל תִּשְׁכָּב; מָתַי, תָּקוּם מִשְּׁנָתֶךָ. | 9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? |
| י מְעַט שֵׁנוֹת, מְעַט תְּנוּמוֹת; מְעַט, חִבֻּק יָדַיִם לִשְׁכָּב. | 10 'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep'-- |
| יא וּבָא-כִמְהַלֵּךְ רֵאשֶׁךָ; וּמַחְסֹרְךָ, כְּאִישׁ מָגֵן. | 11 So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.{P} |
| יב אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל, אִישׁ אָוֶן; הוֹלֵךְ, עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּה. | 12 A base person, a man of iniquity, is he that walketh with a froward mouth; |
| יג קֹרֵץ בְּעֵינָו, מֹלֵל בְּרַגְלָו; מֹרֶה, בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָיו. | 13 That winketh with his eyes, that scrapeth with his feet, that pointeth with his fingers; |
| יד תַּהְפֻּכוֹת, בְּלִבּוֹ--חֹרֵשׁ רָע בְּכָל-עֵת; מדניםמִדְיָנִים יְשַׁלֵּחַ. | 14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil continually; he soweth discord. |
| טו עַל-כֵּן--פִּתְאֹם, יָבוֹא אֵידוֹ; פֶּתַע יִשָּׁבֵר, וְאֵין מַרְפֵּא. | 15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; on a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.{P} |
| טז שֶׁשׁ-הֵנָּה, שָׂנֵא יְהוָה; וְשֶׁבַע, תועבותתּוֹעֲבַת נַפְשׁוֹ. | 16 There are six things which the LORD hateth, yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him: |
| יז עֵינַיִם רָמוֹת, לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר; וְיָדַיִם, שֹׁפְכוֹת דָּם-נָקִי. | 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; |
| יח לֵב--חֹרֵשׁ, מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָוֶן; רַגְלַיִם מְמַהֲרוֹת, לָרוּץ לָרָעָה. | 18 A heart that deviseth wicked thoughts, feet that are swift in running to evil; |
| יט יָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים, עֵד שָׁקֶר; וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ מְדָנִים, בֵּין אַחִים. | 19 A false witness that breatheth out lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.{P} |
| כ נְצֹר בְּנִי, מִצְוַת אָבִיךָ; וְאַל-תִּטֹּשׁ, תּוֹרַת אִמֶּךָ. | 20 My son, keep the commandment of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother; |
| כא קָשְׁרֵם עַל-לִבְּךָ תָמִיד; עָנְדֵם, עַל-גַּרְגְּרֹתֶךָ. | 21 Bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck. |
| כב בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ, תַּנְחֶה אֹתָךְ-- בְּשָׁכְבְּךָ, תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ; וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ, הִיא תְשִׂיחֶךָ. | 22 When thou walkest, it shall lead thee, when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. |
| כג כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה, וְתוֹרָה אוֹר; וְדֶרֶךְ חַיִּים, תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר. | 23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life; |
| כד לִשְׁמָרְךָ, מֵאֵשֶׁת רָע; מֵחֶלְקַת, לָשׁוֹן נָכְרִיָּה. | 24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the smoothness of the alien tongue. |
| כה אַל-תַּחְמֹד יָפְיָהּ, בִּלְבָבֶךָ; וְאַל-תִּקָּחֲךָ, בְּעַפְעַפֶּיהָ. | 25 Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her captivate thee with her eyelids. |
| כו כִּי בְעַד-אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה, עַד-כִּכַּר-לָחֶם: וְאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ-- נֶפֶשׁ יְקָרָה תָצוּד. | 26 For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a loaf of bread, but the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.{P} |
| כז הֲיַחְתֶּה אִישׁ אֵשׁ בְּחֵיקוֹ; וּבְגָדָיו, לֹא תִשָּׂרַפְנָה. | 27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? |
| כח אִם-יְהַלֵּךְ אִישׁ, עַל-הַגֶּחָלִים; וְרַגְלָיו, לֹא תִכָּוֶינָה. | 28 Or can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched? |
| כט כֵּן--הַבָּא, אֶל-אֵשֶׁת רֵעֵהוּ: לֹא-יִנָּקֶה, כָּל-הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּהּ. | 29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished. |
| ל לֹא-יָבוּזוּ לַגַּנָּב, כִּי יִגְנוֹב-- לְמַלֵּא נַפְשׁוֹ, כִּי יִרְעָב. | 30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; |
| לא וְנִמְצָא, יְשַׁלֵּם שִׁבְעָתָיִם: אֶת-כָּל-הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ יִתֵּן. | 31 But if he be found, he must restore sevenfold, he must give all the substance of his house. |
| לב נֹאֵף אִשָּׁה חֲסַר-לֵב; מַשְׁחִית נַפְשׁוֹ, הוּא יַעֲשֶׂנָּה. | 32 He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he doeth it that would destroy his own soul. |
| לג נֶגַע-וְקָלוֹן יִמְצָא; וְחֶרְפָּתוֹ, לֹא תִמָּחֶה. | 33 Wounds and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away. |
| לד כִּי-קִנְאָה חֲמַת-גָּבֶר; וְלֹא-יַחְמוֹל, בְּיוֹם נָקָם. | 34 For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance. |
| לה לֹא-יִשָּׂא, פְּנֵי כָל-כֹּפֶר; וְלֹא-יֹאבֶה, כִּי תַרְבֶּה-שֹּׁחַד. | 35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.{P} |