Proverbs 4 מִשְׁלֵי
Hebrew · transliteration · JPS 1917
1שִׁמְע֣וּ בָ֭נִים מ֣וּסַר אָ֑ב וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לָדַ֥עַת בִּינָֽה׃
shim'u vanim musar av vehakshivu lada'at bina
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding.
2כִּ֤י לֶ֣קַח ט֭וֹב נָתַ֣תִּי לָכֶ֑ם תּֽ֝וֹרָתִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃
ki lekach tov natatti lakhem torati al-ta'azovu
For I give you a good taking; Forsake ye not my teaching.
3כִּי־בֵ֭ן הָיִ֣יתִי לְאָבִ֑י רַ֥ךְ וְ֝יָחִ֗יד לִפְנֵ֥י אִמִּֽי׃
ki-ven hayiti le'avi rakh veyachid lifne immi
For I was a son unto my father, Tender and an only one in front of my mother.
4וַיֹּרֵ֗נִי וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לִ֗י יִֽתְמָךְ־דְּבָרַ֥י לִבֶּ֑ךָ שְׁמֹ֖ר מִצְוֺתַ֣י וֶֽחְיֵֽה׃
vayyoreni vayyomer li yitmakh-devaray libbekha shemor mitzvotay vechye
And he taught me, and said unto me: ‘Let thy heart hold fast my words, Keep my commandments, and live;
5קְנֵ֣ה חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה בִינָ֑ה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח וְאַל־תֵּ֝֗ט מֵֽאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃
kene chakhma kene vina al-tishkach ve'al-tet me'imre-fi
Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
6אַל־תַּעַזְבֶ֥הָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶ֑ךָּ אֱהָבֶ֥הָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃
al-ta'azveha vetishmerekka ehaveha vetitzerekka
Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee.
7רֵאשִׁ֣ית חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה חָכְמָ֑ה וּבְכָל־קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗ קְנֵ֣ה בִינָֽה׃
reshit chakhma kene chakhma uvekhal-kinyankha kene vina
The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
8סַלְסְלֶ֥הָ וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶ֑ךָּ תְּ֝כַבֵּ֗דְךָ כִּ֣י תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃
salseleha uterommekka tekhabbedkha ki techabbekenna
Extol her, and she will exalt thee; She will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9תִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭רֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵ֑ן עֲטֶ֖רֶת תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃
titten leroshkha livyat-chen ateret tif'eret temaggenekka
She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; A crown of glory will she bestow on thee.’
10שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי וְקַ֣ח אֲמָרָ֑י וְיִרְבּ֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ שְׁנ֣וֹת חַיִּֽים׃
shema' beni vekach amaray veyirbu lekha shenot chayyim
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many.
11בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ חָ֭כְמָה הֹרֵתִ֑יךָ הִ֝דְרַכְתִּ֗יךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃
bederekh chakhma horetikha hidrakhtikha bema'gele-yosher
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
12בְּֽ֭לֶכְתְּךָ לֹא־יֵצַ֣ר צַעֲדֶ֑ךָ וְאִם־תָּ֝ר֗וּץ לֹ֣א תִכָּשֵֽׁל׃
belekhtekha lo-yetzar tza'adekha ve'im-tarutz lo tikkashel
When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13הַחֲזֵ֣ק בַּמּוּסָ֣ר אַל־תֶּ֑רֶף נִ֝צְּרֶ֗הָ כִּי־הִ֥יא חַיֶּֽיךָ׃
hachazek bammusar al-teref nitzereha ki-hi chayyekha
Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go; Keep her, for she is thy life.
14בְּאֹ֣רַח רְ֭שָׁעִים אַל־תָּבֹ֑א וְאַל־תְּ֝אַשֵּׁ֗ר בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ רָעִֽים׃
be'orach resha'im al-tavo ve'al-te'asher bederekh ra'im
Enter not into the path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil men.
15פְּרָעֵ֥הוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בּ֑וֹ שְׂטֵ֖ה מֵעָלָ֣יו וַעֲבֽוֹר׃
pera'ehu al-ta'avar-bo sete me'alav va'avor
Avoid it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on.
16כִּ֤י לֹ֣א יִֽ֭שְׁנוּ אִם־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֑עוּ וְֽנִגְזְלָ֥ה שְׁ֝נָתָ֗ם אִם־לֹ֥א יכשולו [יַכְשִֽׁילוּ]׃
ki lo yishnu im-lo yare'u venigzela shenatam im-lo yakhshilu
For they sleep not, except they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
17כִּ֣י לָ֭חֲמוּ לֶ֣חֶם רֶ֑שַׁע וְיֵ֖ין חֲמָסִ֣ים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃
ki lachamu lechem resha' veyen chamasim yishtu
For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.
18וְאֹ֣רַח צַ֭דִּיקִים כְּא֣וֹר נֹ֑גַהּ הוֹלֵ֥ךְ וָ֝א֗וֹר עַד־נְכ֥וֹן הַיּֽוֹם׃
ve'orach tzaddikim keor nogah holekh vaor ad-nekhon hayyom
But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19דֶּ֣רֶךְ רְ֭שָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָ֑ה לֹ֥א יָ֝דְע֗וּ בַּמֶּ֥ה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃
derekh resha'im ka'afela lo yad'u bamme yikkashelu
The way of the wicked is as darkness; They know not at what they stumble.
20בְּ֭נִי לִדְבָרַ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗י הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃
beni lidvaray hakshiva la'amaray hat-aznekha
My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21אַל־יַלִּ֥יזוּ מֵעֵינֶ֑יךָ שָׁ֝מְרֵ֗ם בְּת֣וֹךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃
al-yallizu me'enekha shamrem betokh levavekha
Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart.
22כִּֽי־חַיִּ֣ים הֵ֭ם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑ם וּֽלְכָל־בְּשָׂר֥וֹ מַרְפֵּֽא׃
ki-chayyim hem lemotz'ehem ulekhal-besaro marpe
For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.
23מִֽכָּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר נְצֹ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ תּוֹצְא֥וֹת חַיִּֽים׃
mikkal-mishmar netzor libbekha ki-mimmennu totzot chayyim
Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; For out of it are the issues of life.
24הָסֵ֣ר מִ֭מְּךָ עִקְּשׁ֣וּת פֶּ֑ה וּלְז֥וּת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם הַרְחֵ֥ק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃
haser mimmekha ikkeshut pe ulezut sefatayim harchek mimmekka
Put away from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee.
25עֵ֭ינֶיךָ לְנֹ֣כַח יַבִּ֑יטוּ וְ֝עַפְעַפֶּ֗יךָ יַיְשִׁ֥רוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃
enekha lenokhach yabbitu ve'af'appekha yayshiru negdekha
Let thine eyes look right on, And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26פַּ֭לֵּס מַעְגַּ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃
palles ma'gal raglekha vekhal-derakhekha yikkonu
Make plain the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established.
27אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול הָסֵ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מֵרָֽע׃
al-tet-yamin usemovl haser raglekha mera'
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; Remove thy foot from evil.
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Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (ketiv shown with the qere in brackets). JPS 1917 and the Hebrew use Hebrew verse numbers; the English column uses English numbering, which sometimes differs by a verse.