Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
1 כִּֽי־תֵ֭שֵׁב לִלְח֣וֹם אֶת־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל בִּ֥ין תָּ֝בִ֗ין אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃
2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
2 וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ שַׂכִּ֣ין בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ אִם־בַּ֖עַל נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
3 אַל־תִּ֭תְאָו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָ֑יו וְ֝ה֗וּא לֶ֣חֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃
4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
4 אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ חֲדָֽל׃
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
5 *התעוף **הֲתָ֤עִיף עֵינֶ֥יךָ בּ֗וֹ וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ כִּ֤י עָשֹׂ֣ה יַעֲשֶׂה־לּ֣וֹ כְנָפַ֑יִם כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר *ועיף **יָע֥וּף הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ פ
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
6 אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן וְאַל־*תתאו **תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
7 כִּ֤י ׀ כְּמוֹ־שָׁעַ֥ר בְּנַפְשׁ֗וֹ כֶּ֫ן־ה֥וּא אֱכֹ֣ל וּ֭שְׁתֵה יֹ֣אמַר לָ֑ךְ וְ֝לִבּ֗וֹ בַּל־עִמָּֽךְ׃
8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
8 פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
9 בְּאָזְנֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר כִּֽי־יָ֝ב֗וּז לְשֵׂ֣כֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ׃
10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
10 אַל־תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עוֹלָ֑ם וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י יְ֝תוֹמִ֗ים אַל־תָּבֹֽא׃
11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
11 כִּֽי־גֹאֲלָ֥ם חָזָ֑ק הֽוּא־יָרִ֖יב אֶת־רִיבָ֣ם אִתָּֽךְ׃
12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
12 הָבִ֣יאָה לַמּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝אָזְנֶ֗ךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃
13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
13 אַל־תִּמְנַ֣ע מִנַּ֣עַר מוּסָ֑ר כִּֽי־תַכֶּ֥נּוּ בַ֝שֵּׁ֗בֶט לֹ֣א יָמֽוּת׃
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
14 אַ֭תָּה בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מִשְּׁא֥וֹל תַּצִּֽיל׃
15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
15 בְּ֭נִי אִם־חָכַ֣ם לִבֶּ֑ךָ יִשְׂמַ֖ח לִבִּ֣י גַם־אָֽנִי׃
16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
16 וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה כִלְיוֹתָ֑י בְּדַבֵּ֥ר שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃
17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.
17 אַל־יְקַנֵּ֣א לִ֭בְּךָ בַּֽחַטָּאִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃
18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
18 כִּ֭י אִם־יֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
19 שְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה בְנִ֣י וַחֲכָ֑ם וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃
20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
20 אַל־תְּהִ֥י בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן בְּזֹלֲלֵ֖י בָשָׂ֣ר לָֽמוֹ׃
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
21 כִּי־סֹבֵ֣א וְ֭זוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ נוּמָֽה׃
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
22 שְׁמַ֣ע לְ֭אָבִיךָ זֶ֣ה יְלָדֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תָּ֝ב֗וּז כִּֽי־זָקְנָ֥ה אִמֶּֽךָ׃
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
23 אֱמֶ֣ת קְ֭נֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר חָכְמָ֖ה וּמוּסָ֣ר וּבִינָֽה׃
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
24 *גול **גִּ֣יל *יגול **יָ֭גִיל אֲבִ֣י צַדִּ֑יק *יולד **וְיוֹלֵ֥ד חָ֝כָ֗ם *וישמח־**יִשְׂמַח־בּֽוֹ׃
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
25 יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃
26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
26 תְּנָֽה־בְנִ֣י לִבְּךָ֣ לִ֑י וְ֝עֵינֶ֗יךָ דְּרָכַ֥י *תרצנה **תִּצֹּֽרְנָה׃
27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
27 כִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲמֻקָּ֣ה זוֹנָ֑ה וּבְאֵ֥ר צָ֝רָ֗ה נָכְרִיָּֽה׃
28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
28 אַף־הִ֭יא כְּחֶ֣תֶף תֶּֽאֱרֹ֑ב וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים בְּאָדָ֥ם תּוֹסִֽף׃
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
29 לְמִ֨י א֥וֹי לְמִ֪י אֲב֡וֹי לְמִ֤י *מדונים **מִדְיָנִ֨ים ׀ לְמִ֥י שִׂ֗יחַ לְ֭מִי פְּצָעִ֣ים חִנָּ֑ם לְ֝מִ֗י חַכְלִל֥וּת עֵינָֽיִם׃
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
30 לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ׃
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
31 אַל־תֵּ֥רֶא יַיִן֮ כִּ֢י יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם כִּֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן *בכיס **בַּכּ֣וֹס עֵינ֑וֹ יִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
32 אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
33 עֵ֭ינֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּ זָר֑וֹת וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ יְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃
34 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.
34 וְ֭הָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּלֶב־יָ֑ם וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּרֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃
35 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.
35 הִכּ֥וּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי֮ הֲלָמ֗וּנִי בַּל־יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי מָתַ֥י אָקִ֑יץ א֝וֹסִ֗יף אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ עֽוֹד׃
About the Hebrew Text
The Hebrew text displayed here follows the Westminster Leningrad Codex.