Proverbs 4

1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
1 ‫שִׁמְע֣וּ בָ֭נִים מ֣וּסַר אָ֑ב וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לָדַ֥עַת בִּינָֽה׃ ‬
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
2 ‫כִּ֤י לֶ֣קַח ט֭וֹב נָתַ֣תִּי לָכֶ֑ם תּֽ֝וֹרָתִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃ ‬
3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
3 ‫כִּי־בֵ֭ן הָיִ֣יתִי לְאָבִ֑י רַ֥ךְ וְ֝יָחִ֗יד לִפְנֵ֥י אִמִּֽי׃ ‬
4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
4 ‫וַיֹּרֵ֗נִי וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לִ֗י יִֽתְמָךְ־דְּבָרַ֥י לִבֶּ֑ךָ שְׁמֹ֖ר מִצְוֺתַ֣י וֽ͏ֶחְיֵֽה׃ ‬
5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
5 ‫קְנֵ֣ה חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה בִינָ֑ה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח וְאַל־תֵּ֝֗ט מֵֽאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃ ‬
6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
6 ‫אַל־תַּעַזְבֶ֥הָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶ֑ךָּ אֱהָבֶ֥הָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃ ‬
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
7 ‫רֵאשִׁ֣ית חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה חָכְמָ֑ה וּבְכָל־קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗ קְנֵ֣ה בִינָֽה׃ ‬
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
8 ‫סַלְסְלֶ֥הָ וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶ֑ךָּ תְּ֝כַבֵּ֗דְךָ כִּ֣י תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃ ‬
9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
9 ‫תִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭רֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵ֑ן עֲטֶ֖רֶת תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃ ‬
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
10 ‫שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי וְקַ֣ח אֲמָרָ֑י וְיִרְבּ֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ שְׁנ֣וֹת חַיִּֽים׃ ‬
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
11 ‫בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ חָ֭כְמָה הֹרֵתִ֑יךָ הִ֝דְרַכְתִּ֗יךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃ ‬
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
12 ‫בְּֽ֭לֶכְתְּךָ לֹא־יֵצַ֣ר צַעֲדֶ֑ךָ וְאִם־תָּ֝ר֗וּץ לֹ֣א תִכָּשֵֽׁל׃ ‬
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
13 ‫הַחֲזֵ֣ק בַּמּוּסָ֣ר אַל־תֶּ֑רֶף נִ֝צְּרֶ֗הָ כִּי־הִ֥יא חַיֶּֽיךָ׃ ‬
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
14 ‫בְּאֹ֣רַח רְ֭שָׁעִים אַל־תָּבֹ֑א וְאַל־תְּ֝אַשֵּׁ֗ר בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ רָעִֽים׃ ‬
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
15 ‫פְּרָעֵ֥הוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בּ֑וֹ שְׂטֵ֖ה מֵעָלָ֣יו וַעֲבֽוֹר׃ ‬
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
16 ‫כִּ֤י לֹ֣א יִֽ֭שְׁנוּ אִם־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֑עוּ וְֽנִגְזְלָ֥ה שְׁ֝נָתָ֗ם אִם־לֹ֥א *יכשולו **יַכְשִֽׁילוּ׃ ‬
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
17 ‫כִּ֣י לָ֭חֲמוּ לֶ֣חֶם רֶ֑שַׁע וְיֵ֖ין חֲמָסִ֣ים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃ ‬
18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
18 ‫וְאֹ֣רַח צַ֭דִּיקִים כְּא֣וֹר נֹ֑גַהּ הוֹלֵ֥ךְ וָ֝א֗וֹר עַד־נְכ֥וֹן הַיּֽוֹם׃ ‬
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
19 ‫דֶּ֣רֶךְ רְ֭שָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָ֑ה לֹ֥א יָ֝דְע֗וּ בַּמֶּ֥ה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃ פ ‬
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
20 ‫בְּ֭נִי לִדְבָרַ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗י הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ ‬
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
21 ‫אַל־יַלִּ֥יזוּ מֵעֵינֶ֑יךָ שָׁ֝מְרֵ֗ם בְּת֣וֹךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ ‬
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
22 ‫כִּֽי־חַיִּ֣ים הֵ֭ם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑ם וּֽלְכָל־בְּשָׂר֥וֹ מַרְפֵּֽא׃ ‬
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
23 ‫מִֽכָּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר נְצֹ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ תּוֹצְא֥וֹת חַיִּֽים׃ ‬
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
24 ‫הָסֵ֣ר מִ֭מְּךָ עִקְּשׁ֣וּת פֶּ֑ה וּלְז֥וּת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם הַרְחֵ֥ק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃ ‬
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
25 ‫עֵ֭ינֶיךָ לְנֹ֣כַח יַבִּ֑יטוּ וְ֝עַפְעַפֶּ֗יךָ יַיְשִׁ֥רוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃ ‬
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
26 ‫פַּ֭לֵּס מַעְגַּ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃ ‬
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
27 ‫אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול הָסֵ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מֵרָֽע׃ ‬
Proverbs 3
Proverbs 5
About the Hebrew Text

The Hebrew text displayed here follows the Westminster Leningrad Codex.