Tanach · Writings

Proverbs 20/משלי כ׳

אלֵ֣ץ הַ֭יַּיִן הֹמֶ֣ה שֵׁכָ֑ר וְכׇל־שֹׁ֥גֶה בּ֝֗וֹ לֹ֣א יֶחְכָּֽם׃

1Wine is a scoffer, strong drink a roisterer;No one who is muddled by them will ever grow wise.

בנַ֣הַם כַּ֭כְּפִיר אֵ֣ימַת מֶ֑לֶךְ מִ֝תְעַבְּר֗וֹ חוֹטֵ֥א נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

2The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion;Whoever provokes it forfeits life.

גכָּב֣וֹד לָ֭אִישׁ שֶׁ֣בֶת מֵרִ֑יב וְכׇל־אֱ֝וִ֗יל יִתְגַּלָּֽע׃

3It is honorable for a man to desist from strife,But every fool becomes embroiled.^a

דמֵ֭חֹרֶף עָצֵ֣ל לֹא־יַחֲרֹ֑שׁ (ישאל) [וְשָׁאַ֖ל] בַּקָּצִ֣יר וָאָֽיִן׃

4In winter sluggards do not plow;At harvesttime they seek, and find nothing.

המַ֣יִם עֲ֭מֻקִּים עֵצָ֣ה בְלֶב־אִ֑ישׁ וְאִ֖ישׁ תְּבוּנָ֣ה יִדְלֶֽנָּה׃

5The designs in a person’s mind are^b deep waters,But a man of understanding can draw them out.

ורׇב־אָדָ֗ם יִ֭קְרָא אִ֣ישׁ חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים מִ֣י יִמְצָֽא׃

6He calls many a man his loyal friend,But who can find a faithful man?

זמִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ בְּתֻמּ֣וֹ צַדִּ֑יק אַשְׁרֵ֖י בָנָ֣יו אַחֲרָֽיו׃

7The righteous live blamelessly;Happy are their children who come after them.

חמֶ֗לֶךְ יוֹשֵׁ֥ב עַל־כִּסֵּא־דִ֑ין מְזָרֶ֖ה בְעֵינָ֣יו כׇּל־רָֽע׃

8The king seated on the throne of judgmentCan winnow out all evil by his glance.

טמִֽי־יֹ֭אמַר זִכִּ֣יתִי לִבִּ֑י טָ֝הַ֗רְתִּי מֵחַטָּאתִֽי׃

9Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart,I am purged of my sin”?

יאֶ֣בֶן וָ֭אֶבֶן אֵיפָ֣ה וְאֵיפָ֑ה תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

10False weights and false measures—Both are an abomination to GOD.

יאגַּ֣ם בְּ֭מַעֲלָלָיו יִתְנַכֶּר־נָ֑עַר אִם־זַ֖ךְ וְאִם־יָשָׁ֣ר פׇּעֳלֽוֹ׃

11Children may be dissembling in their behaviorEven though their actions are blameless and proper.

יבאֹ֣זֶן שֹׁ֭מַעַת וְעַ֣יִן רֹאָ֑ה יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה עָשָׂ֥ה גַם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

12The ear that hears, the eye that sees— GOD made them both.

יגאַל־תֶּאֱהַ֣ב שֵׁ֭נָה פֶּן־תִּוָּרֵ֑שׁ פְּקַ֖ח עֵינֶ֣יךָ שְֽׂבַֽע־לָֽחֶם׃

13Do not love sleep lest you be impoverished;Keep your eyes open and you will have plenty of food.

ידרַ֣ע רַ֭ע יֹאמַ֣ר הַקּוֹנֶ֑ה וְאֹזֵ֥ל ל֝֗וֹ אָ֣ז יִתְהַלָּֽל׃

14“Bad, bad,” says the buyer,Then goes away in self-congratulation.

טויֵ֣שׁ זָ֭הָב וְרׇב־פְּנִינִ֑ים וּכְלִ֥י יְ֝קָ֗ר שִׂפְתֵי־דָֽעַת׃

15Gold is plentiful, jewels abundant,But wise speech is a precious object.

טזלְֽקַח־בִּ֭גְדוֹ כִּי־עָ֣רַב זָ֑ר וּבְעַ֖ד (נכרים) [נׇכְרִיָּ֣ה] חַבְלֵֽהוּ׃

16Seize his garment, for he stood surety for another;^c Take it as a pledge, [for he stood surety] for an unfamiliar woman.

יזעָרֵ֣ב לָ֭אִישׁ לֶ֣חֶם שָׁ֑קֶר וְ֝אַחַ֗ר יִמָּֽלֵא־פִ֥יהוּ חָצָֽץ׃

17Bread gained by fraud may be tasty to a man,But later his mouth will be filled with gravel.

יחמַ֭חֲשָׁבוֹת בְּעֵצָ֣ה תִכּ֑וֹן וּ֝בְתַחְבֻּל֗וֹת עֲשֵׂ֣ה מִלְחָמָֽה׃

18Plans laid in council will succeed;Wage war with stratagems.

יטגּֽוֹלֶה־סּ֭וֹד הוֹלֵ֣ךְ רָכִ֑יל וּלְפֹתֶ֥ה שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִתְעָרָֽב׃

19Whoever gives away secrets is base;Do not take up with a big-mouth.

כמְ֭קַלֵּל אָבִ֣יו וְאִמּ֑וֹ יִֽדְעַ֥ךְ נֵ֝ר֗וֹ (באישון) [בֶּאֱשׁ֥וּן] חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

20Whoever reviles their father or mother,Will be without lamplight when darkness comes.

כאנַ֭חֲלָה (מבחלת) [מְבֹהֶ֣לֶת] בָּרִאשׁוֹנָ֑ה וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ לֹ֣א תְבֹרָֽךְ׃

21An estate acquired in haste at the outsetWill not be blessed in the end.

כבאַל־תֹּאמַ֥ר אֲשַׁלְּמָה־רָ֑ע קַוֵּ֥ה לַ֝יהֹוָ֗ה וְיֹ֣שַֽׁע לָֽךְ׃

22Do not say, “I will requite evil”;Put your hope in GOD and you will be delivered.

כגתּוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְ֭הֹוָה אֶ֣בֶן וָאָ֑בֶן וּמֹאזְנֵ֖י מִרְמָ֣ה לֹא־טֽוֹב׃

23False weights are an abomination to GOD;Dishonest scales are not right.

כדמֵיְהֹוָ֥ה מִצְעֲדֵי־גָ֑בֶר וְ֝אָדָ֗ם מַה־יָּבִ֥ין דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃

24People’s steps^d are decided by GOD;What do mortals know about their own way?

כהמוֹקֵ֣שׁ אָ֭דָם יָ֣לַע קֹ֑דֶשׁ וְאַחַ֖ר נְדָרִ֣ים לְבַקֵּֽר׃

25It is a snare for mortals to pledge a sacred gift rashly^e And after the vows to reconsider.

כומְזָרֶ֣ה רְ֭שָׁעִים מֶ֣לֶךְ חָכָ֑ם וַיָּ֖שֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם אוֹפָֽן׃

26A wise king winnows out the wicked,And turns the wheel upon them.

כזנֵ֣ר יְ֭הֹוָה נִשְׁמַ֣ת אָדָ֑ם חֹ֝פֵ֗שׂ כׇּל־חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃

27A mortal’s lifebreath is GOD’s lampRevealing all their inmost parts.^f

כחחֶ֣סֶד וֶ֭אֱמֶת יִצְּרוּ־מֶ֑לֶךְ וְסָעַ֖ד בַּחֶ֣סֶד כִּסְאֽוֹ׃

28Faithfulness and loyalty protect the king;He maintains his throne by faithfulness.

כטתִּפְאֶ֣רֶת בַּחוּרִ֣ים כֹּחָ֑ם וַהֲדַ֖ר זְקֵנִ֣ים שֵׂיבָֽה׃

29The glory of young men is their strength;The majesty of elders is their gray hair.

לחַבֻּר֣וֹת פֶּ֭צַע (תמריק) [תַּמְר֣וּק] בְּרָ֑ע וּ֝מַכּ֗וֹת חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃

30Bruises and wounds are repayment^g for evil,Striking at one’s inmost parts.