Tanach · Writings

Proverbs 22/משלי כ״ב

אנִבְחָ֣ר שֵׁ֭ם מֵעֹ֣שֶׁר רָ֑ב מִכֶּ֥סֶף וּ֝מִזָּהָ֗ב חֵ֣ן טֽוֹב׃

1Repute is preferable to great wealth,Grace is better than silver and gold.

בעָשִׁ֣יר וָרָ֣שׁ נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ עֹשֵׂ֖ה כֻלָּ֣ם יְהֹוָֽה׃

2The rich and the poor meet;^a GOD made them both.

געָר֤וּם׀ רָאָ֣ה רָעָ֣ה (ויסתר) [וְנִסְתָּ֑ר] וּ֝פְתָיִ֗ים עָבְר֥וּ וְֽנֶעֱנָֽשׁוּ׃

3One who was shrewd saw trouble and took cover;The simple kept going and paid the penalty.

דעֵ֣קֶב עֲ֭נָוָה יִרְאַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה עֹ֖שֶׁר וְכָב֣וֹד וְחַיִּֽים׃

4The effect of humility is fear of GOD,Wealth, honor, and life.

הצִנִּ֣ים פַּ֭חִים בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ עִקֵּ֑שׁ שׁוֹמֵ֥ר נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ יִרְחַ֥ק מֵהֶֽם׃

5Thorns and snares are in the path of the crooked;Those who value their life will keep far from them.

וחֲנֹ֣ךְ לַ֭נַּעַר עַל־פִּ֣י דַרְכּ֑וֹ גַּ֥ם כִּי־יַ֝זְקִ֗ין לֹא־יָס֥וּר מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

6Train children in the way they each ought to go;They will not swerve from it even in old age.

זעָ֭שִׁיר בְּרָשִׁ֣ים יִמְשׁ֑וֹל וְעֶ֥בֶד לֹ֝וֶ֗ה לְאִ֣ישׁ מַלְוֶֽה׃

7A rich person rules the poor,And the borrower is a slave to the man who lends.

חזוֹרֵ֣עַ עַ֭וְלָה (יקצור) [יִקְצׇר־]אָ֑וֶן וְשֵׁ֖בֶט עֶבְרָת֣וֹ יִכְלֶֽה׃

8One who sows injustice shall reap misfortune;The rod of wrath shall fail.

טטֽוֹב־עַ֭יִן ה֣וּא יְבֹרָ֑ךְ כִּֽי־נָתַ֖ן מִלַּחְמ֣וֹ לַדָּֽל׃

9One who is generous is blessed,While giving bread to the poor.

יגָּ֣רֵֽשׁ לֵ֭ץ וְיֵצֵ֣א מָד֑וֹן וְ֝יִשְׁבֹּ֗ת דִּ֣ין וְקָלֽוֹן׃

10Expel the scoffer and contention departs,Quarrel and contumely cease.

יאאֹהֵ֥ב (טהור) [טְהׇר־]לֵ֑ב חֵ֥ן שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו רֵעֵ֥הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ׃

11A pure-hearted comrade—His speech is gracious;He has the king for his companion.

יבעֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הֹוָה נָ֣צְרוּ דָ֑עַת וַ֝יְסַלֵּ֗ף דִּבְרֵ֥י בֹגֵֽד׃

12The eyes of GOD watch the person who is wise;^b [God] subverts the words of the treacherous.

יגאָמַ֣ר עָ֭צֵל אֲרִ֣י בַח֑וּץ בְּת֥וֹךְ רְ֝חֹב֗וֹת אֵרָצֵֽחַ׃

13The sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the street;I shall be killed if I step outside.”^c

ידשׁוּחָ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקָּה פִּ֣י זָר֑וֹת זְע֥וּם יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה (יפול) [יִפׇּל־]שָֽׁם׃

14The mouth of a forbidden^d woman is a deep pit;He who is doomed by GOD falls into it.

טואִ֭וֶּלֶת קְשׁוּרָ֣ה בְלֶב־נָ֑עַר שֵׁ֥בֶט מ֝וּסָ֗ר יַרְחִיקֶ֥נָּה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

15If folly settles in the heart of a youth,The rod of discipline will remove it.

טזעֹ֣שֵֽׁק דָּ֭ל לְהַרְבּ֣וֹת ל֑וֹ נֹתֵ֥ן לְ֝עָשִׁ֗יר אַךְ־לְמַחְסֽוֹר׃

16To profit by withholding what is due to the poorIs like making gifts to the rich—pure loss.

יזהַ֥ט אׇזְנְךָ֗ וּ֭שְׁמַע דִּבְרֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֑ים וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ תָּשִׁ֥ית לְדַעְתִּֽי׃

17Incline your ear and listen to the words of the sages;Pay attention to my wisdom.

יחכִּֽי־נָ֭עִים כִּֽי־תִשְׁמְרֵ֣ם בְּבִטְנֶ֑ךָ יִכֹּ֥נוּ יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו עַל־שְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃

18It is good that you store them inside you,And that all of them be constantly on your lips,

יטלִֽהְי֣וֹת בַּ֭יהֹוָה מִבְטַחֶ֑ךָ הוֹדַעְתִּ֖יךָ הַיּ֣וֹם אַף־אָֽתָּה׃

19That you may put your trust in GOD.I let you know today—yes, you—

כהֲלֹ֤א כָתַ֣בְתִּֽי לְ֭ךָ (שלשום) [שָׁלִישִׁ֑ים] בְּמֹ֖עֵצ֣וֹת וָדָֽעַת׃

20Indeed, I wrote down for you a threefold lore,^e Wise counsel,

כאלְהֽוֹדִיעֲךָ֗ קֹ֭שְׁטְ אִמְרֵ֣י אֱמֶ֑ת לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֲמָרִ֥ים אֱ֝מֶ֗ת לְשֹׁלְחֶֽיךָ׃

21To let you know truly reliable words,That you may give a faithful reply to those who sent you.

כבאַֽל־תִּגְזׇל־דָּ֭ל כִּ֣י דַל־ה֑וּא וְאַל־תְּדַכֵּ֖א עָנִ֣י בַשָּֽׁעַר׃

22Do not rob the wretched because they are wretched;Do not crush the poor in the gate;

כגכִּֽי־יְ֭הֹוָה יָרִ֣יב רִיבָ֑ם וְקָבַ֖ע אֶת־קֹבְעֵיהֶ֣ם נָֽפֶשׁ׃

23For GOD will take up their causeAnd despoil those who despoil them of life.

כדאַל־תִּ֭תְרַע אֶת־בַּ֣עַל אָ֑ף וְאֶת־אִ֥ישׁ חֵ֝מ֗וֹת לֹ֣א תָבֽוֹא׃

24Do not associate with a hothead,Or go about with a hot-tempered man,

כהפֶּן־תֶּאֱלַ֥ף אֹרְחֹתָ֑ו וְלָקַחְתָּ֖ מוֹקֵ֣שׁ לְנַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

25Lest you learn their waysAnd find yourself ensnared.

כואַל־תְּהִ֥י בְתֹֽקְעֵי־כָ֑ף בַּ֝עֹרְבִ֗ים מַשָּׁאֽוֹת׃

26Do not be one of those who give their hand,Who stand surety for debts,

כזאִם־אֵֽין־לְךָ֥ לְשַׁלֵּ֑ם לָ֥מָּה יִקַּ֥ח מִ֝שְׁכָּבְךָ֗ מִתַּחְתֶּֽיךָ׃

27Lest your bed be taken from under youWhen you have no money to pay.

כחאַל־תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עוֹלָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עָשׂ֣וּ אֲבוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

28Do not remove the ancient boundary stoneThat your ancestors set up.

כטחָזִ֡יתָ אִ֤ישׁ׀ מָ֘הִ֤יר בִּמְלַאכְתּ֗וֹ לִֽפְנֵי־מְלָכִ֥ים יִתְיַצָּ֑ב בַּל־יִ֝תְיַצֵּ֗ב לִפְנֵ֥י חֲשֻׁכִּֽים׃

29See a man skilled at his work—He shall attend upon kings;He shall not attend upon the lowly.^f