Tanach · Writings

Proverbs 6/משלי ו׳

אבְּ֭נִי אִם־עָרַ֣בְתָּ לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ תָּקַ֖עְתָּ לַזָּ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

1My son, if you have stood surety for your fellow,Given your hand for another,^a

בנוֹקַ֥שְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִ֑יךָ נִ֝לְכַּ֗דְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

2You have been trapped by the words of your mouth,Snared by the words of your mouth.

געֲשֵׂ֨ה זֹ֥את אֵפ֪וֹא׀בְּנִ֡י וְֽהִנָּצֵ֗ל כִּ֘י־בָ֤אתָ בְכַף־רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֵ֥ךְ הִ֝תְרַפֵּ֗ס וּרְהַ֥ב רֵעֶֽיךָ׃

3Do this, then, my son, to extricate yourself,For you have come into the power of your fellow:Go grovel—and badger your fellow;

דאַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן שֵׁנָ֣ה לְעֵינֶ֑יךָ וּ֝תְנוּמָ֗ה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

4Give your eyes no sleep,Your pupils no slumber.

ההִ֭נָּצֵל כִּצְבִ֣י מִיָּ֑ד וּ֝כְצִפּ֗וֹר מִיַּ֥ד יָקֽוּשׁ׃

5Save yourself like a deer out of the hand [of a hunter],Like a bird out of the hand of a fowler.

ולֵֽךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָ֥ה עָצֵ֑ל רְאֵ֖ה דְרָכֶ֣יהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

6Lazybones, go to the ant;Study its ways and learn.

זאֲשֶׁ֖ר אֵֽין־לָ֥הּ קָצִ֗ין שֹׁטֵ֥ר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

7Without leaders, officers, or rulers,

חתָּכִ֣ין בַּקַּ֣יִץ לַחְמָ֑הּ אָגְרָ֥ה בַ֝קָּצִ֗יר מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

8It lays up its stores during the summer,Gathers in its food at the harvest.

טעַד־מָתַ֖י עָצֵ֥ל׀תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב מָ֝תַ֗י תָּק֥וּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

9How long will you lie there, lazybones;When will you wake from your sleep?

ימְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

10A bit more sleep, a bit more slumber,A bit more hugging yourself in bed,

יאוּבָֽא־כִמְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵאשֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹרְךָ֗ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃

11And poverty will come calling upon you,^b And want, like a man with a shield.

יבאָדָ֣ם בְּ֭לִיַּעַל אִ֣ישׁ אָ֑וֶן ה֝וֹלֵ֗ךְ עִקְּשׁ֥וּת פֶּֽה׃

12A scoundrel, an evil manLives by crooked speech,

יגקֹרֵ֣ץ בְּ֭עֵינָו מֹלֵ֣ל בְּרַגְלָ֑ו מֹ֝רֶ֗ה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

13Winking his eyes,Shuffling his feet,Pointing his finger.

ידתַּ֥הְפֻּכ֨וֹת׀ בְּלִבּ֗וֹ חֹרֵ֣שׁ רָ֣ע בְּכׇל־עֵ֑ת (מדנים) [מִדְיָנִ֥ים] יְשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

14Duplicity is in his heart;He plots evil all the time;He incites quarrels.

טועַל־כֵּ֗ן פִּ֭תְאֹם יָב֣וֹא אֵיד֑וֹ פֶּ֥תַע יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר וְאֵ֣ין מַרְפֵּֽא׃

15Therefore calamity will come upon him without warning;Suddenly he will be broken beyond repair.

טזשֶׁשׁ־הֵ֭נָּה שָׂנֵ֣א יְהֹוָ֑ה וְ֝שֶׁ֗בַע (תועבות) [תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת] נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

16 GOD hates six things—And abominates seven:

יזעֵינַ֣יִם רָ֭מוֹת לְשׁ֣וֹן שָׁ֑קֶר וְ֝יָדַ֗יִם שֹׁפְכ֥וֹת דָּם־נָקִֽי׃

17A haughty bearing,A lying tongue,Hands that shed innocent blood,

יחלֵ֗ב חֹ֭רֵשׁ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָ֑וֶן רַגְלַ֥יִם מְ֝מַהֲר֗וֹת לָר֥וּץ לָרָעָֽה׃

18A mind that hatches evil plots,Feet quick to run to evil,

יטיָפִ֣יחַ כְּ֭זָבִים עֵ֣ד שָׁ֑קֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּ֥חַ מְ֝דָנִ֗ים בֵּ֣ין אַחִֽים׃

19A false witness testifying lies,And one who incites siblings to quarrel.

כנְצֹ֣ר בְּ֭נִי מִצְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תּוֹרַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

20My son, keep your father’s commandment;Do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

כאקׇשְׁרֵ֣ם עַל־לִבְּךָ֣ תָמִ֑יד עׇ֝נְדֵ֗ם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

21Tie them over your heart always;Bind them around your throat.

כבבְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ֨׀ תַּנְחֶ֬ה אֹתָ֗ךְ בְּֽ֭שׇׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר עָלֶ֑יךָ וַ֝הֲקִיצ֗וֹתָ הִ֣יא תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃

22When you walk it will lead you;When you lie down it will watch over you;And when you are awake it will talk with you.

כגכִּ֤י נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה וְת֣וֹרָה א֑וֹר וְדֶ֥רֶךְ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תּוֹכְח֥וֹת מוּסָֽר׃

23For the commandment is a lamp,The teaching is a light,And the way to life is the rebuke that disciplines.

כדלִ֭שְׁמׇרְךָ מֵאֵ֣שֶׁת רָ֑ע מֵ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת לָשׁ֥וֹן נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃

24It will keep you from an evil woman,From the smooth tongue of a forbidden^c woman.

כהאַל־תַּחְמֹ֣ד יׇ֭פְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝קָּחֲךָ֗ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

25Do not lust for her beautyOr let her captivate you with her eyes.

כוכִּ֤י בְעַד־אִשָּׁ֥ה זוֹנָ֗ה עַֽד־כִּכַּ֫ר־לָ֥חֶם וְאֵ֥שֶׁת אִ֑ישׁ נֶ֖פֶשׁ יְקָרָ֣ה תָצֽוּד׃

26The last loaf of bread will go for a prostitute;A married woman will snare a person of honor.

כזהֲיַחְתֶּ֤ה אִ֓ישׁ אֵ֬שׁ בְּחֵיק֑וֹ וּ֝בְגָדָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

27Can anyone rake embers into their bosomWithout burning their clothes?

כחאִם־יְהַלֵּ֣ךְ אִ֭ישׁ עַל־הַגֶּחָלִ֑ים וְ֝רַגְלָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃

28Can anyone walk on live coalsWithout scorching their feet?

כטכֵּ֗ן הַ֭בָּא אֶל־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֑הוּ לֹ֥א יִ֝נָּקֶ֗ה כׇּֽל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּֽהּ׃

29It is the same with the man who sleeps with his fellow’s wife;No one who touches her will go unpunished.

ללֹא־יָב֣וּזוּ לַ֭גַּנָּב כִּ֣י יִגְנ֑וֹב לְמַלֵּ֥א נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ כִּ֣י יִרְעָֽב׃

30A thief is not held in contemptFor stealing to appease his hunger;

לאוְ֭נִמְצָא יְשַׁלֵּ֣ם שִׁבְעָתָ֑יִם אֶת־כׇּל־ה֖וֹן בֵּית֣וֹ יִתֵּֽן׃

31Yet if caught he must pay sevenfold;He must give up all he owns.

לבנֹאֵ֣ף אִשָּׁ֣ה חֲסַר־לֵ֑ב מַֽשְׁחִ֥ית נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ ה֣וּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

32He who commits adultery is devoid of sense;Only one who would destroy himself does such a thing.

לגנֶגַע־וְקָל֥וֹן יִמְצָ֑א וְ֝חֶרְפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א תִמָּחֶֽה׃

33He will meet with disease and disgrace;His reproach will never be expunged.

לדכִּֽי־קִנְאָ֥ה חֲמַת־גָּ֑בֶר וְלֹא־יַ֝חְמ֗וֹל בְּי֣וֹם נָקָֽם׃

34The fury of the husband will be passionate;He will show no pity on his day of vengeance.

להלֹֽא־יִ֭שָּׂא פְּנֵ֣י כׇל־כֹּ֑פֶר וְלֹא־יֹ֝אבֶ֗ה כִּ֣י תַרְבֶּה־שֹּֽׁחַד׃

35He will not have regard for any ransom;He will refuse your bribe, however great.