Tanach · Writings
Proverbs 8/משלי ח׳
אהֲלֹֽא־חׇכְמָ֥ה תִקְרָ֑א וּ֝תְבוּנָ֗ה תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽהּ׃
1It is Wisdom calling,Understanding raising hera voice.
בבְּרֹאשׁ־מְרֹמִ֥ים עֲלֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ בֵּ֖ית נְתִיב֣וֹת נִצָּֽבָה׃
2She takes her stand at the topmost heights,By the wayside, at the crossroads,
גלְיַד־שְׁעָרִ֥ים לְפִי־קָ֑רֶת מְב֖וֹא פְתָחִ֣ים תָּרֹֽנָּה׃
3Near the gates at the city entrance;At the entryways, she shouts,
דאֲלֵיכֶ֣ם אִישִׁ֣ים אֶקְרָ֑א וְ֝קוֹלִ֗י אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃
4“O human race, I call to you;My cry is to all mortals.
ההָבִ֣ינוּ פְתָאיִ֣ם עׇרְמָ֑ה וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים הָבִ֥ינוּ לֵֽב׃
5O simple ones, learn shrewdness;O dullards, instruct your minds.
ושִׁ֭מְעוּ כִּֽי־נְגִידִ֣ים אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וּמִפְתַּ֥ח שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י מֵישָׁרִֽים׃
6Listen, for I speak noble things;Uprightness comes from my lips.
זכִּֽי־אֱ֭מֶת יֶהְגֶּ֣ה חִכִּ֑י וְתוֹעֲבַ֖ת שְׂפָתַ֣י רֶֽשַׁע׃
7My mouth utters truth;Wickedness is abhorrent to my lips.
חבְּצֶ֥דֶק כׇּל־אִמְרֵי־פִ֑י אֵ֥ין בָּ֝הֶ֗ם נִפְתָּ֥ל וְעִקֵּֽשׁ׃
8All my words are just,None of them perverse or crooked;
טכֻּלָּ֣ם נְ֭כֹחִים לַמֵּבִ֑ין וִ֝ישָׁרִ֗ים לְמֹ֣צְאֵי דָֽעַת׃
9All are straightforward to anyone with intelligence,And right to those who have attained knowledge.
יקְחֽוּ־מוּסָרִ֥י וְאַל־כָּ֑סֶף וְ֝דַ֗עַת מֵחָר֥וּץ נִבְחָֽר׃
10Accept my discipline rather than silver,Knowledge rather than choice gold.
יאכִּֽי־טוֹבָ֣ה חׇ֭כְמָה מִפְּנִינִ֑ים וְכׇל־חֲ֝פָצִ֗ים לֹ֣א יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ׃
11For wisdom is better than rubies;No goods can equal her.
יבאֲֽנִי־חׇ֭כְמָה שָׁכַ֣נְתִּי עׇרְמָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת מְזִמּ֣וֹת אֶמְצָֽא׃
12“I, Wisdom, live with Prudence;I attain knowledge and foresight.
יגיִ֥רְאַ֣ת יְהֹוָה֮ שְֽׂנֹ֫את־רָ֥ע גֵּ֘אָ֤ה וְגָא֨וֹן׀ וְדֶ֣רֶךְ רָ֭ע וּפִ֨י תַהְפֻּכ֬וֹת שָׂנֵֽאתִי׃
13To fear GOD is to hate evil;I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way,And duplicity in speech.
ידלִֽי־עֵ֭צָה וְתוּשִׁיָּ֑ה אֲנִ֥י בִ֝ינָ֗ה לִ֣י גְבוּרָֽה׃
14Mine are counsel and resourcefulness;I am understanding; courage is mine.
טובִּ֭י מְלָכִ֣ים יִמְלֹ֑כוּ וְ֝רֹזְנִ֗ים יְחֹ֣קְקוּ צֶֽדֶק׃
15Through me kings reignAnd rulers decree just laws;
טזבִּ֭י שָׂרִ֣ים יָשֹׂ֑רוּ וּ֝נְדִיבִ֗ים כׇּל־שֹׁ֥פְטֵי צֶֽדֶק׃
16Through me princes rule,Great men and all the righteous judges.b
יזאֲ֭נִי (אהביה) [אֹהֲבַ֣י] אֵהָ֑ב וּ֝מְשַׁחֲרַ֗י יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃
17Those who love me I love,And those who seek me will find me.
יחעֹֽשֶׁר־וְכָב֥וֹד אִתִּ֑י ה֥וֹן עָ֝תֵ֗ק וּצְדָקָֽה׃
18Riches and honor belong to me,Enduring wealth and success.
יטט֣וֹב פִּ֭רְיִי מֵחָר֣וּץ וּמִפָּ֑ז וּ֝תְבוּאָתִ֗י מִכֶּ֥סֶף נִבְחָֽר׃
19My fruit is better than gold, fine gold,And my produce better than choice silver.
כבְּאֹֽרַח־צְדָקָ֥ה אֲהַלֵּ֑ךְ בְּ֝ת֗וֹךְ נְתִיב֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
20I walk on the way of righteousness,On the paths of justice.
כאלְהַנְחִ֖יל אֹהֲבַ֥י׀יֵ֑שׁ וְאֹצְרֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם אֲמַלֵּֽא׃
21I endow those who love me with substance;I will fill their treasuries.
כביְֽהֹוָ֗ה קָ֭נָנִי רֵאשִׁ֣ית דַּרְכּ֑וֹ קֶ֖דֶם מִפְעָלָ֣יו מֵאָֽז׃
22c “I was created at the beginning of GOD’s courseAs the first of the works of old.
כגמֵ֭עוֹלָם נִסַּ֥כְתִּי מֵרֹ֗אשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃
23In the distant past I was fashioned,At the beginning, at the origin of earth.
כדבְּאֵין־תְּהֹמ֥וֹת חוֹלָ֑לְתִּי בְּאֵ֥ין מַ֝עְיָנ֗וֹת נִכְבַּדֵּי־מָֽיִם׃
24There was still no deep when I was brought forth,No springs rich in water;
כהבְּטֶ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים הׇטְבָּ֑עוּ לִפְנֵ֖י גְבָע֣וֹת חוֹלָֽלְתִּי׃
25Before [the foundations of] the mountains were sunk,Before the hills I was born.
כועַד־לֹ֣א עָ֭שָׂה אֶ֣רֶץ וְחוּצ֑וֹת וְ֝רֹ֗אשׁ עַפְר֥וֹת תֵּבֵֽל׃
26Earth and fields had not yet been made,Or the world’s first clumps of clay.
כזבַּהֲכִינ֣וֹ שָׁ֭מַיִם שָׁ֣ם אָ֑נִי בְּחֻ֥קוֹ ח֝֗וּג עַל־פְּנֵ֥י תְהֽוֹם׃
27I was there when the heavens were set into place;When the horizon was fixed upon the deep;
כחבְּאַמְּצ֣וֹ שְׁחָקִ֣ים מִמָּ֑עַל בַּ֝עֲז֗וֹז עִינ֥וֹת תְּהֽוֹם׃
28When the heavens above were made firm,And the fountains of the deep gushed forth;
כטבְּשׂ֘וּמ֤וֹ לַיָּ֨ם׀ חֻקּ֗וֹ וּ֭מַיִם לֹ֣א יַֽעַבְרוּ־פִ֑יו בְּ֝חוּק֗וֹ מ֣וֹסְדֵי אָֽרֶץ׃
29When the sea was assigned its limits,So that its waters never transgress God’s command;When the foundations of the earth were fixed,
לוָאֶהְיֶ֥ה אֶצְל֗וֹ אָ֫מ֥וֹן וָאֶהְיֶ֣ה שַׁ֭עֲשׁוּעִים י֤וֹם׀ י֑וֹם מְשַׂחֶ֖קֶת לְפָנָ֣יו בְּכׇל־עֵֽת׃
30I was with [God] as a confidant,d A source of delight every day,Rejoicing before [God] at all times,
לאמְ֭שַׂחֶקֶת בְּתֵבֵ֣ל אַרְצ֑וֹ וְ֝שַׁעֲשֻׁעַ֗י אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃
31Rejoicing in God’s inhabited world,Finding delight with mortals.
לבוְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְ֝אַשְׁרֵ֗י דְּרָכַ֥י יִשְׁמֹֽרוּ׃
32Now, children, listen to me;Happy are they who keep my ways.
לגשִׁמְע֖וּ מוּסָ֥ר וַחֲכָ֗מוּ וְאַל־תִּפְרָֽעוּ׃
33Heed discipline and become wise;Do not spurn it.
לדאַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־אָדָם֮ שֹׁמֵ֢עַֽ֫ לִ֥י לִשְׁקֹ֣ד עַל־דַּ֭לְתֹתַי י֤וֹם׀ י֑וֹם לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר מְזוּזֹ֥ת פְּתָחָֽי׃
34Happy is the one who listens to me,Coming early to my gates each day,Waiting outside my doors.
להכִּ֣י מֹ֭צְאִי (מצאי) [מָצָ֣א] חַיִּ֑ים וַיָּ֥פֶק רָ֝צ֗וֹן מֵיְהֹוָֽה׃
35For one who finds me finds lifeAnd obtains favor from GOD.
לווְֽ֭חֹטְאִי חֹמֵ֣ס נַפְשׁ֑וֹ כׇּל־מְ֝שַׂנְאַ֗י אָ֣הֲבוּ מָֽוֶת׃
36But one who misses me self-destructs;All who hate me love death.”