אַל־תְּ֭קַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י רָעָ֑ה וְאַל־תִּ֝תְאָ֗ו לִֽהְי֥וֹת אִתָּֽם׃ Do not envy evil men;
Do not desire to be with them;
כִּי־שֹׁ֭ד יֶהְגֶּ֣ה לִבָּ֑ם וְ֝עָמָ֗ל שִׂפְתֵיהֶ֥ם תְּדַבֵּֽרְנָה׃ For their heartsaSee note to 15.28. talk violence,
And their lips speak mischief.
בְּ֭חׇכְמָה יִבָּ֣נֶה בָּ֑יִת וּ֝בִתְבוּנָ֗ה יִתְכּוֹנָֽן׃ A house is built by wisdom,
And is established by understanding;
וּ֭בְדַעַת חֲדָרִ֣ים יִמָּלְא֑וּ כׇּל־ה֖וֹן יָקָ֣ר וְנָעִֽים׃ By knowledge are its rooms filled
With all precious and beautiful things.
גֶּבֶר־חָכָ֥ם בַּע֑וֹז וְאִֽישׁ־דַּ֝֗עַת מְאַמֶּץ־כֹּֽחַ׃ A wise man is strength;
A knowledgeable man exerts power;
כִּ֣י בְ֭תַחְבֻּלוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ֣ מִלְחָמָ֑ה וּ֝תְשׁוּעָ֗ה בְּרֹ֣ב יוֹעֵֽץ׃ For by stratagems you wage war,
And victory comes with much planning.
רָאמ֣וֹת לֶאֱוִ֣יל חׇכְמ֑וֹת בַּ֝שַּׁ֗עַר לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּֽיהוּ׃ Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
He does not open his mouth in the gate.
מְחַשֵּׁ֥ב לְהָרֵ֑עַ ל֝֗וֹ בַּעַל־מְזִמּ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽאוּ׃ He who lays plans to do harm
Is called by men a schemer.
זִמַּ֣ת אִוֶּ֣לֶת חַטָּ֑את וְתוֹעֲבַ֖ת לְאָדָ֣ם לֵֽץ׃ The schemes of folly are sin,
And a scoffer is an abomination to men.
הִ֭תְרַפִּיתָ בְּי֥וֹם צָרָ֗ה צַ֣ר כֹּחֶֽכָה׃ If you showed yourself slack in time of trouble,
Wanting in power,
הַ֭צֵּל לְקֻחִ֣ים לַמָּ֑וֶת וּמָטִ֥ים לַ֝הֶ֗רֶג אִם־תַּחְשֽׂוֹךְ׃ If you refrained from rescuing those taken off to death,
Those condemned to slaughter—
כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֗ר הֵן֮ לֹֽא־יָדַ֢עְנ֫וּ־זֶ֥ה הֲֽלֹא־תֹ֘כֵ֤ן לִבּ֨וֹת ׀ הֽוּא־יָבִ֗ין וְנֹצֵ֣ר נַ֭פְשְׁךָ ה֣וּא יֵדָ֑ע וְהֵשִׁ֖יב לְאָדָ֣ם כְּפׇעֳלֽוֹ׃ If you say, “We knew nothing of it,”
Surely He who fathoms hearts will discern [the truth],
He who watches over your life will know it,
And He will pay each man as he deserves.
אֱכׇל־בְּנִ֣י דְבַ֣שׁ כִּי־ט֑וֹב וְנֹ֥פֶת מָ֝ת֗וֹק עַל־חִכֶּֽךָ׃ My son, eat honey, for it is good;
Let its sweet drops be on your palate.
כֵּ֤ן ׀ דְּעֶ֥ה חׇכְמָ֗ה לְנַ֫פְשֶׁ֥ךָ אִם־מָ֭צָאתָ וְיֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃ {פ}
Know: such is wisdom for your soul;
If you attain it, there is a future;
Your hope will not be cut off.
אַל־תֶּאֱרֹ֣ב רָ֭שָׁע לִנְוֵ֣ה צַדִּ֑יק אַֽל־תְּשַׁדֵּ֥ד רִבְצֽוֹ׃ Wicked man! Do not lurk by the home of the righteous man;
Do no violence to his dwelling.
כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨בַע ׀ יִפּ֣וֹל צַדִּ֣יק וָקָ֑ם וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בְרָעָֽה׃ Seven times the righteous man falls and gets up,
While the wicked are tripped by one misfortune.
בִּנְפֹ֣ל (אויביך) [א֭וֹיִבְךָ] אַל־תִּשְׂמָ֑ח וּ֝בִכָּשְׁל֗וֹ אַל־יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ׃ If your enemy falls, do not exult;
If he trips, let your heart not rejoice,
פֶּן־יִרְאֶ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה וְרַ֣ע בְּעֵינָ֑יו וְהֵשִׁ֖יב מֵעָלָ֣יו אַפּֽוֹ׃ Lest the LORD see it and be displeased,
And avert His wrath from him.
אַל־תִּתְחַ֥ר בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים אַל־תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א בָּֽרְשָׁעִֽים׃ Do not be vexed by evildoers;
Do not be incensed by the wicked;
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־תִהְיֶ֣ה אַחֲרִ֣ית לָרָ֑ע נֵ֖ר רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִדְעָֽךְ׃ For there is no future for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked goes out.
יְרָא־אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה בְּנִ֣י וָמֶ֑לֶךְ עִם־שׁ֝וֹנִ֗ים אַל־תִּתְעָרָֽב׃ Fear the LORD, my son, and the king,
And do not mix with dissenters,
כִּֽי־פִ֭תְאֹם יָק֣וּם אֵידָ֑ם וּפִ֥יד שְׁ֝נֵיהֶ֗ם מִ֣י יוֹדֵֽעַ׃ {פ}
For disaster comes from them suddenly;
The doom both decree who can foreknow?
גַּם־אֵ֥לֶּה לַחֲכָמִ֑ים הַֽכֵּר־פָּנִ֖ים בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט בַּל־טֽוֹב׃ These also are by the sages:
It is not right to be partial in judgment.
אֹ֤מֵ֨ר ׀ לְרָשָׁע֮ צַדִּ֢יק אָ֥֫תָּה יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ עַמִּ֑ים יִזְעָמ֥וּהוּ לְאֻמִּֽים׃ He who says to the guilty, “You are innocent,”
Shall be cursed by peoples,
Damned by nations;
וְלַמּוֹכִיחִ֥ים יִנְעָ֑ם וַ֝עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם תָּב֥וֹא בִרְכַּת־טֽוֹב׃ But it shall go well with them who decide justly;
Blessings of good things will light upon them.
שְׂפָתַ֥יִם יִשָּׁ֑ק מֵ֝שִׁ֗יב דְּבָרִ֥ים נְכֹחִֽים׃ Giving a straightforward reply
Is like giving a kiss.
הָ֘כֵ֤ן בַּח֨וּץ ׀ מְלַאכְתֶּ֗ךָ וְעַתְּדָ֣הּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֣ה לָ֑ךְ אַ֝חַ֗ר וּבָנִ֥יתָ בֵיתֶֽךָ׃ {פ}
Put your external affairs in order,
Get ready what you have in the field,
Then build yourself a home.
אַל־תְּהִ֣י עֵד־חִנָּ֣ם בְּרֵעֶ֑ךָ וַ֝הֲפִתִּ֗יתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃ Do not be a witness against your fellow without good cause;
Would you mislead with your speech?
אַל־תֹּאמַ֗ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽשָׂה־לִ֭י כֵּ֤ן אֶעֱשֶׂה־לּ֑וֹ אָשִׁ֖יב לָאִ֣ישׁ כְּפׇעֳלֽוֹ׃ {פ}
Do not say, “I will do to him what he did to me;
I will pay the man what he deserves.”
עַל־שְׂדֵ֣ה אִישׁ־עָצֵ֣ל עָבַ֑רְתִּי וְעַל־כֶּ֝֗רֶם אָדָ֥ם חֲסַר־לֵֽב׃ I passed by the field of a lazy man,
By the vineyard of a man lacking sense.
וְהִנֵּ֨ה עָ֘לָ֤ה כֻלּ֨וֹ ׀ קִמְּשֹׂנִ֗ים כָּסּ֣וּ פָנָ֣יו חֲרֻלִּ֑ים וְגֶ֖דֶר אֲבָנָ֣יו נֶהֱרָֽסָה׃ It was all overgrown with thorns;
Its surface was covered with chickweed,
And its stone fence lay in ruins.
וָאֶחֱזֶ֣ה אָֽ֭נֹכִי אָשִׁ֣ית לִבִּ֑י רָ֝אִ֗יתִי לָקַ֥חְתִּי מוּסָֽר׃ I observed and took it to heart;
I saw it and learned a lesson.
מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט ׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃ A bit more sleep, a bit more slumber,
A bit more hugging yourself in bed,
וּבָֽא־מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵישֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹרֶ֗יךָ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃ {פ}
And poverty will come bMeaning of Heb. uncertain.calling upon you,-b
And want, like a man with a shield.