Warnings against Foolishness

1  בְּ֭נִי (My son), אִם־ (if) עָרַ֣בְתָּ (you have been surety) לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ (for your neighbor),

תָּקַ֖עְתָּ (or have struck) לַזָּ֣ר (for the stranger) כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃ (your hand),

2  נוֹקַ֥שְׁתָּ (or have been lured) בְאִמְרֵי־ (by the words) פִ֑יךָ (of your mouth),

נִ֝לְכַּ֗דְתָּ (captured) בְּאִמְרֵי־ (by the words) פִֽיךָ׃ (of your mouth),

3  עֲשֵׂ֨ה (you must do) זֹ֥את (this) אֵפ֪וֹא׀ (then), בְּנִ֡י (my son), וְֽהִנָּצֵ֗ל (and deliver yourself),

כִּ֘י (for) בָ֤אתָ (you have come) בְכַף־ (into the palm) רֵעֶ֑ךָ (of your neighbor):

לֵ֥ךְ (Go) הִ֝תְרַפֵּ֗ס (humble yourself),

וּרְהַ֥ב (and press) רֵעֶֽיךָ׃ (your neighbor).

4  אַל־ (Not) תִּתֵּ֣ן (should you give) שֵׁנָ֣ה (sleep) לְעֵינֶ֑יךָ (to your eyes)

וּ֝תְנוּמָ֗ה (and slumber) לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃ (to your eyelids).

5  הִ֭נָּצֵל (Snatch yourself) כִּצְבִ֣י (like a gazelle) מִיָּ֑ד (from the hand)

וּ֝כְצִפּ֗וֹר (and like a bird) מִיַּ֥ד (from the hand) יָקֽוּשׁ׃פ (of the fowler).

6  לֵֽךְ־ (Go) אֶל־ (to) נְמָלָ֥ה (the ant), עָצֵ֑ל (O sluggish one),

רְאֵ֖ה (see) דְרָכֶ֣יהָ (her ways), וַחֲכָֽם׃ (and become wise),

7  אֲשֶׁ֖ר (which) אֵֽין־ (not) לָ֥הּ (unto her) קָצִ֗ין (a chief),

שֹׁטֵ֥ר (an official), וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃ (or ruler).

8  תָּכִ֣ין (She prepares) בַּקַּ֣יִץ (in summer) לַחְמָ֑הּ (her bread);

אָגְרָ֥ה (she has gathered) בַ֝קָּצִ֗יר (in the harvest) מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃ (her food).

9  עַד־ (Until) מָתַ֖י (when), עָצֵ֥ל׀ (O sluggish one), תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב (will you slumber)?

מָ֝תַ֗י (When) תָּק֥וּם (will you rise) מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃ (from your sleep)?

10  מְעַ֣ט (A little) שֵׁ֭נוֹת (sleep), מְעַ֣ט (a little) תְּנוּמ֑וֹת (slumber),

מְעַ֓ט׀ (a little) חִבֻּ֖ק (folding) יָדַ֣יִם (of the hands) לִשְׁכָּֽב׃ (to lie down),

11  וּבָֽא־ (and comes) כִמְהַלֵּ֥ךְ (like one walking) רֵאשֶׁ֑ךָ (your poverty),

וּ֝מַחְסֹֽרְךָ֗ (and your need) כְּאִ֣ישׁ (like a man) מָגֵֽן׃פ (of shield).

12  אָדָ֣ם (A man) בְּ֭לִיַּעַל (of worthlessness), אִ֣ישׁ (a man) אָ֑וֶן (of iniquity),

ה֝וֹלֵ֗ךְ (is walking) עִקְּשׁ֥וּת (with crookedness) פֶּֽה׃ (of mouth).

13  קֹרֵ֣ץ (Winking) בְּ֭עֵינָו (with his eyes), מֹלֵ֣ל (speaking) בְּרַגְלָ֑ו (with his foot),

מֹ֝רֶ֗ה (pointing) בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃ (with his fingers).

14  תַּֽהְפֻּכ֨וֹת׀ (With perversity) בְּלִבּ֗וֹ (in his heart); חֹרֵ֣שׁ (plotting) רָ֣ע (evil);

בְּכָל־ (at every) עֵ֑ת (time) מְדָנִים (strife) יְשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃ (he sends forth).

15  עַל־ (Upon) כֵּ֗ן (thus) פִּ֭תְאֹם (suddenly) יָב֣וֹא (shall come) אֵיד֑וֹ (his calamity);

פֶּ֥תַע (in an instant) יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר (he will be shattered) וְאֵ֣ין (and without) מַרְפֵּֽא׃פ (healing).

16  שֶׁשׁ־ (Six things) הֵ֭נָּה (these) שָׂנֵ֣א (that hates) יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH), וְ֝שֶׁ֗בַע (and seven are) תּוֹעֲבוֹת (an abomination) נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ (to His soul):

17  עֵינַ֣יִם (Eyes) רָ֭מוֹת (raised high),

לְשׁ֣וֹן (a tongue) שָׁ֑קֶר (of falsehood),

וְ֝יָדַ֗יִם (and hands) שֹׁפְכ֥וֹת (pouring out) דָּם־ (blood) נָקִֽי׃ (innocent),

18  לֵ֗ב (a heart) חֹ֭רֵשׁ (devising) מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת (plans) אָ֑וֶן (of iniquity),

רַגְלַ֥יִם (feet) מְ֝מַהֲר֗וֹת (hurrying) לָר֥וּץ (to run) לָֽרָעָה׃ (toward evil),

19  יָפִ֣יחַ (one breathing out) כְּ֭זָבִים (lies) עֵ֣ד (a witness) שָׁ֑קֶר (of falsehood),

וּמְשַׁלֵּ֥חַ (and one sending forth) מְ֝דָנִ֗ים (contentions) בֵּ֣ין (between) אַחִֽים׃פ (brothers).

Warnings against Adultery

20  נְצֹ֣ר (Keep), בְּ֭נִי (my son), מִצְוַ֣ת (the command) אָבִ֑יךָ (of your father),

וְאַל־ (and do not) תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ (forsake) תּוֹרַ֥ת (the instruction) אִמֶּֽךָ׃ (of your mother).

21  קָשְׁרֵ֣ם (Bind them) עַל־ (upon) לִבְּךָ֣ (your heart) תָמִ֑יד (continually);

עָ֝נְדֵ֗ם (tie them) עַל־ (around) גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃ (your neck).

22  בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ֨׀ (In your going about), תַּנְחֶ֬ה (it will lead) אֹתָ֗ךְ (you)

בְּֽ֭שָׁכְבְּךָ (in your lying down) תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר (it will guard) עָלֶ֑יךָ (you),

וַ֝הֲקִיצ֗וֹתָ (when you awake) הִ֣יא (it) תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃ (will speak with you).

23  כִּ֤י (For) נֵ֣ר (a lamp) מִ֭צְוָה (is the command), וְת֣וֹרָה (and the instruction) א֑וֹר (a light),

וְדֶ֥רֶךְ (and the way) חַ֝יִּ֗ים (to life) תּוֹכְח֥וֹת (are the reproofs) מוּסָֽר׃ (of discipline),

24  לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ (to guard you) מֵאֵ֣שֶׁת (from the woman) רָ֑ע (of evil),

מֵֽ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת (from the smoothness) לָשׁ֥וֹן (of the tongue) נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ (of a strange woman).

25  אַל־ (Not) תַּחְמֹ֣ד (should you desire) יָ֭פְיָהּ (her beauty) בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ (in your heart),

וְאַל־ (and not) תִּ֝קָּֽחֲךָ֗ (let her take hold of you) בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃ (with her eyelids).

26  כִּ֤י (For) בְעַד־ (the price) אִשָּׁ֥ה (of a woman) זוֹנָ֗ה (prostitute) עַֽד־ (is as) כִּכַּ֫ר (a crust) לָ֥חֶם (of bread),

וְאֵ֥שֶׁת (and the woman) אִ֑ישׁ (of a man) נֶ֖פֶשׁ (a soul) יְקָרָ֣ה (precious) תָצֽוּד׃פ (hunts).

27  הֲיַחְתֶּ֤ה (Can seize) אִ֓ישׁ (a man) אֵ֬שׁ (fire) בְּחֵיק֑וֹ (in his bosom),

וּ֝בְגָדָ֗יו (and his garments) לֹ֣א (not) תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃ (be burned)?

28  אִם־ (Or can) יְהַלֵּ֣ךְ (walk) אִ֭ישׁ (a man) עַל־ (upon) הַגֶּחָלִ֑ים (the hot coals),

וְ֝רַגְלָ֗יו (and his feet) לֹ֣א (not) תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃ (be scorched)?

29  כֵּ֗ן (So is) הַ֭בָּא (the one coming in) אֶל־ (to) אֵ֣שֶׁת (the wife) רֵעֵ֑הוּ (of his neighbor);

לֹ֥א (not) יִ֝נָּקֶ֗ה (shall be innocent) כָּֽל־ (anyone) הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ (who touches) בָּֽהּ׃ (her).

30  לֹא־ (Not) יָב֣וּזוּ (do they despise) לַ֭גַּנָּב (the thief)

כִּ֣י (if) יִגְנ֑וֹב (he steals) לְמַלֵּ֥א (to fill) נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ (his soul) כִּ֣י (when) יִרְעָֽב׃ (he is hungry);

31  וְ֭נִמְצָא (and having been found), יְשַׁלֵּ֣ם (he must repay) שִׁבְעָתָ֑יִם (sevenfold) אֶת־ (-);

כָּל־ (all) ה֖וֹן (the wealth) בֵּית֣וֹ (of his house) יִתֵּֽן׃ (he must give).

32  נֹאֵ֣ף (The one committing adultery) אִשָּׁ֣ה (with a woman) חֲסַר־ (is lacking) לֵ֑ב (of heart);

מַֽשְׁחִ֥ית (destroying) נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ (his own soul) ה֣וּא (he) יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (does it).

33  נֶֽגַע־ (A stroke) וְקָל֥וֹן (and shame) יִמְצָ֑א (only does he find),

וְ֝חֶרְפָּת֗וֹ (and his reproach) לֹ֣א (not) תִמָּחֶֽה׃ (is wiped away).

34  כִּֽי־ (For) קִנְאָ֥ה (jealousy) חֲמַת־ (is the heat) גָּ֑בֶר (of a man),

וְלֹֽא־ (and not) יַ֝חְמ֗וֹל (will he spare) בְּי֣וֹם (on the day) נָקָֽם׃ (of vengeance).

35  לֹא־ (Not) יִ֭שָּׂא (will he lift) פְּנֵ֣י (the face) כָל־ (of any) כֹּ֑פֶר (ransom),

וְלֹֽא־ (and not) יֹ֝אבֶ֗ה (will he consent), כִּ֣י (though) תַרְבֶּה־ (you may multiply) שֹֽׁחַד׃פ (the bribe).