English Standard Version

Hebrew Study Bible

1When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you,

1כִּֽי־ תֵ֭שֵׁב לִלְח֣וֹם אֶת־ מוֹשֵׁ֑ל בִּ֥ין תָּ֝בִ֗ין אֶת־ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃

2and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.

2וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ שַׂכִּ֣ין בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ אִם־ בַּ֖עַל נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃

3Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.

3אַל־ תִּ֭תְאָו‪‬‪‬ לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָ֑יו וְ֝ה֗וּא לֶ֣חֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃

4Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.

4אַל־ תִּיגַ֥ע לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ חֲדָֽל׃

5When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.

5[התעוף] (הֲתָ֤עִיף) עֵינֶ֥יךָ בּ֗וֹ וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ כִּ֤י עָשֹׂ֣ה יַעֲשֶׂה־ לּ֣וֹ כְנָפַ֑יִם כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר [ועיף] (יָע֥וּף) הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ פ

6Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies,

6אַל־ תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־ לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן וְאַל־ [תתאו] (תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו) לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃

7for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

7כִּ֤י ׀ כְּמוֹ־ שָׁעַ֥ר בְּנַפְשׁ֗וֹ כֶּ֫ן־ ה֥וּא אֱכֹ֣ל וּ֭שְׁתֵה יֹ֣אמַר לָ֑ךְ וְ֝לִבּ֗וֹ בַּל־ עִמָּֽךְ׃

8You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words.

8פִּֽתְּךָ־ אָכַ֥לְתָּ תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃

9Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words.

9בְּאָזְנֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל אַל־ תְּדַבֵּ֑ר כִּֽי־ יָ֝ב֗וּז לְשֵׂ֣כֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ׃

10Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless,

10אַל־ תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עוֹלָ֑ם וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י יְ֝תוֹמִ֗ים אַל־ תָּבֹֽא׃

11for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you.

11כִּֽי־ גֹאֲלָ֥ם חָזָ֑ק הֽוּא־ יָרִ֖יב אֶת־ רִיבָ֣ם אִתָּֽךְ׃

12Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.

12הָבִ֣יאָה לַמּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝אָזְנֶ֗ךָ לְאִמְרֵי־ דָֽעַת׃

13Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

13אַל־ תִּמְנַ֣ע מִנַּ֣עַר מוּסָ֑ר כִּֽי־ תַכֶּ֥נּוּ בַ֝שֵּׁ֗בֶט לֹ֣א יָמֽוּת׃

14If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

14אַ֭תָּה בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מִשְּׁא֥וֹל תַּצִּֽיל׃

15My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad.

15בְּ֭נִי אִם־ חָכַ֣ם לִבֶּ֑ךָ יִשְׂמַ֖ח לִבִּ֣י גַם־ אָֽנִי׃

16My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right.

16וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה כִלְיוֹתָ֑י בְּדַבֵּ֥ר שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃

17Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.

17אַל־ יְקַנֵּ֣א לִ֭בְּךָ בַּֽחַטָּאִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־ בְּיִרְאַת־ יְ֝הוָ֗ה כָּל־ הַיּֽוֹם׃

18Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

18כִּ֭י אִם־ יֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃

19Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.

19שְׁמַע־ אַתָּ֣ה בְנִ֣י וַחֲכָ֑ם וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

20Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,

20אַל־ תְּהִ֥י בְסֹֽבְאֵי־ יָ֑יִן בְּזֹלֲלֵ֖י בָשָׂ֣ר לָֽמוֹ׃

21for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.

21כִּי־ סֹבֵ֣א וְ֭זוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ נוּמָֽה׃

22Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

22שְׁמַ֣ע לְ֭אָבִיךָ זֶ֣ה יְלָדֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־ תָּ֝ב֗וּז כִּֽי־ זָקְנָ֥ה אִמֶּֽךָ׃

23Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

23אֱמֶ֣ת קְ֭נֵה וְאַל־ תִּמְכֹּ֑ר חָכְמָ֖ה וּמוּסָ֣ר וּבִינָֽה׃

24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.

24[גול] (גִּ֣יל) [יגול] (יָ֭גִיל) אֲבִ֣י צַדִּ֑יק [יולד] (וְיוֹלֵ֥ד) חָ֝כָ֗ם [וישמח־] (יִשְׂמַח־) בּֽוֹ׃

25Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.

25יִֽשְׂמַח־ אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃

26My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.

26תְּנָֽה־ בְנִ֣י לִבְּךָ֣ לִ֑י וְ֝עֵינֶ֗יךָ דְּרָכַ֥י [תרצנה] (תִּצֹּֽרְנָה׃‪‬)

27For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well.

27כִּֽי־ שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲמֻקָּ֣ה זוֹנָ֑ה וּבְאֵ֥ר צָ֝רָ֗ה נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

28She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind.

28אַף־ הִ֭יא כְּחֶ֣תֶף תֶּֽאֱרֹ֑ב וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים בְּאָדָ֥ם תּוֹסִֽף׃

29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?

29לְמִ֨י א֥וֹי לְמִ֪י אֲב֡וֹי לְמִ֤י [מדונים] (מִדְיָנִ֨ים ׀) לְמִ֥י שִׂ֗יחַ לְ֭מִי פְּצָעִ֣ים חִנָּ֑ם לְ֝מִ֗י חַכְלִל֥וּת עֵינָֽיִם׃

30Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.

30לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־ הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ׃

31Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.

31אַל־ תֵּ֥רֶא יַיִן֮ כִּ֪י יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם כִּֽי־ יִתֵּ֣ן [בכיס] (בַּכּ֣וֹס) עֵינ֑וֹ יִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

32In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

32אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃

33Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.

33עֵ֭ינֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּ זָר֑וֹת וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ יְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃

34You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.

34וְ֭הָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּלֶב־ יָ֑ם וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּרֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃

35“They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”

35הִכּ֥וּנִי בַל־ חָלִיתִי֮ הֲלָמ֗וּנִי בַּל־ יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי מָתַ֥י אָקִ֑יץ א֝וֹסִ֗יף אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ עֽוֹד׃

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.