Proverbs 1 מִשְׁלֵי פרק א׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Proverbs 1 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   מִשְׁלֵיthe proverbs ofשְׁלֹמֹהSolomonבֶן־דָּוִדson of Davidמֶלֶךְthe king ofיִשְׂרָאֵל׃Israel

   The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

2. 2

   לָדַעַתto knowחׇכְמָהwisdomוּמוּסָרand disciplineלְהָבִיןto understandאִמְרֵיwords ofבִינָה׃understanding

   To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

3. 3

   לָקַחַתto receiveמוּסַרthe discipline ofהַשְׂכֵּלwisdomצֶדֶקrighteousnessוּמִשְׁפָּטand judgmentוּמֵשָׁרִים׃and equity

   To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

4. 4

   לָתֵתto giveלִפְתָאיִםto the simpleעׇרְמָהprudenceלְנַעַרto a youthדַּעַתknowledgeוּמְזִמָּה׃and discretion

   To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

5. 5

   יִשְׁמַעmay hearחָכָםwiseוְיוֹסֶףand let him increaseלֶקַחlearningוְנָבוֹןand the man of understandingתַּחְבֻּלוֹתwise counselsיִקְנֶה׃may attain

   A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

6. 6

   לְהָבִיןto understandמָשָׁלa proverbוּמְלִיצָהand a figureדִּבְרֵיthe words ofחֲכָמִיםwiseוְחִידֹתָם׃and their dark sayings

   To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

7. 7

   יִרְאַתthe fear ofיְהֹוָהthe LORDרֵאשִׁיתthe beginning ofדָּעַתknowledgeחׇכְמָהwisdomוּמוּסָרand disciplineאֱוִילִיםfoolsבָּזוּ׃they despise

   The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8. 8

   שְׁמַעhearkenבְּנִיmy sonמוּסַרthe discipline ofאָבִיךָyour fatherוְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁand forsake notתּוֹרַתthe law ofאִמֶּךָ׃your mother

   My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

9. 9

   כִּיbecauseלִוְיַתa chaplet ofחֵןfavorהֵםtheyלְרֹאשֶׁךָfor your headוַעֲנָקִיםand chainsלְגַרְגְּרֹתֶךָ׃about your neck

   For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

10. 10

    בְּנִיmy sonאִם־יְפַתּוּךָif they will entice youחַטָּאִיםsinfulאַל־תֹּבֵא׃consent not

    My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

11. 11

    אִם־יֹאמְרוּif they shall sayלְכָהcomeאִתָּנוּwith usנֶאֶרְבָהlet us lie in waitלְדָםfor bloodנִצְפְּנָהlet us lie hiddenלְנָקִיfor an innocent oneחִנָּם׃without cause

    If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

12. 12

    נִבְלָעֵםlet us engulf themכִּשְׁאוֹלlike Sheolחַיִּיםaliveוּתְמִימִיםand blamelessכְּיוֹרְדֵיlike those who go down ofבוֹר׃a pit

    Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

13. 13

    כׇּל־הוֹןall wealthיָקָרfineנִמְצָאwe shall findנְמַלֵּאwe will fillבָתֵּינוּour housesשָׁלָל׃the spoil

    We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

14. 14

    גּוֹרָלְךָyour lotתַּפִּילyou will castבְּתוֹכֵנוּamong usכִּיסa bagאֶחָדoneיִהְיֶהshall beלְכֻלָּנוּ׃to all of us

    Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

15. 15

    בְּנִיmy sonאַל־תֵּלֵךְdo not should goבְּדֶרֶךְby the way ofאִתָּםwith themמְנַעrestrainרַגְלְךָyour footמִנְּתִיבָתָם׃from their pathway

    My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

16. 16

    כִּיforרַגְלֵיהֶםtheir feetלָרַעevilיָרוּצוּthey runוִימַהֲרוּand they may make hasteלִשְׁפׇּךְ־דָּם׃to shedding blood

    For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

17. 17

    כִּי־חִנָּםsurely in vainמְזֹרָהis spread outהָרָשֶׁתthe netבְּעֵינֵיin the eyes ofכׇּל־בַּעַלevery owner ofכָּנָף׃the wing

    Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

18. 18

    וְהֵםand theyלְדָמָםfor their own bloodיֶאֱרֹבוּthey lie in waitיִצְפְּנוּthey lie hiddenלְנַפְשֹׁתָם׃for their own life

    And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

19. 19

    כֵּןthusאׇרְחוֹתthe paths ofכׇּל־בֹּצֵעַall one who gains unjustlyבָּצַעunjust gainאֶת־נֶפֶשׁsoulבְּעָלָיוits ownerיִקָּח׃he will take

    So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

20. 20

    חׇכְמוֹתwisdomבַּחוּץabroadתָּרֹנָּהit cries aloudבָּרְחֹבוֹתin the open placesתִּתֵּןshe uttersקוֹלָהּ׃her voice

    Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21. 21

    בְּרֹאשׁin the top ofהֹמִיּוֹתnoisy placesתִּקְרָאshe criesבְּפִתְחֵיat the entrances ofשְׁעָרִיםthe gatesבָּעִירin the cityאֲמָרֶיהָher wordsתֹאמֵר׃she utters

    She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22. 22

    עַד־מָתַיuntil whenפְּתָיִםO simple onesתְּאֵהֲבוּ־פֶתִיwill you love simplicityוְלֵצִיםand mockersלָצוֹןmockeryחָמְדוּdo they delight inלָהֶםto themוּכְסִילִיםand foolsיִשְׂנְאוּ־דָעַת׃will they hate knowledge

    How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23. 23

    תָּשׁוּבוּturn youלְתוֹכַחְתִּיto my rebukeהִנֵּהbeholdאַבִּיעָהI will pour forthלָכֶםto youרוּחִיmy spiritאוֹדִיעָהlet me declareדְבָרַיmy wordsאֶתְכֶם׃you

    Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

24. 24

    יַעַןbecauseקָרָאתִיcalledוַתְּמָאֵנוּand you refusedנָטִיתִיI have turned asideיָדִיmy handוְאֵיןand there is noמַקְשִׁיב׃one who regarded

    Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25. 25

    וַתִּפְרְעוּand you ignoredכׇל־עֲצָתִיall my counselוְתוֹכַחְתִּיand my rebukeלֹאnotאֲבִיתֶם׃you were willing

    But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26. 26

    גַּם־אֲנִיalso Iבְּאֵידְכֶםat your calamityאֶשְׂחָקI will laughאֶלְעַגI will mockבְּבֹאwhen cameפַחְדְּכֶם׃your dread

    I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27. 27

    בְּבֹאwhen came[כְשׁוֹאָה]like devastationפַּחְדְּכֶםyour dreadוְאֵידְכֶםand your calamityכְּסוּפָהlike a storm windיֶאֱתֶהit comesבְּבֹאwhen cameעֲלֵיכֶםover youצָרָהafflictionוְצוּקָה׃and distress

    When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28. 28

    אָזthenיִקְרָאֻנְנִיthey will call to meוְלֹאand notאֶעֱנֶהI will answeredיְשַׁחֲרֻנְנִיthey will earnestly seek meוְלֹאand notיִמְצָאֻנְנִי׃they will find me

    Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

29. 29

    תַּחַתunderכִּי־שָׂנְאוּbecause they hatedדָעַתknowledgeוְיִרְאַתand of the fear ofיְהֹוָהthe LORDלֹאnotבָחָרוּ׃they chose

    For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

30. 30

    לֹא־אָבוּnot beלַעֲצָתִיto my counselנָאֲצוּthey spurnedכׇּל־תּוֹכַחְתִּי׃all my rebuke

    They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31. 31

    וְיֹאכְלוּand partakeמִפְּרִיof fruit ofדַרְכָּםtheir own wayוּמִמֹּעֲצֹתֵיהֶםand from their own schemesיִשְׂבָּעוּ׃they will be satisfied

    Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32. 32

    כִּיforמְשׁוּבַתdepravity ofפְּתָיִםthe simpleתַּהַרְגֵםyou kill themוְשַׁלְוַתand the ease ofכְּסִילִיםfoolsתְּאַבְּדֵם׃it will destroy them

    For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33. 33

    וְשֹׁמֵעַand shall hearkenלִיto meיִשְׁכׇּן־בֶּטַחshall dwell safelyוְשַׁאֲנַןand he will be at easeמִפַּחַדfrom fearרָעָה׃evil

    But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.