Proverbs 23 מִשְׁלֵי פרק כ״ג

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Proverbs 23 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   כִּי־תֵשֵׁבwhen you sitלִלְחוֹםto eatאֶת־מוֹשֵׁלrulerבִּיןconsiderתָּבִיןdiligentlyאֶת־אֲשֶׁרthat whichלְפָנֶיךָ׃before you

   When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:

2. 2

   וְשַׂמְתָּand you will putשַׂכִּיןa knifeבְּלֹעֶךָin your throatאִם־בַּעַלif a man ofנֶפֶשׁsoulאָתָּה׃you are

   And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.

3. 3

   אַל־תִּתְאָוbe not desirous ofלְמַטְעַמּוֹתָיוfor his daintiesוְהוּאand heלֶחֶםbreadכְּזָבִים׃deceitful

   Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

4. 4

   אַל־תִּיגַעlabor notלְהַעֲשִׁירto be richמִבִּינָתְךָfrom your own wisdomחֲדָל׃cease

   Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

5. 5

   [הֲתָעִיף]־עֵינֶיךָdo you cause to fly your eyesבּוֹin itוְאֵינֶנּוּand it is notכִּיforעָשֹׂהdoingיַעֲשֶׂה־לּוֹhe shall do upon himכְנָפַיִםwingsכְּנֶשֶׁרlike an eagle(ועיף)[יָעוּף]he flewהַשָּׁמָיִם׃the heavens

   Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

6. 6

   אַל־תִּלְחַםeat notאֶת־לֶחֶםbreadרַעevilעָיִןeyeוְאַל־תִּתְאָוand desire notלְמַטְעַמֹּתָיו׃for his dainties

   Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:

7. 7

   כִּיforכְּמוֹlikeשָׁעַרhe thinksבְּנַפְשׁוֹin his heartכֶּן־הוּאso it isאֱכוֹלeatוּשְׁתֵהand drinkיֹאמַרhe saysלָךְto youוְלִבּוֹbut his heartבַּל־עִמָּךְ׃is not with you

   For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

8. 8

   פִּתְּךָ־אָכַלְתָּmorsel your which you have eatenתְקִיאֶנָּהyou will vomit up itוְשִׁחַתָּand you will spoilדְּבָרֶיךָyour wordsהַנְּעִימִים׃the pleasant

   The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

9. 9

   בְּאׇזְנֵיin the ears ofכְסִילof a foolאַל־תְּדַבֵּרspeak notכִּי־יָבוּזfor he will despiseלְשֵׂכֶלthe insight ofמִלֶּיךָ׃your words

   Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

10. 10

    אַל־תַּסֵּגremove notגְּבוּלborder ofעוֹלָםeternalוּבִשְׂדֵיand in the fields ofיְתוֹמִיםfatherless onesאַל־תָּבֹא׃enter not

    Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:

11. 11

    כִּי־גֹאֲלָםbecause their redeemerחָזָקstrongהוּא־יָרִיבit is who pleads the cause ofאֶת־רִיבָםtheir disputationאִתָּךְ׃with you

    For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.

12. 12

    הָבִיאָהbringלַמּוּסָרto the disciplineלִבֶּךָyour heartוְאׇזְנֶךָand your earלְאִמְרֵי־דָעַת׃to the words of knowledge

    Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

13. 13

    אַל־תִּמְנַעwithhold notמִנַּעַרfrom young manמוּסָרdisciplineכִּי־תַכֶּנּוּif you will strike himבַשֵּׁבֶטwith the rodלֹאnotיָמוּת׃he shall die

    Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

14. 14

    אַתָּהyouבַּשֵּׁבֶטwith the rodתַּכֶּנּוּyou will strike himוְנַפְשׁוֹand his soulמִשְּׁאוֹלfrom Sheolתַּצִּיל׃you shall deliver

    Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

15. 15

    בְּנִיmy sonאִם־חָכַםif it is wiseלִבֶּךָyour heartיִשְׂמַחrejoicesלִבִּיmy heartגַם־אָנִי׃also I

    My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.

16. 16

    וְתַעְלֹזְנָהso they may rejoiceכִלְיוֹתָיmy kidneysבְּדַבֵּרwhen speakשְׂפָתֶיךָyour lipsמֵישָׁרִים׃right things

    Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.

17. 17

    אַל־יְקַנֵּאlet not envyלִבְּךָyour heartבַּחַטָּאִיםsinnersכִּיbecauseאִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְהֹוָהif in the fear of the LORDכׇּל־הַיּוֹם׃all the day

    Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

18. 18

    כִּיforאִם־יֵשׁif there isאַחֲרִיתan endוְתִקְוָתְךָand your hopeלֹאnotתִכָּרֵת׃it will be cut off

    For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

19. 19

    שְׁמַע־אַתָּהhearken youבְנִיmy sonוַחֲכָםand become wiseוְאַשֵּׁרand guideבַּדֶּרֶךְin the wayלִבֶּךָ׃your heart

    Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

20. 20

    אַל־תְּהִיdo not beבְסֹבְאֵי־יָיִןamong drunkards of wineבְּזֹלְלֵיamong gluttons ofבָשָׂרfleshלָמוֹ׃for them

    Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

21. 21

    כִּי־סֹבֵאbecause a drunkardוְזוֹלֵלand a gluttonיִוָּרֵשׁshall come to povertyוּקְרָעִיםand ragsתַּלְבִּישׁshall clotheנוּמָה׃drowsiness

    For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

22. 22

    שְׁמַעhearkenלְאָבִיךָfor your fatherזֶהthisיְלָדֶךָhe begot youוְאַל־תָּבוּזand despise notכִּי־זָקְנָהbecause she is oldאִמֶּךָ׃your mother

    Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

23. 23

    אֱמֶתtruthקְנֵהbuyוְאַל־תִּמְכֹּרand sell it notחׇכְמָהwisdomוּמוּסָרand disciplineוּבִינָה׃and understanding

    Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

24. 24

    (גול)[גִּיל]greatlyיָגִילhe rejoicesאֲבִיthe father ofצַדִּיקrighteous(יולד)[וְיוֹלֵד]and he who begetsחָכָםwise(וישמח)[יִשְׂמַח־]בּוֹ׃shall have joy in him

    The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

25. 25

    יִשְׂמַח־אָבִיךָrejoices your fatherוְאִמֶּךָand your motherוְתָגֵלand let it be gladיוֹלַדְתֶּךָ׃the one who bore you

    Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.

26. 26

    תְּנָה־בְנִיgive my sonלִבְּךָyour heartלִיto meוְעֵינֶיךָand your eyesדְּרָכַיmy ways[תִּצֹּרְנָה]׃let them observe

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

27. 27

    כִּי־שׁוּחָהfor a pitעֲמֻקָּהdeepזוֹנָהharlotוּבְאֵרand a pitצָרָהnarrowנׇכְרִיָּה׃foreign

    For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

28. 28

    אַף־הִיאyea it isכְּחֶתֶףas for a preyתֶּאֱרֹבshe lies in waitוּבוֹגְדִיםand treacherous peopleבְּאָדָםamong menתּוֹסִף׃she increases

    She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.

29. 29

    לְמִיto whomאוֹיwoe beלְמִיto whomאֲבוֹיwoe!לְמִיto whom(מדונים)[מִדְיָנִים]contentionsלְמִיto whomשִׂיחַbabblingלְמִיto whomפְּצָעִיםwoundsחִנָּםwithout causeלְמִיto whomחַכְלִלוּתredness ofעֵינָיִם׃eyes

    Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?

30. 30

    לַמְאַחֲרִיםto those who delayעַל־הַיָּיִןupon the wineלַבָּאִיםthey who goלַחְקֹרto seekמִמְסָךְ׃mixed wine

    They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

31. 31

    אַל־תֵּרֶאlook notיַּיִןwineכִּיbecauseיִתְאַדָּםit will be redכִּי־יִתֵּןwhen it gives[בַּכּוֹס]in the cupעֵינוֹits colorיִתְהַלֵּךְit movesבְּמֵישָׁרִים׃aright

    Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

32. 32

    אַחֲרִיתוֹat the lastכְּנָחָשׁlike a snakeיִשָּׁךְit bitesוּכְצִפְעֹנִיand like a viperיַפְרִשׁ׃it will sting

    At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

33. 33

    עֵינֶיךָyour eyesיִרְאוּshall seeזָרוֹתstrangeוְלִבְּךָand your heartיְדַבֵּרspeaksתַּהְפֻּכוֹת׃perverse things

    Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

34. 34

    וְהָיִיתָand you shall beכְּשֹׁכֵבlike one who lies downבְּלֶב־יָםin the heart of the seaוּכְשֹׁכֵבand like one who lies downבְּרֹאשׁin the top ofחִבֵּל׃a mast

    Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

35. 35

    הִכּוּנִיthey have stricken meבַל־חָלִיתִיnot I was sickהֲלָמוּנִיthey beat meבַּל־יָדָעְתִּיnot I knowמָתַיwhenאָקִיץwill I awakeאוֹסִיףI will yetאֲבַקְשֶׁנּוּI will seek itעוֹד׃any more

    They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.