Proverbs 4 מִשְׁלֵי פרק ד׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Proverbs 4 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   שִׁמְעוּhearבָנִיםsonsמוּסַרthe discipline ofאָבfatherוְהַקְשִׁיבוּand hearkenלָדַעַתto knowבִּינָה׃understanding

   Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

2. 2

   כִּיforלֶקַחdoctrineטוֹבgoodנָתַתִּיI gaveלָכֶםto youתּוֹרָתִיmy lawאַל־תַּעֲזֹבוּ׃do not forsake

   For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

3. 3

   כִּי־בֵןbecause a sonהָיִיתִיI wasלְאָבִיfor my fatherרַךְtenderוְיָחִידand only oneלִפְנֵיbeforeאִמִּי׃my mother

   For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

4. 4

   וַיֹּרֵנִיand he taught meוַיֹּאמֶרand saidלִיto meיִתְמׇךְ־דְּבָרַיlet it retain my wordsלִבֶּךָyour heartשְׁמֹרwatchמִצְוֺתַיmy commandmentsוֶחְיֵה׃and live

   He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

5. 5

   קְנֵהgetחׇכְמָהwisdomקְנֵהgetבִינָהunderstandingאַל־תִּשְׁכַּחdo not forgetוְאַל־תֵּטand do not declineמֵאִמְרֵי־פִי׃from the words of my mouth

   Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6. 6

   אַל־תַּעַזְבֶהָdo not forsake herוְתִשְׁמְרֶךָּand she will keep youאֱהָבֶהָlove herוְתִצְּרֶךָּ׃and she will guard you

   Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

7. 7

   רֵאשִׁיתthe beginning ofחׇכְמָהwisdomקְנֵהgetחׇכְמָהwisdomוּבְכׇל־קִנְיָנְךָand in all your acquisitionקְנֵהgetבִינָה׃understanding

   Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

8. 8

   סַלְסְלֶהָexalt herוּתְרוֹמְמֶךָּand she shall promote youתְּכַבֵּדְךָshe will honor youכִּיbecauseתְחַבְּקֶנָּה׃you will embrace her

   Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

9. 9

   תִּתֵּןshe shall giveלְרֹאשְׁךָto your headלִוְיַת־חֵןa wreath of favorעֲטֶרֶתcrown ofתִּפְאֶרֶתthe beauty ofתְּמַגְּנֶךָּ׃she shall deliver you

   She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

10. 10

    שְׁמַעhearkenבְּנִיmy sonוְקַחand takeאֲמָרָיmy wordsוְיִרְבּוּso they may increaseלְךָfor youשְׁנוֹתthe years ofחַיִּים׃life

    Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

11. 11

    בְּדֶרֶךְby the way ofחׇכְמָהwisdomהֹרֵיתִיךָI have taught youהִדְרַכְתִּיךָI led youבְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹשֶׁר׃in tracks of uprightness

    I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

12. 12

    בְּלֶכְתְּךָwhen you goלֹא־יֵצַרshall not be straitenedצַעֲדֶךָyour stepsוְאִם־תָּרוּץand if you will runלֹאnotתִכָּשֵׁל׃you will stumble

    When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13. 13

    הַחֲזֵקtake fast holdבַּמּוּסָרon the disciplineאַל־תֶּרֶףlet her not goנִצְּרֶהָkeep herכִּי־הִיאbecause it isחַיֶּיךָ׃your life

    Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

14. 14

    בְּאֹרַחin the path ofרְשָׁעִיםwicked menאַל־תָּבֹאdo not enterוְאַל־תְּאַשֵּׁרand do not goבְּדֶרֶךְby the way ofרָעִים׃evil

    Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

15. 15

    פְּרָעֵהוּavoid itאַל־תַּעֲבׇר־בּוֹdo not pass by itשְׂטֵהstrayמֵעָלָיוfrom with himוַעֲבֹר׃and pass away

    Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

16. 16

    כִּיforלֹאnotיִשְׁנוּthey sleepאִם־לֹאif notיָרֵעוּthey do harmוְנִגְזְלָהand it is taken awayשְׁנָתָםtheir sleepאִם־לֹאif not[יַכְשִׁילוּ]׃they bring injury

    For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

17. 17

    כִּיforלָחֲמוּthey eatלֶחֶםbreadרֶשַׁעwickednessוְיֵיןand wine ofחֲמָסִיםviolenceיִשְׁתּוּ׃they drink

    For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

18. 18

    וְאֹרַחand a wayצַדִּיקִיםthe righteousכְּאוֹרas light ofנֹגַהּbrightnessהוֹלֵךְgoingוָאוֹרand the lightעַד־נְכוֹןuntil the established part ofהַיּוֹם׃the day

    But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

19. 19

    דֶּרֶךְthe way ofרְשָׁעִיםwicked menכָּאֲפֵלָהis like darknessלֹאnotיָדְעוּthey knewבַּמֶּהwhereinיִכָּשֵׁלוּ׃they stumble

    The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

20. 20

    בְּנִיmy sonלִדְבָרַיto my wordsהַקְשִׁיבָהpay attentionלַאֲמָרַיto my utterancesהַט־אׇזְנֶךָ׃incline your ear

    My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21. 21

    אַל־יַלִּיזוּdo not let them departמֵעֵינֶיךָfrom your eyesשׇׁמְרֵםkeep themבְּתוֹךְamongלְבָבֶךָ׃your heart

    Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

22. 22

    כִּי־חַיִּיםfor lifeהֵםtheyלְמֹצְאֵיהֶםto those who find themוּלְכׇל־בְּשָׂרוֹand to all his fleshמַרְפֵּא׃healing

    For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

23. 23

    מִכׇּל־מִשְׁמָרabove all keepingנְצֹרkeepלִבֶּךָyour heartכִּי־מִמֶּנּוּfor out of itתּוֹצְאוֹתthe sources ofחַיִּים׃life

    Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

24. 24

    הָסֵרput awayמִמְּךָfrom youעִקְּשׁוּתcrookedness ofפֶּהmouthוּלְזוּתand deviousness ofשְׂפָתַיִםlipsהַרְחֵקfar awayמִמֶּךָּ׃from you

    Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

25. 25

    עֵינֶיךָyour eyesלְנֹכַחto beforeיַבִּיטוּlet them lookוְעַפְעַפֶּיךָand your eyelidsיַיְשִׁרוּlet them look straightנֶגְדֶּךָ׃before you

    Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26. 26

    פַּלֵּסmake levelמַעְגַּלcircuit ofרַגְלֶךָyour footוְכׇל־דְּרָכֶיךָand all your waysיִכֹּנוּ׃they will be steadfast

    Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

27. 27

    אַל־תֵּט־יָמִיןdo not turn to the rightוּשְׂמֹאולand leftהָסֵרremoveרַגְלְךָyour footמֵרָע׃from evil

    Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.