Proverbs 4 מִשְׁלֵי פרק ד׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with transliteration and English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Proverbs 4 in the interlinear reader for roots and notes, or listen to it read aloud in Hebrew.

1. 1

   שִׁמְעוּshim/Uhearבָנִיםva/NIMO sonsמוּסַרmu/SARthe instruction ofאָבava fatherוְהַקְשִׁיבוּve/hak/SHI/vuand listenלָדַעַתla/DA/atto knowבִּינָה׃bi/NAunderstanding

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

2. 2

   כִּיkiforלֶקַחLE/kachteachingטוֹבtovgoodנָתַתִּיna/TAT/tiI giveלָכֶםla/KHEMto youתּוֹרָתִיto/ra/TImy teachingאַל־תַּעֲזֹבוּ׃al-ta/a/ZO/vudo not forsake

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

3. 3

   כִּי־בֵןki-venwhen a sonהָיִיתִיha/YI/tiI wasלְאָבִיle/a/VIto my fatherרַךְrakhtenderוְיָחִידve/ya/CHIDand the only oneלִפְנֵיlif/NEbeforeאִמִּי׃im/MImy mother

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

4. 4

   וַיֹּרֵנִיvay/yo/RE/niand he taught meוַיֹּאמֶרvay/YO/merand saidלִיlito meיִתְמׇךְ־דְּבָרַיyit/MOKH-de/va/RAYlet hold fast my wordsלִבֶּךָlib/BE/khayour heartשְׁמֹרshe/MORwatchמִצְוֺתַיmits/vo/TAYmy commandmentsוֶחְיֵה׃vech/YEand live

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

5. 5

   קְנֵהke/NEgetחׇכְמָהchokh/MAwisdomקְנֵהke/NEgetבִינָהvi/NAunderstandingאַל־תִּשְׁכַּחal-tish/KACHdo not forgetוְאַל־תֵּטve/AL-tetand do not turn awayמֵאִמְרֵי־פִי׃me/im/RE-fifrom the words of my mouth

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

6. 6

   אַל־תַּעַזְבֶהָal-ta/az/VE/hado not forsake herוְתִשְׁמְרֶךָּve/tish/me/REK/kaand she will keep youאֱהָבֶהָe/ha/VE/halove herוְתִצְּרֶךָּ׃ve/tits/tse/REK/kaand she will guard you

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

7. 7

   רֵאשִׁיתre/SHITthe beginning ofחׇכְמָהchokh/MAwisdomקְנֵהke/NEgetחׇכְמָהchokh/MAwisdomוּבְכׇל־קִנְיָנְךָu/ve/KHOL-kin/ya/ne/KHAand with all your gettingקְנֵהke/NEgetבִינָה׃vi/NAunderstanding

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

8. 8

   סַלְסְלֶהָsal/se/LE/haprize herוּתְרוֹמְמֶךָּu/te/rom/MEK/kaand she will exalt youתְּכַבֵּדְךָte/khab/BED/khashe will honor youכִּיkiwhenתְחַבְּקֶנָּה׃te/chab/be/KEN/nayou will embrace her

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

9. 9

   תִּתֵּןtit/TENshe shall giveלְרֹאשְׁךָle/ro/she/KHAto your headלִוְיַת־חֵןliv/YAT-chena wreath of favorעֲטֶרֶתa/TE/reta crown ofתִּפְאֶרֶתtif/E/retbeautyתְּמַגְּנֶךָּ׃te/mag/ge/NEK/kashe will bestow on you

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

10. 10

    שְׁמַעshe/MAlistenבְּנִיbe/NImy sonוְקַחve/KACHand takeאֲמָרָיa/ma/RAYmy wordsוְיִרְבּוּve/yir/BUand will be manyלְךָle/KHAfor youשְׁנוֹתshe/NOTthe years ofחַיִּים׃chay/YIMlife

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

11. 11

    בְּדֶרֶךְbe/DE/rekhin the way ofחׇכְמָהchokh/MAwisdomהֹרֵיתִיךָho/re/TI/khaI have taught youהִדְרַכְתִּיךָhid/rakh/TI/khaI have led youבְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹשֶׁר׃be/ma/ge/LE-YO/sherin paths of uprightness

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

12. 12

    בְּלֶכְתְּךָbe/lekh/te/KHAwhen you goלֹא־יֵצַרlo-ye/TSARwill not be hamperedצַעֲדֶךָtsa/a/DE/khayour stepsוְאִם־תָּרוּץve/IM-ta/RUTSand if you will runלֹאlonotתִכָּשֵׁל׃tik/ka/SHELyou will stumble

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

13. 13

    הַחֲזֵקha/cha/ZEKtake fast holdבַּמּוּסָרbam/mu/SARof instructionאַל־תֶּרֶףal-TE/refdo not let goנִצְּרֶהָnits/tse/RE/hakeep herכִּי־הִיאki-hifor she isחַיֶּיךָ׃chay/YE/khayour life

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

14. 14

    בְּאֹרַחbe/O/rachin the path ofרְשָׁעִיםre/sha/IMthe wickedאַל־תָּבֹאal-ta/VOdo not enterוְאַל־תְּאַשֵּׁרve/AL-te/ash/SHERand do not walkבְּדֶרֶךְbe/DE/rekhin the way ofרָעִים׃ra/IMevil

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

15. 15

    פְּרָעֵהוּpe/ra/E/huavoid itאַל־תַּעֲבׇר־בּוֹal-ta/a/VOR-bodo not pass by itשְׂטֵהse/TEturnמֵעָלָיוme/a/LAYVfrom itוַעֲבֹר׃va/a/VORand pass on

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

16. 16

    כִּיkiforלֹאlonotיִשְׁנוּyish/NUdo they sleepאִם־לֹאim-loif notיָרֵעוּya/RE/uthey have done evilוְנִגְזְלָהve/nig/ze/LAand is robbedשְׁנָתָםshe/na/TAMtheir sleepאִם־לֹאim-loif not[יַכְשִׁילוּ]׃yakh/SHI/luthey 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

    כִּיkiforלָחֲמוּla/cha/MUthey eatלֶחֶםLE/chembreadרֶשַׁעRE/shaof wickednessוְיֵיןve/YENand wine ofחֲמָסִיםcha/ma/SIMviolenceיִשְׁתּוּ׃yish/TUthey drink

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

18. 18

    וְאֹרַחve/O/rachbut the path ofצַדִּיקִיםtsad/di/KIMthe righteousכְּאוֹרke/ORis like the light ofנֹגַהּNO/gabrightnessהוֹלֵךְho/LEKHgoingוָאוֹרva/ORand shiningעַד־נְכוֹןad-ne/KHONuntil the fullהַיּוֹם׃hay/YOMthe day

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

19. 19

    דֶּרֶךְDE/rekhthe way ofרְשָׁעִיםre/sha/IMthe wickedכָּאֲפֵלָהka/a/fe/LAis like darknessלֹאlonotיָדְעוּya/de/Uthey knowבַּמֶּהbam/MEover whatיִכָּשֵׁלוּ׃yik/ka/SHE/luthey stumble

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

20. 20

    בְּנִיbe/NImy sonלִדְבָרַיlid/va/RAYto my wordsהַקְשִׁיבָהhak/SHI/vapay attentionלַאֲמָרַיla/a/ma/RAYto my sayingsהַט־אׇזְנֶךָ׃hat-oz/NE/khaincline your ear

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

21. 21

    אַל־יַלִּיזוּal-yal/LI/zudo not let them departמֵעֵינֶיךָme/e/NE/khafrom your eyesשׇׁמְרֵםshom/REMkeep themבְּתוֹךְbe/TOKHwithinלְבָבֶךָ׃le/va/VE/khayour heart

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

22. 22

    כִּי־חַיִּיםki-chay/YIMfor lifeהֵםhemthey areלְמֹצְאֵיהֶםle/mots/e/HEMto those who find themוּלְכׇל־בְּשָׂרוֹu/le/KHOL-be/sa/ROand to all his fleshמַרְפֵּא׃mar/PEhealing

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

23. 23

    מִכׇּל־מִשְׁמָרmik/KOL-mish/MARabove all that you guardנְצֹרne/TSORkeepלִבֶּךָlib/BE/khayour heartכִּי־מִמֶּנּוּki-mim/MEN/nufor out of itתּוֹצְאוֹתtots/OTare the issues ofחַיִּים׃chay/YIMlife

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

24. 24

    הָסֵרha/SERput awayמִמְּךָmim/me/KHAfrom youעִקְּשׁוּתik/ke/SHUTcrookedness ofפֶּהpemouthוּלְזוּתu/le/ZUTand deviousness ofשְׂפָתַיִםse/fa/TA/yimlipsהַרְחֵקhar/CHEKput farמִמֶּךָּ׃mim/MEK/kafrom you

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

25. 25

    עֵינֶיךָe/NE/khayour eyesלְנֹכַחle/NO/khachstraight aheadיַבִּיטוּyab/BI/tulet them lookוְעַפְעַפֶּיךָve/af/ap/PE/khaand your eyelidsיַיְשִׁרוּyay/SHI/rulet them look straightנֶגְדֶּךָ׃neg/DE/khabefore you

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

26. 26

    פַּלֵּסpal/LESmake levelמַעְגַּלma/GALthe path ofרַגְלֶךָrag/LE/khayour footוְכׇל־דְּרָכֶיךָve/KHOL-de/ra/KHE/khaand all your waysיִכֹּנוּ׃yik/KO/nuwill be established

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

27. 27

    אַל־תֵּט־יָמִיןal-tet-ya/MINdo not turn to the rightוּשְׂמֹאולus/MOLor leftהָסֵרha/SERremoveרַגְלְךָrag/le/KHAyour footמֵרָע׃me/RAfrom evil

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