Proverbs 6 מִשְׁלֵי פרק ו׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Proverbs 6 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   בְּנִיmy sonאִם־עָרַבְתָּif you have stood suretyלְרֵעֶךָfor your neighborתָּקַעְתָּyou have struckלַזָּרfor the strangerכַּפֶּיךָ׃your hands

   My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

2. 2

   נוֹקַשְׁתָּyou have been ensnaredבְאִמְרֵי־פִיךָby the words of your mouthנִלְכַּדְתָּyou have been caughtבְּאִמְרֵי־פִיךָ׃with the words of your mouth

   Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

3. 3

   עֲשֵׂהdoזֹאתthisאֵפוֹאthenבְּנִיmy sonוְהִנָּצֵלand deliver yourselfכִּי־בָאתָbecause you cameבְכַף־רֵעֶךָin the palm of your neighborלֵךְgoהִתְרַפֵּסhumble yourselfוּרְהַבand importuneרֵעֶיךָ׃your companions

   Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

4. 4

   אַל־תִּתֵּןdo not giveשֵׁנָהsleepלְעֵינֶיךָto your eyesוּתְנוּמָהand slumberלְעַפְעַפֶּיךָ׃to your eyelids

   Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5. 5

   הִנָּצֵלdeliver yourselfכִּצְבִיlike a deerמִיָּדfrom the hand ofוּכְצִפּוֹרand like a birdמִיַּדfrom the hand ofיָקוּשׁ׃a fowler

   Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6. 6

   לֵךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָהgo to an antעָצֵלO sluggardרְאֵהbeholdדְרָכֶיהָits waysוַחֲכָם׃and become wise

   Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7. 7

   אֲשֶׁרwhichאֵין־לָהּshe has noקָצִיןguideשֹׁטֵרoverseerוּמֹשֵׁל׃and a ruler

   Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8. 8

   תָּכִיןshe providesבַּקַּיִץin the summerלַחְמָהּits foodאָגְרָהit gathersבַקָּצִירat the harvestמַאֲכָלָהּ׃its food

   Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9. 9

   עַד־מָתַיuntil whenעָצֵלO sluggardתִּשְׁכָּבyou will lie downמָתַיwhenתָּקוּםwill you ariseמִשְּׁנָתֶךָ׃from your sleep

   How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10. 10

    מְעַטsomewhatשֵׁנוֹתsleepמְעַטsomewhatתְּנוּמוֹתslumberמְעַטsomewhatחִבֻּקfolding ofיָדַיִםboth handsלִשְׁכָּב׃to sleep

    Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11. 11

    וּבָא־כִמְהַלֵּךְand come like a travelerרֵאשֶׁךָyour povertyוּמַחְסֹרְךָand your lackכְּאִישׁas a manמָגֵן׃armed

    So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

12. 12

    אָדָםmanבְּלִיַּעַלBelialאִישׁa manאָוֶןiniquityהוֹלֵךְgoingעִקְּשׁוּתcrookedness ofפֶּה׃mouth

    A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

13. 13

    קֹרֵץhe is winkingבְּעֵינָוwith his eyeמֹלֵלhe is scrapingבְּרַגְלָוat his footמֹרֶהpointingבְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָיו׃with his fingers

    He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

14. 14

    תַּהְפֻּכוֹתperverse thingsבְּלִבּוֹin his heartחֹרֵשׁworker ofרָעevilבְּכׇל־עֵתin all time(מדנים)[מִדְיָנִים]discordיְשַׁלֵּחַ׃he sends out

    Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

15. 15

    עַל־כֵּןthereforeפִּתְאֹםsuddenlyיָבוֹאshall comeאֵידוֹhis disasterפֶּתַעan instantיִשָּׁבֵרit will be brokenוְאֵיןand there is noמַרְפֵּא׃healing

    Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

16. 16

    שֶׁשׁ־הֵנָּהsix things hitherשָׂנֵאhatesיְהֹוָהthe LORDוְשֶׁבַעand seven(תועבות)[תּוֹעֲבַת]an abomination ofנַפְשׁוֹ׃his soul

    These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17. 17

    עֵינַיִםeyesרָמוֹתhaughtyלְשׁוֹןthe language ofשָׁקֶרfalseוְיָדַיִםand handsשֹׁפְכוֹתwhich shedדָּם־נָקִי׃innocent blood

    A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18. 18

    לֵבheartחֹרֵשׁworker ofמַחְשְׁבוֹתthoughts ofאָוֶןiniquityרַגְלַיִםfeetמְמַהֲרוֹתwhich hurryלָרוּץshould runלָרָעָה׃to evil

    An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19. 19

    יָפִיחַhe breathes outכְּזָבִיםliesעֵדwitnessשָׁקֶרfalseוּמְשַׁלֵּחַand one who spreadsמְדָנִיםcontentionsבֵּיןamongאַחִים׃brothers

    A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

20. 20

    נְצֹרkeepבְּנִיmy sonמִצְוַתthe commandments ofאָבִיךָyour fatherוְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁand do not forsakeתּוֹרַתthe law ofאִמֶּךָ׃your mother

    My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

21. 21

    קׇשְׁרֵםbind themעַל־לִבְּךָupon your heartתָמִידcontinuallyעׇנְדֵםtie themעַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶךָ׃upon your neck

    Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

22. 22

    בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָwhen you walk aboutתַּנְחֶהit will guideאֹתָךְyouבְּשׇׁכְבְּךָwhen you lie downתִּשְׁמֹרyou keepעָלֶיךָupon youוַהֲקִיצוֹתָand you will awakeהִיאit isתְשִׂיחֶךָ׃it will speak to you

    When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23. 23

    כִּיforנֵרlampמִצְוָהcommandmentוְתוֹרָהand the Lawאוֹרlightוְדֶרֶךְand the way ofחַיִּיםlifeתּוֹכְחוֹתrebukes ofמוּסָר׃discipline

    For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24. 24

    לִשְׁמׇרְךָto keep youמֵאֵשֶׁתfrom the wife ofרָעevilמֵחֶלְקַתfrom smoothness ofלָשׁוֹןtongueנׇכְרִיָּה׃foreign

    To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25. 25

    אַל־תַּחְמֹדdo not lust afterיׇפְיָהּher beautyבִּלְבָבֶךָin your heartוְאַל־תִּקָּחֲךָand do not she capture youבְּעַפְעַפֶּיהָ׃with her eyelids

    Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26. 26

    כִּיbecauseבְעַד־אִשָּׁהfor a womanזוֹנָהharlotעַד־כִּכַּר־לָחֶםunto a loaf of breadוְאֵשֶׁתand the wife ofאִישׁa manנֶפֶשׁsoulיְקָרָהpreciousתָצוּד׃she hunts

    For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

27. 27

    הֲיַחְתֶּהwill he snatch upאִישׁa manאֵשׁfireבְּחֵיקוֹin his bosomוּבְגָדָיוand his garmentsלֹאnotתִשָּׂרַפְנָה׃will they be burned

    Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28. 28

    אִם־יְהַלֵּךְif it will goאִישׁa manעַל־הַגֶּחָלִיםupon the burning coalsוְרַגְלָיוand his feetלֹאnotתִכָּוֶינָה׃will they be scorched

    Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

29. 29

    כֵּןthusהַבָּאthat comesאֶל־אֵשֶׁתto the wife ofרֵעֵהוּhis neighborלֹאnotיִנָּקֶהhe will go unpunishedכׇּל־הַנֹּגֵעַall the one who touchesבָּהּ׃in it

    So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

30. 30

    לֹא־יָבוּזוּthey do not despiseלַגַּנָּבthe thiefכִּיbecauseיִגְנוֹבhe will stealלְמַלֵּאto fillנַפְשׁוֹhis soulכִּיbecauseיִרְעָב׃he will be hungry

    Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31. 31

    וְנִמְצָאand if he be foundיְשַׁלֵּםhe shall restoreשִׁבְעָתָיִםsevenfoldאֶת־כׇּל־הוֹןall wealthבֵּיתוֹhis houseיִתֵּן׃shall give

    But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

32. 32

    נֹאֵףan adultererאִשָּׁהa womanחֲסַר־לֵבlacking senseמַשְׁחִיתdestroysנַפְשׁוֹhis soulהוּאheיַעֲשֶׂנָּה׃he will do it

    But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

33. 33

    נֶגַע־וְקָלוֹןa plague and shameיִמְצָאshall findוְחֶרְפָּתוֹand his reproachלֹאnotתִמָּחֶה׃it will be wiped away

    A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34. 34

    כִּי־קִנְאָהbecause jealousyחֲמַת־גָּבֶרthe rage of a manוְלֹא־יַחְמוֹלand not it relentsבְּיוֹםin the day ofנָקָם׃vengeance

    For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35. 35

    לֹא־יִשָּׂאshall not lift upפְּנֵיface ofכׇל־כֹּפֶרany ransomוְלֹא־יֹאבֶהand not he will consentכִּיbecauseתַרְבֶּה־שֹּׁחַד׃you will make great a bribe

    He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.