| hebrew | kjv | web | basic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
שמעו בנים מוסר אב והקשיבו לדעת בינה׃ |
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. | Listen, sons, to a father's instruction. Pay attention and know understanding; | Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge: | |||
| 2. |
כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם תורתי אל־תעזבו׃ |
For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. | for I give you sound learning. Don't forsake my law. | For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me. | |||
| 3. |
כי־בן הייתי לאבי רך ויחיד לפני אמי׃ |
For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. | For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother. | For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother. | |||
| 4. |
וירני ויאמר לי יתמך־דברי לבך שמר מצותי וחיה׃ |
He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. | He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live. | And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life: | |||
| 5. |
קנה חכמה קנה בינה אל־תשכח ואל־תט מאמרי־פי׃ |
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. | Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don't forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth. | Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth. | |||
| 6. |
אל־תעזבה ותשמרך אהבה ותצרך׃ |
Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. | Don't forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you. | Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe. | |||
| 7. |
ראשית חכמה קנה חכמה ובכל־קנינך קנה בינה׃ |
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. | Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding. | The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge. | |||
| 8. |
סלסלה ותרוממך תכבדך כי תחבקנה׃ |
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. | Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her. | Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love. | |||
| 9. |
תתן לראשך לוית־חן עטרת תפארת תמגנך׃ |
She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. | She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you." | She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory. | |||
| 10. |
שמע בני וקח אמרי וירבו לך שנות חיים׃ |
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. | Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many. | Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours. | |||
| 11. |
בדרך חכמה הרתיך הדרכתיך במעגלי־ישר׃ |
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. | I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths. | I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way. | |||
| 12. |
בלכתך לא־יצר צעדך ואם־תרוץ לא תכשל׃ |
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. | When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble. | When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall. | |||
| 13. |
החזק במוסר אל־תרף נצרה כי־היא חייך׃ |
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. | Take firm hold of instruction. Don't let her go. Keep her, for she is your life. | Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life. | |||
| 14. |
בארח רשעים אל־תבא ואל־תאשר בדרך רעים׃ |
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. | Don't enter into the path of the wicked. Don't walk in the way of evil men. | Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men. | |||
| 15. |
פרעהו אל־תעבר־בו שטה מעליו ועבור׃ |
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. | Avoid it, and don't pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on. | Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way. | |||
| 16. |
כי לא ישנו אם־לא ירעו ונגזלה שנתם אם־לא יכשולו׃ |
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. | For they don't sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall. | For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall. | |||
| 17. |
כי לחמו לחם רשע ויין חמסים ישתו׃ |
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. | For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. | The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink. | |||
| 18. |
וארח צדיקים כאור נגה הולך ואור עד־נכון היום׃ |
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. | But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day. | But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day. | |||
| 19. |
דרך רשעים כאפלה לא ידעו במה יכשלו׃ |
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. | The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don't know what they stumble over. | The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall. | |||
| 20. |
בני לדברי הקשיבה לאמרי הט־אזנך׃ |
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. | My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings. | My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings. | |||
| 21. |
אל־יליזו מעיניך שמרם בתוך לבבך׃ |
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. | Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. | Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart. | |||
| 22. |
כי־חיים הם למצאיהם ולכל־בשרו מרפא׃ |
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. | For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body. | For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh. | |||
| 23. |
מכל־משמר נצר לבך כי־ממנו תוצאות חיים׃ |
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. | Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life. | And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life. | |||
| 24. |
הסר ממך עקשות פה ולזות שפתים הרחק ממך׃ |
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. | Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you. | Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you. | |||
| 25. |
עיניך לנכח יביטו ועפעפיך יישרו נגדך׃ |
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. | Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you. | Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you. | |||
| 26. |
פלס מעגל רגלך וכל־דרכיך יכנו׃ |
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. | Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established. | Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered. | |||
| 27. |
אל־תט־ימין ושמאול הסר רגלך מרע׃ |
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. | Don't turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil. | Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil. | |||