Order Device
Home/Texts/Tanach/Proverbs 23
Tanach

משלי כ״ג

Proverbs 23

Hebrew

כִּֽי־תֵ֭שֵׁב לִלְח֣וֹם אֶת־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל בִּ֥ין תָּ֝בִ֗ין אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃ וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ שַׂכִּ֣ין בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ אִם־בַּ֖עַל נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃ אַל־תִּ֭תְאָו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָ֑יו וְ֝ה֗וּא לֶ֣חֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃ אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ חֲדָֽל׃ (התעוף) [הֲתָ֤עִיף]־עֵינֶ֥יךָ בּ֗וֹ וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ כִּ֤י עָשֹׂ֣ה יַעֲשֶׂה־לּ֣וֹ כְנָפַ֑יִם כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר (ועיף) [יָע֥וּף] הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ {פ}
אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן וְאַל־תִּ֝תְאָ֗ו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃ כִּ֤י ׀ כְּמ֥וֹ שָׁעַ֥ר בְּנַפְשׁ֗וֹ כֶּ֫ן־ה֥וּא אֱכ֣וֹל וּ֭שְׁתֵה יֹ֣אמַר לָ֑ךְ וְ֝לִבּ֗וֹ בַּל־עִמָּֽךְ׃ פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃ בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר כִּי־יָ֝ב֗וּז לְשֵׂ֣כֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ׃ אַל־תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עוֹלָ֑ם וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י יְ֝תוֹמִ֗ים אַל־תָּבֹֽא׃ כִּֽי־גֹאֲלָ֥ם חָזָ֑ק הֽוּא־יָרִ֖יב אֶת־רִיבָ֣ם אִתָּֽךְ׃ הָבִ֣יאָה לַמּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝אׇזְנֶ֗ךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃ אַל־תִּמְנַ֣ע מִנַּ֣עַר מוּסָ֑ר כִּֽי־תַכֶּ֥נּוּ בַ֝שֵּׁ֗בֶט לֹ֣א יָמֽוּת׃ אַ֭תָּה בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מִשְּׁא֥וֹל תַּצִּֽיל׃ בְּ֭נִי אִם־חָכַ֣ם לִבֶּ֑ךָ יִשְׂמַ֖ח לִבִּ֣י גַם־אָֽנִי׃ וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה כִלְיוֹתָ֑י בְּדַבֵּ֥ר שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃ אַל־יְקַנֵּ֣א לִ֭בְּךָ בַּחַטָּאִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ כִּ֭י אִם־יֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃ שְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה בְנִ֣י וַחֲכָ֑ם וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃ אַל־תְּהִ֥י בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן בְּזֹלְלֵ֖י בָשָׂ֣ר לָֽמוֹ׃ כִּֽי־סֹבֵ֣א וְ֭זוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ נוּמָֽה׃ שְׁמַ֣ע לְ֭אָבִיךָ זֶ֣ה יְלָדֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תָּ֝ב֗וּז כִּֽי־זָקְנָ֥ה אִמֶּֽךָ׃ אֱמֶ֣ת קְ֭נֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר חׇכְמָ֖ה וּמוּסָ֣ר וּבִינָֽה׃ (גול) [גִּ֣יל] יָ֭גִיל אֲבִ֣י צַדִּ֑יק (יולד) [וְיוֹלֵ֥ד] חָ֝כָ֗ם (וישמח) [יִשְׂמַח־]בּֽוֹ׃ יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃ תְּנָה־בְנִ֣י לִבְּךָ֣ לִ֑י וְ֝עֵינֶ֗יךָ דְּרָכַ֥י (תרצנה) [תִּצֹּֽרְנָה]׃ כִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲמֻקָּ֣ה זוֹנָ֑ה וּבְאֵ֥ר צָ֝רָ֗ה נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃ אַף־הִ֭יא כְּחֶ֣תֶף תֶּאֱרֹ֑ב וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים בְּאָדָ֥ם תּוֹסִֽף׃ לְמִ֨י א֥וֹי לְמִ֪י אֲב֡וֹי לְמִ֤י (מדונים) [מִדְיָנִ֨ים ׀] לְמִ֥י שִׂ֗יחַ לְ֭מִי פְּצָעִ֣ים חִנָּ֑ם לְ֝מִ֗י חַכְלִל֥וּת עֵינָֽיִם׃ לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ׃ אַל־תֵּ֥רֶא יַּיִן֮ כִּ֤י יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם כִּֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן (בכיס) [בַּכּ֣וֹס] עֵינ֑וֹ יִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ בְּמֵֽישָׁרִֽים׃ אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃ עֵ֭ינֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּ זָר֑וֹת וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ יְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃ וְ֭הָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּלֶב־יָ֑ם וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּרֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃ הִכּ֥וּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי֮ הֲלָמ֗וּנִי בַּל־יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי מָתַ֥י אָקִ֑יץ א֝וֹסִ֗יף אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ עֽוֹד׃

English Translation

When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider well who is before you. Thrust a knife into your gullet
If you have a large appetite. Do not crave the dainties,
For they are counterfeit food. Do not toil to gain wealth;
Have the sense to desist. You see it, then it is gone;
It grows wings and flies away,
Like an eagle, heavenward. Do not eat of a miser’s food;
Do not crave for his dainties; He is like one keeping accounts;
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
But he does not really mean it. The morsel you eat you will vomit;
You will waste your courteous words. Do not speak to a dullard—
Who will disdain your sensible words. Do not remove ancient boundary stones;
Do not encroach upon the field of orphans, For they have a mighty Redeemer,
Who will surely take up their cause with you. Apply your mind to discipline
And your ears to wise sayings. Do not withhold discipline from children;
If you beat them with a rod they will not die. Beat them with a rod
And you will save them from the grave. My son, if your mind gets wisdom,
My mind, too, will be gladdened. I shall rejoice with all my heartaheart Lit. “kidneys.”
When your lips speak right things. Do not envy sinners in your heart,
But only those who fear GOD, at all times, For then you will have a future,
And your hope will never fail. Listen, my son, and get wisdom;
Lead your mind in a [proper] path. Do not be of those who guzzle wine,
Or glut themselves on meat, For guzzlers and gluttons will be impoverished,
And drowsing will clothe you in tatters. Listen to your father who begot you;
Do not disdain your mother when she is old. Buy truth and never sell it,
And wisdom, discipline, and understanding. The father of a righteous person will exult;
He who begets a wise child will rejoice in them. Your father and mother will rejoice;
She who bore you will exult. Give your mind to me, my son;
Let your eyes watch my ways. A prostitute is a deep pit;
A forbiddenbforbidden Lit. “alien.” woman is a narrow well. She too lies in wait as if for prey,
And destroys the unfaithful among men. Who cries, “Woe!” who, “Alas!”;
Who has quarrels, who complaints;
Who has wounds without cause;
Who has bleary eyes? Those whom wine keeps till the small hours,
Those who gather to drain the cups. Do not ogle that red wine
As it lends its color to the cup,
As it flows on smoothly; In the end, it bites like a snake;
It spits like a basilisk. Your eyes will see strange sights;
Your heartcheart See note to 15.28. will speak distorted things. You will be like one lying in bed on high seas,
Like one lying on top of the rigging.don top of the rigging Meaning of Heb. uncertain. “They struck me, but I felt no hurt;
They beat me, but I was unaware;
As often as I wake,
I go after it again.”

About This Text

Source

Proverbs

Category

Tanach

Reference

Proverbs 23

Related Texts

Learn More With These Speakers

Hear shiurim on Tanach from these renowned teachers

Study Proverbs Offline
Anywhere, Anytime

Torah Companion gives you access to the complete Jewish library with Hebrew texts, English translations, and commentaries - all available offline.

Free shipping | No monthly fees