Proverbs 9
18 verses · Hebrew with nikud, English alongside · tap 🔊 to hear a verse
חׇ֭כְמוֹת בָּנְתָ֣ה בֵיתָ֑הּ חָצְבָ֖ה עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ שִׁבְעָֽה׃
khokhmot banetah vetah khatsevah ammudeha shivah
Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn her seven pillars.
טָבְחָ֣ה טִ֭בְחָהּ מָסְכָ֣ה יֵינָ֑הּ אַ֝֗ף עָרְכָ֥ה שֻׁלְחָנָֽהּ׃
tavekhah tivkhah masekhah yenah af arekhah shulkhanah
She has prepared the feast, Mixed the wine, And also set the table.
שָׁלְחָ֣ה נַעֲרֹתֶ֣יהָ תִקְרָ֑א עַל־גַּ֝פֵּ֗י מְרֹ֣מֵי קָֽרֶת׃
shalekhah na'aroteha tiqra al-gappe merome qaret
She has sent out her maids to announce On the heights of the town,
מִֽי־פֶ֭תִי יָסֻ֣ר הֵ֑נָּה חֲסַר־לֵ֝֗ב אָ֣מְרָה לּֽוֹ׃
mi-feti yasur hennah khasar-lev amerah lo
“Let the simple enter here.” To those devoid of sense she says,
לְ֭כוּ לַחֲמ֣וּ בְֽלַחֲמִ֑י וּ֝שְׁת֗וּ בְּיַ֣יִן מָסָֽכְתִּי׃
lekhu lakhamu velakhami ushetu beyayin masakheti
“Come, eat my food And drink the wine that I have mixed;
עִזְב֣וּ פְתָאיִ֣ם וִֽחְי֑וּ וְ֝אִשְׁר֗וּ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ בִּינָֽה׃
izvu fetayim vikhyu ve'ishru bederekh binah
Give up simpleness and live, Walk in the way of understanding.”
יֹ֤סֵ֨ר ׀ לֵ֗ץ לֹקֵ֣חַֽ ל֣וֹ קָל֑וֹן וּמוֹכִ֖יחַ לְרָשָׁ֣ע מוּמֽוֹ׃
yoser lets loqeakh lo qalon umokhiakh lerasha mumo
To correct a scoffer, Or rebuke an evildoer regarding a blemish, Is to call down abuse on oneself.
אַל־תּ֣וֹכַח לֵ֭ץ פֶּן־יִשְׂנָאֶ֑ךָּ הוֹכַ֥ח לְ֝חָכָ֗ם וְיֶאֱהָבֶֽךָּ׃
al-tokhakh lets pen-yisna'ekka hokhakh lekhakham veye'ehavekka
Do not rebuke scoffers, for they will hate you; Reprove the wise, and they will love you.
תֵּ֣ן לְ֭חָכָם וְיֶחְכַּם־ע֑וֹד הוֹדַ֥ע לְ֝צַדִּ֗יק וְי֣וֹסֶף לֶֽקַח׃
ten lekhakham veyekhkam-od hoda letsaddiq veyosef leqakh
Instruct the wise, and they will grow wiser; Teach the righteous, and they will gain in learning.
תְּחִלַּ֣ת חׇ֭כְמָה יִרְאַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת קְדֹשִׁ֣ים בִּינָֽה׃
tekhillat khokhmah yirat Adonai veda'at qedoshim binah
The beginning of wisdom is fear of GOD, And knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
כִּי־בִ֭י יִרְבּ֣וּ יָמֶ֑יךָ וְיוֹסִ֥יפוּ לְּ֝ךָ֗ שְׁנ֣וֹת חַיִּֽים׃
ki-vi yirbu yamekha veyosifu lekha shenot khayyim
For through me your days will increase, And years be added to your life.
אִם־חָ֭כַמְתָּ חָכַ֣מְתָּ לָּ֑ךְ וְ֝לַ֗צְתָּ לְֽבַדְּךָ֥ תִשָּֽׂא׃
im-khakhamta khakhamta lakh velatsta levaddekha tissa
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; If you are a scoffer, you bear it alone.
אֵ֣שֶׁת כְּ֭סִילוּת הֹמִיָּ֑ה פְּ֝תַיּ֗וּת וּבַל־יָ֥דְעָה מָּֽה׃
eshet kesilut homiyyah petayyut uval-yade'ah mah
The stupid woman bustles about; She is simple and knows nothing.
וְֽ֭יָשְׁבָה לְפֶ֣תַח בֵּיתָ֑הּ עַל־כִּ֝סֵּ֗א מְרֹ֣מֵי קָֽרֶת׃
veyashevah lefetakh betah al-kisse merome qaret
She sits in the doorway of her house, Or on a chair at the heights of the town,
לִקְרֹ֥א לְעֹֽבְרֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ הַֽ֝מְיַשְּׁרִ֗ים אֹֽרְחוֹתָֽם׃
liqro le'overe-darekh hameyasherim orekhotam
Calling to all the wayfarers Who go about their own affairs,
מִֽי־פֶ֭תִי יָסֻ֣ר הֵ֑נָּה וַחֲסַר־לֵ֝֗ב וְאָ֣מְרָה לּֽוֹ׃
mi-feti yasur hennah vakhasar-lev ve'amerah lo
“Let the simple enter here”; And to those devoid of sense she says,
מַֽיִם־גְּנוּבִ֥ים יִמְתָּ֑קוּ וְלֶ֖חֶם סְתָרִ֣ים יִנְעָֽם׃
mayim-genuvim yimtaqu velekhem setarim yinam
“Stolen waters are sweet, And bread eaten furtively is tasty.”
וְֽלֹא־יָ֭דַע כִּֽי־רְפָאִ֣ים שָׁ֑ם בְּעִמְקֵ֖י שְׁא֣וֹל קְרֻאֶֽיהָ׃ {פ}
velo-yada ki-refa'im sham be'imqe she'ol qeru'eha
He does not know that the shades are there, That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Hebrew text and English translation from Sefaria, under their Creative Commons licence.
Yaacov, native Jerusalemite
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