1
נוֹגֵעַ בְּזֶפֶת תִּדְבַּק יָדוֹ, וְחוֹבֵר אֶל לֵץ יִלְמַד דַּרְכּוֹ.
Whoso toucheth pitch, it shall cleave to his hand (?); And he that hath fellowship with a scorner will learn his way.
Ὁ ἁπτομενος πίσσης μολυνθήσεται, καὶ ὁ κοινωνῶν ὑπερηφάνῳ ὁμοιωθήσεται αὐτῷ.
He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith; And he that hath fellowship with a proud man shall be like unto him.
2
כָּבֵד מִמְּךָ מַה תִּשָּׂא, וְאֶל עָשִׁיר מִמְּךָ מַה תִּתְחַבָּר. מַה יְחֻבַּר פָּרוּר אֶל סִיר, אֲשֶׁר הוּא נוֹקֵשׁ בּוֹ וְהוּא נִשְׁבָּר. אוֹ מַה יְּחֻבַּר, עָשִׁיר אֶל דָּל.
What is too heavy for thee wherefore shouldest thou lift? And wherefore have fellowship with one that is richer than thou? What fellowship shall earthen pot have with kettle, When if this smite that, it is dashed in pieces? What fellowship shall the rich have with the poor?
Βάρος ὑπὲρ σὲ μὴ ἄρῃς, καὶ ἰσχυροτέρῳ σου καὶ πλουσιωτέρῳ μὴ κοινώνει· τί κοινωνήσει χύτρα πρὸς λέβητα; αὕτη προσκρούσει, καὶ αὕτη συντριβήσεται.
Burden not thyself above thy power while thou livest; And have no fellowship with one that is mightier and richer than thyself: For how agree the kettle and the earthen pot together? For if the one be smitten against the other, it shall be broken.
3
עָשִׁיר יְעַוֶּה הוּא יִתְנַוֶּה, וְאִם דַּל יְעַוֶּה הוּא יִתְחַנָּן.
The rich doeth a wrong, and he boasteth himself of it (?): The poor is wronged, and he must entreat withal (?).
Πλούσιος ἠδίκησε, καὶ αὐτὸς προσενεβριμήσατο· πτωχὸς ἠδίκηται, καὶ αὐτὸς προσδεηθήσεται.
The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal: The poor is wronged, and he must entreat also.
4
אִם תִּכְשַׁר לוֹ יַעֲבֹד בָּךְ, וְאִם תִּכְרַע לֹא יַחְמֹל עָלֶיךָ.
If thou be right for him, he will make thee serve him; And if thou be brought low, he will be sparing of thee.
Ἐὰν χρησιμεύσῃς, ἐργᾶται ἐν σοί· καὶ ἐὰν ὑστερήσῃς, καταλείψει σε.
If thou be for his profit, he will use thee; But if thou have nothing, he will forsake thee.
5
אִם שַלְּךָ יֵיטִיב דְּבָרָיו עִמָּךְ, וִירֹשֶׁשְׁךָ וְלֹא יִכְאַב לוֹ.
If thou have substance (?), he will speak thee fair; And he will impoverish thee, and will not be sorry.
Ἐὰν ἔχῃς, συμβιώσεταί σοι, καὶ ἀποκενώσει σε, καὶ αὐτὸς οὐ πονέσει.
If thou have anything, he will live with thee: Yea, he will make thee bare, and will not be sorry for it.
6
צֹרֶךְ לוֹ עִמְּךָ וְהָשִׁיעַ לָךְ, וְשׁוֹחֵק לְךָ וְהִבְטִיחֶךָ.
Hath he need of thee? then he will toy with thee (?); And he will smile upon thee, and encourage thee.
Χρείαν ἔσχηκέ σου, καὶ ἀποπλανήσει σε, καὶ προσγελάσεταί σοι, καὶ δώσει σοι ἐλπίδα· λαλήσει σοι καλὰ, καὶ ἐρεῖ, τίς ἡ χρεία σου;
If he have need of thee, he will deceive thee, And smile upon thee, and put thee in hope; He will speak thee fair, and say, What wantest thou?
7
עַד אֲשֶׁר תּוֹעִיל יְהָתֵל בָּךְ, פַעֲמַיִם שָׁלֹשׁ יַעֲרִיצֶךָ. וּבְכֵן יִרְאֲךָ לְהִתְעַבֵּר בָּךְ, וּבְרֹאשׁוֹ יָנִיעַ אֵלֶיךָ.
So long as it profiteth he will cajole thee. Twice or thrice he will shew thee reverence (?); And then he will look at thee and pass thee by (?); And will wag his head at thee.
Καὶ αἰσχυνεῖ σε ἐν τοῖς βρώμασιν αὐτοῦ, ἕως οὗ ἀποκενώσῃ σε δὶς ἢ τρὶς, καὶ ἐπʼ ἐσχάτῳ καταμωκήσεταί σου· μετὰ ταῦτα ὄψεταί σε, καὶ καταλείψει σε, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ κινήσει ἐπὶ σοί.
And he will shame thee by his meats, Until he have drawn thee dry twice or thrice, And at the last he will laugh thee to scorn: Afterward, when he seeth thee, he will forsake thee, And shake his head at thee.
8
הִשָּׁמֵר אַל תִּרְהַב מְאֹד, וְאַל תִּדְמֶה בַּחֲסֵירֵי מַדָּע.
Take heed that thou be not urgent (?) overmuch; And be not like to them that lack intelligence.
Πρόσεχε μὴ ἀποπλανηθῇς, καὶ μὴ ταπεινωθῇς ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ σου.
Beware that thou be not deceived, And brought down in thy jollity.
9
קָרֵב נָדִיב הֱיֶה רָחוֹק, וּכְדֵי כֵן יַגִּישֶׁךָ.
Doth a noble draw near? be thou distant; And so much the more he will approach thee.
Προσκαλεσαμένου σε δυνάστου, ὑποχωρῶν γίνου, καὶ τόσῳ μᾶλλον προσκαλέσεταί σε.
If thou be invited of a mighty man, withdraw thyself, And so much the more will he invite thee.
10
אַל תִּתְקָרֵב פֶּן תִּתְרַחֵק, וְאַל תִּתְרַחֵק פֶּן תִּשָּׂנֵא.
Come not near, lest thou be put far off; And stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten (G).
Μὴ ἔμπιπτε ἵνα μὴ ἀπωσθῇς, καὶ μὴ μακρὰν ἀφιστῶ ἵνα μὴ ἐπιλησθῇς.
Press thou not upon him, lest thou be put back; Stand not far off, lest thou be forgotten.
11
אַל תִּבְטַח לְחֹפֶשׁ עִמּוֹ, וְאַל תַּאֲמִין לְרֹב שִׂיחוֹ. כִּי מַרְבִּית שִׂיחוֹ נִסּיוֹן, וְשֹׂחֵק לְךָ וַחֲקָרֶךָ.
Make not bold to be free (?) with him; And mistrust thou his much talk. For with his much talk maketh he trial of thee; And he will smile upon thee, and search thee out.
Μὴ ἔπεχε εἰσηγορεῖσθαι μετʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ πίστευε τοῖς πλείοσι λόγοις αὐτοῦ· ἐκ πολλῆς γὰρ λαλιᾶς πειράσει σε, καὶ ὡς προσγελῶν ἐξετάσει.
Affect not to be made equal unto him in talk, And believe not his many words: For with much communication will he tempt thee, And smiling upon thee will get out thy secrets:
12
אַכְזָרִי יִתֵּן כֹּשֶׂל וְלֹא יַחְמוֹל, עַל נֶפֶשׁ רַבִּים קוֹשֵׂר קָשֶר.
He that is cruel will speak peace (?) and spare not; While he plotteth a plot against the life of many.
Ἀνελεήμων ὁ μὴ συντηρῶν λόγους, καὶ οὐ μὴ φείσηται περὶ κακώσεως καὶ δεσμῶν.
But cruelly he will lay up thy words, And will not spare to do thee hurt, and to put thee in prison.
13
הִשָּׁמֵר וֶהְיֵה זָהִיר, וְאַל תִּתְהַלֵּךְ עִם אַנְשֵׁי חָמָס.
Take heed and beware; And go not with men of violence.
Συντήρησον καὶ πρόσεχε σφοδρῶς, ὅτι μετὰ τῆς πτώσεώς σου περιπατεῖς.
Observe, and take good heed, For thou walkest in peril of thy overthrowing: When thou hearest these things, awake in thy sleep.
15
כָּל הַבָּשָׂר יֶאֱהַב מִינוֹ, וְכָל אָדָם אֶת הַדּוֹמֶה לוֹ. מִין כָּל בָּשָׂר אֶצְלוֹ, וְאֶל מִינוֹ יְחֻבַּר אָדָם.
All flesh loveth its kind; And every man him that is like unto him. The kind of all flesh consorteth therewith; And a man will have fellowship with his kind.
Πᾶν ζῶον ἀγαπᾷ τὸ ὅμοιον αὐτῷ, καὶ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ.
Every beast loveth his like, And every man loveth his neighbor.
16
Πᾶσα σὰρξ κατὰ γένος συνάγεται, καὶ τῷ ὁμοίῳ αὐτοῦ προσκολληθήσεται ἀνήρ.
All flesh consorteth according to kind, And a man will cleave to his like.
17
מַה יְּחֻבַּר זְאֵב אֶל כֶּבֶשׂ, כַּךְ רָשָׁע לַצַּדִיק, וְכֵן עָשִׁיר אֶל אִישׁ נֶאֱצָל.
What fellowship shall wolf have with lamb? Such is the wicked to the righteous; And so is the rich unto a man that is destitute.
Τί κοινωνήσει λύκος ἀμνῷ; οὕτως ἁμαρτωλὸς πρὸς εὐσεβῆ.
What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? So the sinner with the godly.
18
מֵאַיִן שָׁלוֹם צָבוּעַ אֶל כָּלֶב, מֵאַיִן שְׁלוֹם עָשִׁיר אֶל רָשׁ.
How should there be (?) peace between hyena and dog? How should there be peace between rich and poor?
Τίς εἰρήνη ὑαίνῃ πρὸς κύνα; καὶ τίς εἰρήνη πλουσίῳ πρὸς πένητα;
What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? And what peace between the rich and the poor?
19
מַאֲכַל אֲרִי פִּרְאֵי מִדְבָּר, כֵּן מַרְעִית עָשִׁיר דַּלִּים.
Wild asses of the wilderness are food for the lion: So the poor are the prey of the rich.
Κυνήγια λεόντων ὄναγροι ἐν ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως νομαὶ πλουσίων πτωχοί.
As the wild ass is the lion’s prey in the wilderness: So the rich eat up the poor.
20
תּוֹעֲבַת גַּאֲוָה עֲנָוָה, וְתוֹעֲבַת עָשִׁיר אֶבְיוֹן. עָשִׁיר מוּט נִסְמָךְ מֵרֵעַ, וְדַל נָמוֹט נִדְחָה מֵרֵעַ אֶל רֵעַ.
Lowliness is the abomination of pride; And the needy is the abomination of the rich. A rich man when he is shaken is held up (?) of a friend; But the poor when he is shaken is thrust from evil to evil (?).
Βδέλυγμα ὑπερηφάνῳ ταπεινότης, οὕτως βδέλυγμα πλουσίῳ πτωχός.
As the proud hate humility: So doth the rich abhor the poor.
21
עָשִׁיר מְדַבֵּר וְעוֹזְרָיו רַבִּים, וּדְבָרָיו מְכוֹעֲרִין מְיוּפִּין.
The rich speaketh, and his helpers are many; And his unseemly words are overlaid (?).
Πλούσιος σαλευόμενος στηρίζεται ὑπὸ φίλων, ταπεινὸς δὲ πεσὼν προσαπωθεῖται ὑπὸ φίλων.
A rich man beginning to fall is held up of his friends: But a poor man being down is thrust also away by his friends.
22
דַּל נָמוֹט מְדַבֵּר גָּע גָּע יִשֶּׂא, וְדִבֶּר מַשְׂכִּיל וְאֵין לוֹ מָקוֹם.
A poor man speaketh (G S), and they hoot at him (?); Though he be wise that speaketh, there is no place for him.
Πλουσίου σφαλέντος πολλοὶ ἀντιλήμπτορες, ἐλάλησεν ἀπόῤῥητα καὶ ἐδικαίωσαν αὐτόν· ταπεινὸς ἔσφαλε καὶ προσεπετίμησαν αὐτῷ, ἐφθέγξατο σύνεσιν καὶ οὐκ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ τόπος.
When a rich man is fallen, he hath many helpers: He speaketh things not to be spoken, and yet men justify him: The poor man slipped, and yet they rebuked him too; He spoke wisely, and could have no place.
23
עָשִׁיר דּוֹבֵר הַכֹּל נִסְכָּתוּ, וְאֶת שִׂכְלוֹ עַד עָב יַגִּיעוּ. דַּל דּוֹבֵר מִי זֶה יֹאמֵרוּ, וְאִם נִתְקַל גַּם הֵם יֶהְדֳּפוּהוּ.
When the rich speaketh, all keep silence; And (?) they extol his wisdom to the clouds. When the poor speaketh, Who is this? say they; And if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him.
Πλούσιος ἐλάλησε καὶ πάντες ἐσίγησαν, καὶ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἀνύψωσαν ἕως τῶν νεφελῶν· πτωχὸς ἐλάλησε, καὶ εἶπαν, τίς οὗτος; κἂν προσκόψῃ, προσανατρέψουσιν αὐτόν.
When a rich man speaketh, every man holdeth his tongue, And, look, what he saith, they extol it to the clouds: But if the poor man speak, they say, What fellow is this? And if he stumble, they will help to overthrow him.
24
טוֹב הָעֹשֶׂר אִם אֵין עָוֹן, וְרַע הָעוֹנִי עַל פִּי זָדוֹן.
Good is wealth, if it be without iniquity; And evil is poverty in the mouth of arrogancy.
Ἀγαθὸς ὁ πλοῦτος ᾧ μὴ ἔστιν ἁμαρτία, καὶ πονηρὰ ἡ πτωχεία ἐν στόμασιν ἀσεβοῦς.
Riches are good unto him that hath no sin, And poverty is evil in the mouth of the ungodly.
25
לֵב אֱנוֹשׁ יְשַׁנֵּא פָנָיו, אִם לְטוֹב וְאִם לְרָע.
The heart of a man changeth his countenance; Whether for good or for evil.
Καρδία ἀνθρώπου ἀλλοιοῖ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, ἐὰν εἰς ἀγαθὰ ἐάν τε εἰς κακά.
The heart of a man changeth his countenance, whether it be for good or evil.
26
עִקְבוֹת לֵב טוֹב פָּנִים אוֹרִים, וְשִׂיג וְשִׂיחַ מַחֲשֶׁבֶת עָמָל.
A token of a merry heart is a bright countenance; And study and meditation is wearisome thought (?).
Ἴχνος καρδίας ἐν ἀγαθοῖς πρόσωπον ἱλαρὸν, καὶ εὕρεσις παραβολῶν διαλογισμοὶ μετὰ κόπου.
A cheerful countenance is a token of a heart that is in prosperity; And the finding out of parables is a wearisome labor of the mind.