1
[בְּנִי אִם תִּקְרַב לַעֲבוֹד אֶת יְהֹוָה, הָכֵן נַפְשְׁךָ לְכָל נִסָּיוֹן.]
My child, if you will draw near to the work of the Lord, prepare your soul for all manner of trials.
Τεκνὸν εἰ προσέρχῃ δουλεύειν Κυρίῳ Θεῷ, ἑτοίμασον τὴν ψυχήν σου εἰς πειρασμόν.
My son, if thou come to serve the Lord God, Prepare thy soul for temptation.
2
[הָכֵן לִבְּךָ וְהִתְחַזֵּק, וְאַל תִּבָּהֵל בְּיוֹם אֵד.]
Prepare your heart and be strengthened, and do not panic on the day of destruction.
Εὔθυνον τὴν καρδίαν σου καὶ καρτέρησον, καὶ μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐν καιρῷ ἐπαγωγῆς.
Set thy heart aright, and constantly endure, And make not haste in time of trouble.
3
[הִדָּבֵק בּוֹ וְאַל תָּסוּר, לְמַעַן תִּגְדַּל בְּאַחֲרִיתֶךָ.]
Cleave unto God and do not turn away, that you may have a great future.
Κολλήθητι αὐτῷ καὶ μὴ ἀποστῇς, ἵνα αὐξηθῇς ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων σου.
Cleave unto him, and depart not away, That thou mayest be increased at thy last end.
4
[כָּל הַבָּא עָלֶיךָ קַבֵּל, וּבְשִׁבְרְךָ הַאֲרֵךְ רוּחַ.]
Receive all who come to you, and be of open spirit with your provisions.
Πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν ἐπαχθῇ σοι, δέξαι, καὶ ἐν ἀλλάγμασι ταπεινώσεώς σου μακροθύμησον.
Whatsoever is brought upon thee take cheerfully, And be patient when thou art changed to a low estate.
5
[כִּי בָאֵשׁ יִבָּחֵן זָהָב, וּבְנֵי אָדָם בְּכוּר עֹנִי.]
For gold is tested in fire, and humanity is matured by poverty.
Ὅτι ἐν πυρὶ δοκιμάζεται χρυσὸς, καὶ ἄνθρωποι δεκτοὶ ἐν καμίνῳ ταπεινώσεως.
For gold is tried in the fire, And acceptable men in the furnace of adversity.
6
[הַאֲמֵן בּוֹ וְהוּא יַחֲזִיק בְּךָ, יַשֵּׁר אָרְחוֹתֶיךָ וְקַוֵּה אֵלָיו.]
Have faith in God and God will strengthen you, firm your path and have hope in God.
Πίστευσον αὐτῷ καὶ ἀντιλήψεταί σου, εὔθυνον τὰς ὁδούς σου καὶ ἔλπισον ἐπʼ αὐτόν.
Believe in him, and he will help thee; Order thy way aright, and trust in him.
7
[יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה חַכּוּ לְחַסְדּוֹ, וְאַל תִּטּוּ פֶּן תִּפֹלוּ.]
Let those who fear the Lord anticipate God's grace, and not incline lest you fall.
Οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Κύριον, ἀναμείνατε τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἐκκλίνητε ἵνα μὴ πέσητε.
Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; And go not aside, lest ye fall.
8
[יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה הַאֲמִינוּ בּוֹ, וְהוּא לֹא יָלִין שְׂכַרְכֶם.]
Let those who fear the Lord trust in God, and God will not tarry in your reward.
Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον πιστεύσατε αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐ μὴ πταίσῃ ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν.
Ye that fear the Lord, believe him; And your reward shall not fail.
9
[יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה קַוּוּ לְטוֹב, וּלְשִׁמְחַת עוֹלָם וָחֶסֶד.]
Let those who fear the Lord (wait for) goodness, and for eternal joy and grace.
Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον ἐλπίσατε εἰς ἀγαθὰ, καὶ εἰς εὐφροσύνην αἰῶνος καὶ ἐλέους.
Ye that fear the Lord, hope for good, And for everlasting joy and mercy.
10
[הַבִּיטוּ לְדוֹרוֹת רִאשׂוֹנִים, מִי הֶאֱמִין בַּיהֹוָה וַיֵּבוֹשׁ.] [אוֹ מִי בָּטַח בּוֹ וְנֶעֱזַב, אוֹ מִי קָרָא אֵלָיו וְלֹא נֶעֱנָה.]
Look to the earlier generations, was there any that trusted in the Lord and was disgraced? (10) Or any who relied on God and was abandoned, or any who called on God and was not answered?
Ἐμβλέψατε εἰς ἀρχαίας γενεὰς καὶ ἴδετε, τίς ἐνεπίστευσε Κυρίῳ καὶ κατῃσχύνθη; ἢ τίς ἐνέμεινε τῷ φόβῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐγκατελείφθη; ἢ τίς ἐπεκαλέσατο αὐτὸν, καὶ ὑπερεῖδεν αὐτόν;
Look at the generations of old, and see; Did ever any trust in the Lord, and was confounded? Or did any abide in his fear, and was forsaken? Or whom did he ever despise, that called upon him?
11
[כִּי רָחוּם וְחַנּוּן יְהֹוָה, וְסוֹלֵחַ לַעֲוֹנוֹת וּמוֹשִׁיעַ בְּעֵת צָרָה.]
For compassionate and merciful is the Lord, forgiving transgressions and granting deliverance in an hour of need.
Διότι οἰκτίρμων καὶ ἐλεήμων ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἀφίησιν ἁμαρτίας, καὶ σώζει ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως.
For the Lord is full of compassion and mercy, Long-suffering, and very pitiful, and forgiveth sins, And saveth in time of affliction.
12
[אוֹי לְרַכֵּי לֵב וּרְפֵה יָדָיִם, וְלָרָשָׁע עִקֵּשׁ דְּרָכַיִם.]
Woe to the weak-willed and those quick to give up, and to the wicked one with twisted ways.
Οὐαὶ καρδίαις δειλαῖς, καὶ χερσὶ παρειμέναις, καὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ ἐπιβαίνοντι ἐπὶ δύο τρίβους.
Woe be to fearful hearts, and faint hands, And the sinner that goeth two ways!
13
[אוֹי לְלֵב אֲשֶׁר לֹא יַאֲמִין, וְאַף הוּא לֹא יָקוּם.]
Woe to the untrusting heart, it will surely not rise up.
Οὐαὶ καρδίᾳ παρειμένῃ, ὅτι οὐ πιστεύει, διὰ τοῦτο οὐ σκεπασθήσεται.
Woe unto him that is fainthearted! for he believeth not; Therefore shall he not be defended.
14
[אוֹי לָכֶם אוֹבְדֵי תִּקְוָה, וּמַה תַּעֲשׂוּ בִּפְקוֹד יְהֹוָה.]
Woe to you who lost hope, what will you do at the reckoning of the Lord?!
Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἀπολωλεκόσι τὴν ὑπομονὴν, καὶ τί ποιήσετε ὅταν ἐπισκέπτηται ὁ Κύριος;
Woe unto you that have lost patience! And what will ye do when the Lord shall visit you?
15
[יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה לֹא יַמְרוּ בִּדְרָכָיו, וְאוֹהֲבָיו יִצְרוּ אָרְחוֹתָיו.]
Those who fear the Lord will not change [boast] in his ways, and those who love him will preserve his paths.
Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον οὐκ ἀπειθήσουσι ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἀγαπῶντες αὐτὸν συντηπήσουσι τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ.
They that fear the Lord will not disobey his word; And they that love him will keep his ways.
16
[יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה יְבַקְּשׁוּ רְצוֹנוֹ, וְאֹהֲבָיו יִלְמְדוּ תוֹרָתוֹ.]
Those who fear the Lord will seek his will, and those who love him will learn his law.
Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον ζητήσουσιν εὐδοκίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἀγαπῶντες αὐτὸν ἐμπλησθήσονται τοῦ νόμου.
They that fear the Lord will seek that which is well-pleasing unto him; And they that love him shall be filled with the law.
17
[יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה יָכִינוּ לְבָבָם, וּלְפָנָיו יַכְנִיעוּ רוּחָם.]
Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and before him humble their spirit.
Οἱ φοβούμενοι Κύριον ἐτοιμάσουσι καρδίας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ παπεινώσουσι τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν.
They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, And humble their souls in his sight,
18
[נִפֹּל בְּיַד יְהֹוָה וְלֹא בְּיַד אָדָם, כִּי כְּגָדְלוֹ כֵּן חַסְדּוֹ.]
We will fall by the hands of the Lord and not by the hands of humanity; for as he is great, so is his kindness.
Ἐμπεσούμεθα εἰς χεῖρας Κυρίου, καὶ οὐκ εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων· ὡς γὰρ ἡ μεγαλωσύνη αὐτοῦ, οὕτως καὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ.
[Saying], We will fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men: For as his majesty is, so is his mercy.