1
כִּי־תֵשֵׁב לִלְחוֹם אֶת־מוֹשֵׁל בִּין תָּבִין אֶת־אֲשֶׁר לְפָנֶיךָ
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well him that is before thee;
Ἐὰν καθίσῃς δειπνεῖν ἐπὶ τραπέζης δυνάστου, νοητῶς νόει τὰ παρατιθέμενά σοι.
If thou sit to sup at the table of a prince, Consider attentively the things set before thee:
2
וְשַׂמְתָּ שַׂכִּין בְּלֹעֶךָ אִם־בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ אָתָּה
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Καὶ ἐπίβαλλε τὴν χεῖρά σου, εἰδὼς ὅτι τοιαῦτά σε δεῖ παρασκευάσαι· εἰ δὲ ἀπληστότερος εἶ,
And apply thy hand, Knowing that it behooves thee to prepare such [meats]: But if thou art very insatiable,
3
אַל־תִּתְאָו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָיו וְהוּא לֶחֶם כְּזָבִים
Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food.
μὴ ἐπιθύμει τῶν ἐδεσμάτων αὐτοῦ, ταῦτα γὰρ ἔχεται ζωῆς ψευδοῦς.
desire not his provisions; For these belong to a false life.
4
אַל־תִּיגַע לְהַעֲשִׁיר מִבִּינָתְךָ חֲדָל
Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
Μὴ παρεκτείνου πένης ὢν πλουσίῳ, τῇ δὲ σῇ ἐννοίᾳ ἀπόσχου.
If thou art poor, measure not thyself with a rich man; But refrain thyself in thy wisdom.
5
התעוף הֲתָעִיף עֵינֶיךָ בּוֹ וְאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי עָשֹׂה יַעֲשֶׂה־לּוֹ כְנָפַיִם כְּנֶשֶׁר ועיף יָעוּף הַשָּׁמָיִם
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
Ἐὰν ἐπιστήσῃς τὸ σὸν ὄμμα πρὸς αὐτὸν, οὐδαμοῦ φανεῖται· κατεσκεύασται γὰρ αὐτῷ πτέρυγες ὥσπερ ἀετοῦ, καὶ ὑποστρέφει εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ προεστηκότος αὐτοῦ.
If thou shouldest fix thine eye upon him, he will disappear; For wings like an eagle’s are prepared for him, And he returns to the house of his master.
6
אַל־תִּלְחַם אֶת־לֶחֶם רַע עָיִן וְאַל־תתאו תִּתְאָיו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָיו
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties;
Μὴ συνδείπνει ἀνδρὶ βασκάνῳ, μηδὲ ἐπιθύμει τῶν βρωμάτων αὐτοῦ,
Sup not with an envious man, Neither desire thou his meats:
7
כִּי כְּמוֹ־שָׁעַר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ כֶּן־הוּא אֱכֹל וּשְׁתֵה יֹאמַר לָךְ וְלִבּוֹ בַּל־עִמָּךְ
For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: 'Eat and drink', saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
ὃν τρόπον γὰρ εἴ τις καταπίοι τρίχα, οὕτως ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει· μηδὲ πρὸς σὲ εἰσαγάγῃς αὐτὸν, καὶ φάγῃς τὸν ψωμόν σου μετʼ αὐτοῦ,
So he eats and drinks As if anyone should swallow a hair, And do not bring him in to thyself, nor eat thy morsel with him:
8
פִּתְּךָ־אָכַלְתָּ תְקִיאֶנָּה וְשִׁחַתָּ דְּבָרֶיךָ הַנְּעִימִים
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
ἐξεμέσει γὰρ αὐτὸν, καὶ λυμανεῖται τοὺς λόγους σου τοὺς καλούς.
For he will vomit it up, and spoil thy fair words.
9
בְּאָזְנֵי כְסִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּר כִּי־יָבוּז לְשֵׂכֶל מִלֶּיךָ
Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Εἰς ὦτα ἄφρονος μηδὲν λέγε, μήποτε μυκτηρίσῃ τοὺς συνετοὺς λόγους σου.
Say nothing in the ears of a fool, Lest at any time he sneer at thy wise words.
10
אַל־תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עוֹלָם וּבִשְׂדֵי יְתוֹמִים אַל־תָּבֹא
Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless;
Μὴ μεταθῇς ὅρια αἰώνια, εἰς δὲ κτῆμα ὀρφανῶν μὴ εἰσέλθῃς·
Remove not the ancient landmarks; And enter not upon the possession of the fatherless:
11
כִּי־גֹאֲלָם חָזָק הוּא־יָרִיב אֶת־רִיבָם אִתָּךְ
For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with thee.
Ὁ γὰρ λυτρούμενος αὐτοὺς Κύριος, κραταιός ἐστι, καὶ κρινεῖ τὴν κρίσιν αὐτῶν μετὰ σοῦ.
For the Lord is their redeemer; He is mighty, and will plead their cause with thee.
12
הָבִיאָה לַמּוּסָר לִבֶּךָ וְאָזְנֶךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָעַת
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Δὸς εἰς παιδείαν τὴν καρδίαν σου, τὰ δὲ ὦτά σου ἑτοίμασον λόγοις αἰσθήσεως.
Apply thy heart to instruction, And prepare thine ears for words of discretion.
13
אַל־תִּמְנַע מִנַּעַר מוּסָר כִּי־תַכֶּנּוּ בַשֵּׁבֶט לֹא יָמוּת
Withhold not correction from the child; for though thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Μὴ ἀπόσχῃ νήπιον παιδεύειν, ὅτι ἐὰν πατάξῃς αὐτὸν ῥάβδῳ, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ.
Refrain not from chastening a child; For if thou beat him with the rod, he shall not die.
14
אַתָּה בַּשֵּׁבֶט תַּכֶּנּוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ מִשְּׁאוֹל תַּצִּיל
Thou beatest him with the rod, and wilt deliver his soul from the nether-world.
Συ μὲν γὰρ πατάξεις αὐτὸν ῥάβδῳ, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου ῥύσῃ.
For thou shalt beat him with the rod, And shalt deliver his soul from death.
15
בְּנִי אִם־חָכַם לִבֶּךָ יִשְׂמַח לִבִּי גַם־אָנִי
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;
Υἱὲ, ἐὰν σοφὴ γένηταί σου ἡ καρδία, εὐφρανεῖς καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν καρδίαν,
Son, if thy heart be wise, Thou shalt also gladden my heart;
16
וְתַעְלֹזְנָה כִלְיוֹתָי בְּדַבֵּר שְׂפָתֶיךָ מֵישָׁרִים
Yea, my reins will rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
καὶ ἐνδιατρίψει λόγοις τὰ σὰ χείλη πρὸς τὰ ἐμὰ χείλη ἐὰν ὀρθὰ ὦσι.
And thy lips shall converse with my lips, If they be right.
17
אַל־יְקַנֵּא לִבְּךָ בַּחַטָּאִים כִּי אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְהוָה כָּל־הַיּוֹם
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of HaShem all the day;
Μὴ ζηλούτω ἡ καρδία σου ἁμαρτωλοὺς, ἀλλὰ ἐν φόβῳ Κυρίου ἴσθι ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν.
Let not thy heart envy sinners: But be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day.
18
כִּי אִם־יֵשׁ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָתְךָ לֹא תִכָּרֵת
For surely there is a future; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
Ἐὰν γὰρ τηρήσῃς αὐτὰ, ἔσται σοι ἔκγονα, ἡ δὲ ἐλπίς σου οὐκ ἀποστήσεται.
For if thou shouldest keep these things, thou shalt have posterity; And thy hope shall not be removed.
19
שְׁמַע־אַתָּה בְנִי וַחֲכָם וְאַשֵּׁר בַּדֶּרֶךְ לִבֶּךָ
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
Ἄκουε υἱὲ, καὶ σοφὸς γίνου, καὶ κατεύθυνε ἐννοίας σῆς καρδίας.
Hear, [my] son, and be wise, And rightly direct the thoughts of thy heart.
20
אַל־תְּהִי בְסֹבְאֵי־יָיִן בְּזֹלֲלֵי בָשָׂר לָמוֹ
Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of flesh;
Μὴ ἴσθι οἰνοπότης, μηδὲ ἐκτείνου συμβολαῖς, κρεῶν τε ἀγορασμοῖς.
Be not a wine bibber, Neither continue long at feasts, and purchases of flesh:
21
כִּי־סֹבֵא וְזוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵשׁ וּקְרָעִים תַּלְבִּישׁ נוּמָה
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
Πᾶς γὰρ μέθυσος καὶ πορνοκόπος πτωχεύσει, καὶ ἐνδύσεται διεῤῥηγμένα καὶ ῥακώδη πᾶς ὑπνώδης.
For every drunkard and whoremonger shall be poor; And every sluggard shall clothe himself with tatters and ragged garments.
22
שְׁמַע לְאָבִיךָ זֶה יְלָדֶךָ וְאַל־תָּבוּז כִּי־זָקְנָה אִמֶּךָ
Hearken unto thy father that begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Ἄκουε, υἱὲ, πατρὸς τοῦ γεννήσαντός σε, καὶ μὴ καταφρόνει ὅτι γεγήρακέ σου ἡ μήτηρ.
Hearken, [my] son, to thy father which begot thee, And despise not [thy mother] because she is grown old.
23
אֱמֶת קְנֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּר חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר וּבִינָה
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24
גול גִּיל יגול יָגִיל אֲבִי צַדִּיק יולד וְיוֹלֵד חָכָם וישמח־יִשְׂמַח־בּוֹ
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
Καλῶς ἐκτρέφει πατὴρ δίκαιος, ἐπὶ δὲ υἱῷ σοφῷ εὐφραίνεται ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ.
A righteous father brings up [his children] well; And his soul rejoices over a wise son.
25
יִשְׂמַח־אָבִיךָ וְאִמֶּךָ וְתָגֵל יוֹלַדְתֶּךָ
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
Εὐφραινέσθω ὁ πατὴρ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ ἐπὶ σοὶ, καὶ χαιρέτω ἡ τεκοῦσά σε.
Let thy father and thy mother rejoice over thee, And let her that bore thee be glad.
26
תְּנָה־בְנִי לִבְּךָ לִי וְעֵינֶיךָ דְּרָכַי תרצנה תִּצֹּרְנָה
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Δός μοι υἱὲ σὴν καρδίαν, οἱ δὲ σοὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἐμὰς ὁδοὺς τηρείτωσαν.
[My] son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways.
27
כִּי־שׁוּחָה עֲמֻקָּה זוֹנָה וּבְאֵר צָרָה נָכְרִיָּה
For a harlot is a deep ditch; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.
Πίθος γὰρ τετρημένος ἐστὶν ἀλλότριος οἶκος, καὶ φρέαρ στενὸν ἀλλότριον.
For a strange house is a vessel full of holes; And a strange well is narrow.
28
אַף־הִיא כְּחֶתֶף תֶּאֱרֹב וּבוֹגְדִים בְּאָדָם תּוֹסִף
She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the faithless among men.
Οὗτος γὰρ συντόμως ἀπολεῖται, καὶ πᾶς παράνομος ἀναλωθήσεται.
For such a one shall perish suddenly; And every transgressor shall be cut off.
29
לְמִי אוֹי לְמִי אֲבוֹי לְמִי מדונים מִדְיָנִים לְמִי שִׂיחַ לְמִי פְּצָעִים חִנָּם לְמִי חַכְלִלוּת עֵינָיִם
Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? Who hath contentions? who hath raving? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Τίνι οὐαί; τίνι θόρυβος; τίνι κρίσεις; τίνι δὲ ἀηδίαι καὶ λέσχαι; τίνι συντρίμματα διακενῆς; τίνος πελιδνοὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί;
Who [has] woe? who trouble? who [has] quarrels? And who vexations and disputes? Who [has] bruises without a cause? Whose eyes are livid?
30
לַמְאַחֲרִים עַל־הַיָּיִן לַבָּאִים לַחְקֹר מִמְסָךְ
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
Οὐ τῶν ἐγχρονιζόντων ἐν οἴνοις; οὐ τῶν ἰχνευόντων ποῦ πότοι γίνονται; μὴ μεθύσκεσθε ἐν οἴνοις, ἀλλὰ ὁμιλεῖτε ἀνθρώποις δικαίοις καὶ ὁμιλεῖτε ἐν περιπάτοις.
Are not those of them that stay long at wine? [Are] not [those] of them that haunt [the places] where banquets are? Be not drunk with wine; but converse with just men, And converse [with them] openly.
31
אַל־תֵּרֶא יַיִן כִּי יִתְאַדָּם כִּי־יִתֵּן בכיס בַּכּוֹס עֵינוֹ יִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִים
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it glideth down smoothly;
Ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς τὰς φιάλας καὶ τὰ ποτήρια δῷς τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, ὕστερον περιπατήσεις γυμνότερος ὑπέρου.
For if thou shouldest set thine eyes on bowls and cups, Thou shalt afterward go more naked than a pestle.
32
אַחֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָשׁ יִשָּׁךְ וּכְצִפְעֹנִי יַפְרִשׁ
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.
Τὸ δὲ ἔσχατον ὥσπερ ὑπὸ ὄφεως πεπληγὼς ἐκτείνεται, καὶ ὥσπερ ὑπὸ κεράστου διαχεῖται αὐτῷ ὁ ἰός.
But at last [such a one] stretches himself out as one smitten by a serpent, And venom is diffused through him as by a horned serpent.
33
עֵינֶיךָ יִרְאוּ זָרוֹת וְלִבְּךָ יְדַבֵּר תַּהְפֻּכוֹת
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter confused things.
Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἀλλοτρίαν, τὸ στόμα σου τότε λαλήσει σκολιά.
Whenever thine eyes shall behold a strange woman, Then thy mouth shall speak perverse things.
34
וְהָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵב בְּלֶב־יָם וּכְשֹׁכֵב בְּרֹאשׁ חִבֵּל
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Καὶ κατακείσῃ ὥσπερ ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης, καὶ ὥσπερ κυβερνήτης ἐν πολλῷ κλύδωνι.
And thou shalt lie as in the midst of the sea, And as a pilot in a great storm.
35
הִכּוּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי הֲלָמוּנִי בַּל־יָדָעְתִּי מָתַי אָקִיץ אוֹסִיף אֲבַקְשֶׁנּוּ עוֹד
'They have struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'
Ἐρεῖς δὲ, τύπτουσί με καὶ οὐκ ἐπόνεσα, καὶ ἐνέπαιξάν μοι, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ᾔδειν· πότε ὄρθρος ἔσται, ἵνα ἐλθὼν ζητήσω μεθʼ ὧν συνελεύσομαι;
And thou shalt say, They smote me, and I was not pained; And they mocked me, and I knew it not: When will it be morning, that I may go and seek those with whom I may go in company?