1
אִם תֵּטִיב תֵּדַע לְמִי תֵטִיב, וִיהִי תִקְוָה לְטוֹבָתָךְ.
If you do good, know to whom you do it, and there will be hope for your kindness.
Ἐὰν εὖ ποιῇς, γνῶθι τίνι ποιεῖς, καὶ ἔσται χάρις τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς σου.
When thou wilt do good, know to whom thou doest it; So shalt thou be thanked for thy benefits.
2
הֵיטִב לַצַּדִּיק תִּמְצָא תַשְׁלוּמַת, אִם לֹא מִמֶּנוּ מֵיְהֹוָה.
Do good to the righteous, and find recompense; If not from him, from the Lord.
Εὐποίησον εὐσεβεῖ, καὶ εὑρήσεις ἀνταπόδομα, καὶ εἰ μὴ παρʼ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ ὑψίστου.
Do good to the godly man, and thou shalt find a recompense; And if not from him, yet from the most High.
3
אֵין טוֹבָה לִמְנֹחַ רָשָׁע, וְגַם צְדָקָה לאֹ עָשָׂה.
No good cometh of bestowing upon (?) him that is wicked; And (?) that hath not done righteousness.
Οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὰ τῷ ἐνελεχίζοντι εἰς κακὰ, καὶ τῷ ἐλεημοσύνην μὴ χαριζομένῳ.
There can no good come to him that is always occupied in evil, Nor to him that giveth no alms.
4
פִּי שְׁנַיִם רָעָה תַּשִּׂיג בְּעֵת צֹרֶךְ, בְּכָל טוֹבָה תַּגִּיעַ אֵלָיו.
A double portion of evil shalt thou obtain in time of need By all the good thou shalt have brought him.
Δὸς τῷ εὐσεβεῖ, καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβῃ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ.
Give to the godly man, And help not a sinner.
5
כְּלֵי לָחֶם אַל תִּתֵּן לוֹ, לָמָּה בָם יַקְבִּיל אֵלֶיךָ.
Weapons of war (H S) give not to him; Wherefore should he fight with them against thee?
Εὐποίησον τῷ ταπεινῷ, καὶ μὴ δῷς ἀσεβεῖ· ἐμπόδισον τοὺς ἄρτους αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ δῷς αὐτῷ ἵνα μὴ ἐν αὐτοῖς σε δυναστεύσῃ· διπλάσια γὰρ κακὰ εὑρήσεις ἐν πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς οἷς ἂν ποιήσῃς αὐτῷ.
Do well unto him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly: Hold back thy bread, and give it not unto him, lest he overmaster thee thereby: For [else] thou shalt receive twice as much evil For all the good thou shalt have done unto him.
6
כִּי גַם אֵל שֹוֹנֵא רָעִים, וּלָרְשָׁעִים יָשִׁיב נָקָם.
For God also hateth them that are evil; And to the wicked he will repay vengeance.
Ὅτι καὶ ὁ ὕψιστος ἐμίσησεν ἁμαρτωλούς, καὶ τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν ἀποδώσει ἐκδίκησιν.
For the most High hateth sinners, And will repay vengeance unto the ungodly, And keepeth them against the mighty day of their punishment.
7
תֵּן לַטּוֹב וּמְנַע מֵרָע, הֹקֵיר מָךְ וְאַל תִּתֵּן לְזֵר.
Give to the good, and withhold from the evil; Honour the humble, and give not to the proud.
Δὸς τῷ ἀγαθῷ, καὶ μὴ ἀντιλάβῃ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ.
Give unto the good, And help not the sinner.
8
לֹא יִוָּדַע בַּטּוֹבָה אוֹהֵב, וְלֹא יְכֻסֶּה בְרָעָה שׂוֹנֵא.
A friend will not be known in prosperity; And an enemy will not be hid in adversity.
Οὐκ ἐκδικηθησεται ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ὁ φίλος, καὶ οὐ κρυβήσεται ἐν κακοῖς ὁ ἐχθρός.
A friend cannot be known in prosperity: And an enemy cannot be hidden in adversity.
9
בְּטוֹבַת אִישׁ גַּם שׂוֹנֵא רֵעַ, וּבְרָעָתוֹ גַּם רֵעַ בּוֹדֵד.
In a man's prosperity even an enemy is a friend; And in his adversity even a friend separateth himself.
Ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἀνδρὸς οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν λύπῃ, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ φίλος διαχωρισθήσεται.
In the prosperity of a man enemies will be grieved: But in his adversity even a friend will depart.
10
אַל תַּאֲמִין בְּשׂוֹנֵא לָעַד, כִּי כִנְחֹשֶׁת רוֹעוֹ יַחְלִיא.
Never trust an enemy; For like as brass his wickedness cankereth.
Μὴ πιστεύσῃς τῷ ἐχθρῷ σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ὡς γὰρ ὁ χαλκὸς ἰοῦται, οὕτως ἡ πονηρία αὐτοῦ.
Never trust thine enemy: For like as iron rusteth, so is his wickedness.
11
וְגַם אִם יִשְׁמַע לְךָ וִיהַלֵּךְ בְּנַחַת, תֵּן לִבְּךָ לְהִתְיָרֵא מִמֶּנּוּ.
And even though he hearken to thee, and go crouching; Give thy heart to fear him.
Καὶ ἐὰν ταπεινωθῇ καὶ πορεύηται συγκεκυφὼς, ἐπίστησον τὴν ψυχήν σου καὶ φύλαξαι ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσῃ αὐτῷ ὡς ἐκμεμαχὼς ἔσοπτρον, καὶ γνώσῃ ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τέλος κατίωσε.
Though he humble himself, and go crouching, Yet take good heed and beware of him, And thou shalt be unto him as if thou hadst wiped a looking glass, And thou shalt know that his rust hath not been altogether wiped away.
12
הֱיֵה לוֹ כִּמְגַלֶּה רָז. וְלֹא יִמְצָא לְהַשְׁחִיתְךָ, וְדַע אַחֲרִית קִנְאָה. אַל תַּעֲמִידֵהוּ אֶצְלֶךָ, לָמָּה יֶהְדָּפְךָ וְיֲַעמֹד תַּחְתֶּיךָ. אַל תּוֹשִׁיבֵהוּ לִימִינֶךָ, לָמָּה יְבַקֵּשׁ מוֹשָׁבֶךָ. וּלְאָחוֹר תַּשִּׂיג אֲמָרַי, וּלְאַחְוָתִי תִּתְאַנָּח.
Be to him as one that revealeth a mystery (H S); And he shall not find opportunity to harm thee. And know thou the end of jealousy (H S). Make him not to stand beside thee: Wherefore should he thrust thee away, and stand in thy place? Set him not on thy right hand: Wherefore should he seek thy seat? And afterwards thou shalt attain unto my words; And shalt lament at my lament.
Μὴ στήσῃς αὐτὸν παρὰ σεαυτὸν, μὴ ἀνατρέψας σε στῇ ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον σου· μὴ καθίσης αὐτὸν ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, μήποτε ζητήσῃ τὴν καθέδραν σου, καὶ ἐπʼ ἐσχάτῳ ἐπιγνώσῃ τοὺς λόγους μου, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ῥημάτων μου κατανυγήσῃ.
Set him not by thee, Lest, when he hath overthrown thee, he stand up in thy place; Neither let him sit at thy right hand, Lest he seek to take thy seat, And thou at the last remember my words, And be pricked therewith.
13
מִי יוּחַן חוֹבֵר נָשׁוּךְ, וְכָל הַקָּרֵב אֶל חַיַּת שֵׁן.
Who will pity (?) a charmer that is stung; Or anyone that cometh nigh to a ravenous beast?
Τίς ἐλεήσει ἐπαοιδὸν ὀφιόδηκτον, καὶ πάντας τοὺς προσάγοντας θηρίοις;
Who will pity a charmer that is bitten with a serpent, Or any such as come nigh wild beasts?
14
כֵּן חוֹבֵר אֶל אִישׁ זָדוֹן, וּמִתְגֹלֵל בַּעֲוֹנֹתָיו. לֹא יַעֲבֹר, עַד תִּבְעַר בּוֹ אֵשׁ.
So is he that joineth himself to an impious man (G S), And walloweth in his iniquities. He shall not escape, until a fire be kindled in him.
Οὕτως τὸν προσπορεύομενον ἀνδρὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ καὶ συμφυρόμενον ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτοῦ.
So one that goeth to a sinner, And is defiled with him in his sins, who will pity?
15
כַּאֲשֶׁר יָבוֹא עִמְּךָ, לֹא יִתְגַּלֶּה לָךְ.
When he cometh with thee, he will not bewray himself unto thee;
Ὥραν μετὰ σοῦ διαμενεῖ, καὶ ἐὰν ἐκκλίνῃς, οὐ μὴ καρτερήσῃ.
For a while he will abide with thee, But if thou begin to fall, he will not tarry.
16
וְאִם תִּפּוֹל, לֹא יִפֹּל לְהַצִּילֶךָ. עַד עֵת מָעַד לֹא יוֹפִיעַ, וְאִם תִּמּוֹט לֹא יִתְכַּלְכָּל. בְּשְׂפָתָיו יִתְמַהְמַהּ צָר, וּבְלִבּוֹ יַחְשׁוֹב מַהֲמֹרוֹת עֲמוּקוֹת. וְגַם אִם בּעֵינָיו יַדְמִיעַ אוֹיֵב, אִם מָצָא עֵת לֹא יִשְׂבַּע דָּם.
And if thou fall, thou shalt not be able (S) to deliver thyself (?). So long as thou standest (?), he will not shew himself; And if thou (G) totter, he will not bear up. With his lips will an adversary speak sweetly (G), While he deviseth deep pitfalls in his heart. And even though an enemy weep with his eyes; When he hath found a season, he will not be satiated with blood.
Καὶ ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ γλυκανεῖ ὁ ἐχθρὸς, καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδία αὐτοῦ βουλεύσεται ἀνατρέψαι σε εἰς βόθρον· ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ δακρύσει ὁ ἐχθρὸς, καὶ ἐὰν εὕρῃ καιρὸν, οὐκ ἐμπλησθήσεται ἀφʼ αἵματος.
An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, But in his heart he imagineth how to throw thee into a pit: He will weep with his eyes, But if he find opportunity, he will not be satisfied with blood.
17
אִם רַע קְרָאֲךָ נִמְצָא שָׁם, כְּאִישׁ סוֹמֵךְ יְחַפֵּש עָקֹב.
If mischief hath befallen thee, he is found there; As a man that would help, he will seek reward ( or to supplant).
Κακὰ ἂν ὑπαντήσῃ σοι, εὑρήσεις αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ πρότερόν σου, καὶ ὡς βοηθῶν ὑποσχάσει πτέρναν σου.
If adversity come upon thee, thou shalt find him there first; And though he pretend to help thee, yet shall he undermine thee.
18
רֹאשׁ יָנִיעַ וְהֵנִיף יָדוֹ, וּלְרוֹבֶה לָחַשׁ יְשַׁנֶּא פָנִים.
He will shake his head, and wave his hand; And with much whispering (?) he will change his countenance.
Κινήσει τὴν κεφαλὴναὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπικροτήσει ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πολλὰ διαψιθυρίσει, καὶ ἀλλοιώσει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ.
He will shake his head, and clap his hands, And whisper much, and change his countenance.