1
בְּנִי לְחָכְמָתִי הַקְשִׁיבָה לִתְבוּנָתִי הַט־אָזְנֶךָ
My son, attend unto my wisdom; incline thine ear to my understanding;
Υἱὲ, ἐμῇ σοφίᾳ πρόσεχε, ἐμοῖς δὲ λόγοις παράβαλλε σὸν οὖς,
[My] son, attend to my wisdom, And apply thine ear to my words;
2
לִשְׁמֹר מְזִמּוֹת וְדַעַת שְׂפָתֶיךָ יִנְצֹרוּ
That thou mayest preserve discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
ἵνα φυλάξῃς ἔννοιαν ἀγαθήν· αἴσθησις δὲ ἐμῶν χειλέων ἐντέλλεταί σοι·
That thou mayest keep good understanding, And the discretion of my lips gives thee a charge. Give no heed to a worthless woman;
3
כִּי נֹפֶת תִּטֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתֵי זָרָה וְחָלָק מִשֶּׁמֶן חִכָּהּ
For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;
Μὴ πρόσεχε φαύλῃ γυναικί. Μέλι γὰρ ἀποστάζει ἀπὸ χειλέων γυναικὸς πόρνης, ἣ πρὸς καιρὸν λιπαίνει σὸν φάρυγγα,
For honey drops from the lips of a harlot, Who for a season pleases thy palate:
4
וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָה כַלַּעֲנָה חַדָּה כְּחֶרֶב פִּיּוֹת
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
ὕστερον μέντοι πικρότερον χολῆς εὑρήσεις, καὶ ἠκονημένον μᾶλλον μαχαίρας διστόμου.
But afterward thou wilt find her more bitter than gall, And sharper than a two-edged sword.
5
רַגְלֶיהָ יֹרְדוֹת מָוֶת שְׁאוֹל צְעָדֶיהָ יִתְמֹכוּ
Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on the nether-world;
Τῆς γὰρ ἀφροσύνης οἱ πόδες κατάγουσι τοὺς χρωμένους αὐτῇ μετὰ θανάτου εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, τὰ δὲ ἴχνη αὐτῆς οὐκ ἐρείδεται.
For the feet of folly lead Those who deal with her down to the grave with death; And her steps are not established.
6
אֹרַח חַיִּים פֶּן־תְּפַלֵּס נָעוּ מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ לֹא תֵד͏ָע
Lest she should walk the even path of life, her ways wander, but she knoweth it not.
Ὁδοὺς γὰρ ζωῆς οὐκ ἐπέρχεται, σφαλεραὶ δὲ αἱ τροχιαὶ αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐκ εὔγνωστοι.
For she goes not upon the paths of life; But her ways are slippery, and not easily known.
7
וְעַתָּה בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִי וְאַל־תָּסוּרוּ מֵאִמְרֵי־פִי
Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
Νῦν οὖν υἱὲ ἄκουέ μου, καὶ μὴ ἀκύρους ποιήσεις ἐμοὺς λόγους.
Now then, [my] son, hear me, And make not my words of none effect.
8
הַרְחֵק מֵעָלֶיהָ דַרְכֶּךָ וְאַל־תִּקְרַב אֶל־פֶּתַח בֵּיתָהּ
Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house;
Μακρὰν ποίησον ἀπʼ αὐτῆς σὴν ὁδόν· μὴ ἐγγίσῃς πρὸς θύραις οἴκων αὐτῆς,
Remove thy way far from her; Draw not near to the doors of her house:
9
פֶּן־תִּתֵּן לַאֲחֵרִים הוֹדֶךָ וּשְׁנֹתֶיךָ לְאַכְזָרִי
Lest thou give thy vigour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;
ἵνα μὴ πρόῃ ἄλλοις ζωήν σου, καὶ σὸν βίον ἀνελεήμοσιν·
Lest thou give away thy life to others, And thy substance to the merciless:
10
פֶּן־יִשְׂבְּעוּ זָרִים כֹּחֶךָ וַעֲצָבֶיךָ בְּבֵית נָכְר͏ִי
Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, and thy labours be in the house of an alien;
Ἵνα μὴ πλησθῶσιν ἀλλότριοι σῆς ἰσχύος, οἱ δὲ σοὶ πόνοι εἰς οἴκους ἀλλοτρίων ἔλθεσι·
Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, And thy labors come into the houses of strangers;
11
וְנָהַמְתָּ בְאַחֲרִיתֶךָ בִּכְלוֹת בְּשָׂרְךָ וּשְׁאֵרֶךָ
And thou moan, when thine end cometh, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
Καὶ μεταμεληθήσῃ ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων, ἡνίκα ἂν κατατριβῶσι σάρκες σώματός σου,
And thou repent at last, When the flesh of thy body is consumed,
12
וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵיךְ שָׂנֵאתִי מוּסָר וְתוֹכַחַת נָאַץ לִבִּי
And say: 'How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
καὶ ἐρεῖς, πῶς ἐμίσησα παιδείαν, καὶ ἐλέγχους ἐξέκλινεν ἡ καρδία μου;
And thou shalt say, How have I hated instruction, And my heart avoided reproofs!
13
וְלֹא־שָׁמַעְתִּי בְּקוֹל מוֹרָי וְלִמְלַמְּדַי לֹא־הִטִּיתִי אָזְנִי
Neither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
Οὐκ ἤκουον φωνὴν παιδεύοντός με καὶ διδάσκοντός με, οὐδὲ παρέβαλλον τὸ οὖς μου.
I heard not the voice of him that instructed me, and taught me, Neither did I apply mine ear.
14
כִּמְעַט הָיִיתִי בְכָל־רָע בְּתוֹךְ קָהָל וְעֵדָה
I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.'
Παρʼ ὀλίγον ἐγενόμην ἐν παντὶ κακῷ, ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας καὶ συναγωγῆς.
I was almost in all evil In the midst of the congregation and assembly.
15
שְׁתֵה־מַיִם מִבּוֹרֶךָ וְנֹזְלִים מִתּוֹךְ בְּאֵרֶךָ
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Πίνε ὕδατα ἀπὸ σῶν ἀγγείων, καὶ ἀπὸ σῶν φρεάτων πηγῆς.
Drink waters out of thine own vessels, And out of thine own springing wells.
16
יָפוּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶיךָ חוּצָה בָּרְחֹבוֹת פַּלְגֵי־מָיִם
Let thy springs be dispersed abroad, and courses of water in the streets.
Μὴ ὑπερεκχείσθω σοι ὕδατα ἐκ τῆς σῆς πηγῆς, εἰς δὲ σὰς πλατείας διαπορευέσθω τὰ σὰ ὕδατα.
Let not waters out of thy fountain be spilt by thee, But let thy waters go into thy streets.
17
יִהְיוּ־לְךָ לְבַדֶּךָ וְאֵין לְזָרִים אִתָּךְ
Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
Ἔστω σοι μόνῳ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ μηδεὶς ἀλλότριος μετασχέτω σοι.
Let them be only thine own, And let no stranger partake with thee.
18
יְהִי־מְקוֹרְךָ בָרוּךְ וּשְׂמַח מֵאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶךָ
Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.
Ἡ πηγή σου τοῦ ὕδατος ἔστω σοι ἰδία, καὶ συνευφραίνου μετὰ γυναικὸς τῆς ἐκ νεότητός σου.
Let thy fountain of water be [truly] thine own; And rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
19
אַיֶּלֶת אֲהָבִים וְיַעֲלַת־חֵן דַּדֶּיהָ יְרַוֻּךָ בְכָל־עֵת בְּאַהֲבָתָהּ תִּשְׁגֶּה תָמִיד
A lovely hind and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; with her love be thou ravished always.
Ἔλαφος φιλίας καὶ πῶλος σῶν χαρίτων ὁμιλείτω σοι, ἡ δὲ ἰδία ἡγείσθω σου καὶ συνέστω σοι ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ· ἐν γὰρ τῇ ταύτης φιλίᾳ συμπεριφερόμενος, πολλοστὸς ἔσῃ.
Let [thy] loving hart and thy graceful colt company with thee, And let her be considered thine own, and be with thee at all times; For ravished with her love thou shalt be greatly increased.
20
וְלָמָּה תִשְׁגֶּה בְנִי בְזָרָה וּתְחַבֵּק חֵק נָכְרִיָּה
Why then wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of an alien?
Μὴ πολὺς ἴσθι πρὸς ἀλλοτρίαν, μηδὲ συνέχου ἀγκάλαις τῆς μὴ ἰδίας.
Be not intimate with a strange woman, Neither fold thyself in the arms of a woman not thine own.
21
כִּי נֹכַח עֵינֵי יְהוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ וְכָל־מַעְגְּלֹתָיו מְפַלֵּס
For the ways of man are before the eyes of HaShem, and He maketh even all his paths.
Ἐνώπιον γάρ εἰσι τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀφθαλμῶν ὁδοὶ ἀνδρὸς, εἰς δὲ πάσας τὰς τροχιὰς αὐτοῦ σκοπεύει.
For the ways of a man are before the eyes of God, And he looks on all his paths.
22
עַווֹנוֹתָיו יִלְכְּדֻנוֹ אֶת־הָרָשָׁע וּבְחַבְלֵי חַטָּאתוֹ יִתָּמֵךְ
His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.
Παρανομίαι ἄνδρα ἀγρεύουσι, σειραῖς δὲ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτιῶν ἕκαστος σφίγγεται.
Iniquities ensnare a man, And every one is bound in the chains of his own sins.
23
הוּא יָמוּת בְּאֵין מוּסָר וּבְרֹב אִוַּלְתּוֹ יִשְׁגֶּה
He shall die for lack of instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall reel.
Οὗτος τελευτᾷ μετὰ ἀπαιδεύτων, ἐκ δὲ πλήθους τῆς ἑαυτοῦ βιότητος ἐξεῤῥίφη, καὶ ἀπώλετο διʼ ἀφροσύνην.
Such a man dies with the uninstructed; And he is cast forth from the abundance of his own substance, And has perished through folly.