Proverbs 13 (Mishlei) in Hebrew and English
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Text (469) 608-9944Proverbs, Chapter 13
Proverbs of the wise son who hears instruction, the guarded mouth, hope deferred, the Torah of the wise as a fountain of life, walking with wise men, and the father who spares not the rod.
13:1A wise son hears his father’s instruction: but a scorner hears not rebuke.
אבֵּ֣ן חָ֭כָם מ֣וּסַר אָ֑ב וְ֝לֵ֗ץ לֹא־שָׁמַ֥ע גְּעָרָֽה׃
13:2A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
במִפְּרִ֣י פִי־אִ֭ישׁ יֹ֣אכַל ט֑וֹב וְנֶ֖פֶשׁ בֹּגְדִ֣ים חָמָֽס׃
13:3He that keeps his mouth keeps his life: but he that opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
גנֹצֵ֣ר פִּ֭יו שֹׁמֵ֣ר נַפְשׁ֑וֹ פֹּשֵׂ֥ק שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו מְחִתָּה־לֽוֹ׃
13:4The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
דמִתְאַוָּ֣ה וָ֭אַיִן נַפְשׁ֣וֹ עָצֵ֑ל וְנֶ֖פֶשׁ חָרֻצִ֣ים תְּדֻשָּֽׁן׃
13:5A righteous man hates lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and comes to shame.
הדְּבַר־שֶׁ֭קֶר יִשְׂנָ֣א צַדִּ֑יק וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע יַבְאִ֥ישׁ וְיַחְפִּֽיר׃
13:6Righteousness keeps him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthrows the sinner.
וצְ֭דָקָה תִּצֹּ֣ר תָּם־דָּ֑רֶךְ וְ֝רִשְׁעָ֗ה תְּסַלֵּ֥ף חַטָּֽאת׃
13:7There is that makes himself rich, yet has nothing: there is that makes himself poor, yet has great riches.
זיֵ֣שׁ מִ֭תְעַשֵּׁר וְאֵ֣ין כֹּ֑ל מִ֝תְרוֹשֵׁ֗שׁ וְה֣וֹן רָֽב׃
13:8The ransom of a man’s life are his riches: but the poor hears not rebuke.
חכֹּ֣פֶר נֶֽפֶשׁ־אִ֣ישׁ עָשְׁר֑וֹ וְ֝רָ֗שׁ לֹא־שָׁמַ֥ע גְּעָרָֽה׃
13:9The light of the righteous rejoices: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
טאוֹר־צַדִּיקִ֥ים יִשְׂמָ֑ח וְנֵ֖ר רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִדְעָֽךְ׃
13:10Only by pride comes contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
ירַק־בְּ֭זָדוֹן יִתֵּ֣ן מַצָּ֑ה וְאֶת־נ֖וֹעָצִ֣ים חָכְמָֽה׃
13:11Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathers by labour shall increase.
יאה֭וֹן מֵהֶ֣בֶל יִמְעָ֑ט וְקֹבֵ֖ץ עַל־יָ֣ד יַרְבֶּֽה׃
13:12Hope deferred makes the heart sick: but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
יבתּוֹחֶ֣לֶת מְ֭מֻשָּׁכָה מַחֲלָה־לֵ֑ב וְעֵ֥ץ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תַּאֲוָ֥ה בָאָֽה׃
13:13Whoso despises the word shall be destroyed: but he that fears the commandment shall be rewarded.
יגבָּ֣ז לְ֭דָבָר יֵחָ֣בֶל ל֑וֹ וִירֵ֥א מִ֝צְוָ֗ה ה֣וּא יְשֻׁלָּֽם׃
13:14The Torah of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
ידתּוֹרַ֣ת חָ֭כָם מְק֣וֹר חַיִּ֑ים לָ֝ס֗וּר מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי מָֽוֶת׃
13:15Good understanding gives favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.
טושֵֽׂכֶל־ט֭וֹב יִתֶּן־חֵ֑ן וְדֶ֖רֶךְ בֹּגְדִ֣ים אֵיתָֽן׃
13:16Every prudent man deals with knowledge: but a fool lays open his folly.
טזכָּל־עָ֭רוּם יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה בְדָ֑עַת וּ֝כְסִ֗יל יִפְרֹ֥שׂ אִוֶּֽלֶת׃
13:17A wicked messenger falls into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.
יזמַלְאָ֣ךְ רָ֭שָׁע יִפֹּ֣ל בְּרָ֑ע וְצִ֖יר אֱמוּנִ֣ים מַרְפֵּֽא׃
13:18Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuses instruction: but he that regards reproof shall be honoured.
יחרֵ֣ישׁ וְ֭קָלוֹן פּוֹרֵ֣עַ מוּסָ֑ר וְשׁוֹמֵ֖ר תּוֹכַ֣חַת יְכֻבָּֽד׃
13:19The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.
יטתַּאֲוָ֣ה נִ֭הְיָה תֶּעֱרַ֣ב לְנָ֑פֶשׁ וְתוֹעֲבַ֥ת כְּ֝סִילִ֗ים ס֣וּר מֵרָֽע׃
13:20He that walks with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
כהוֹלֵ֣ךְ (כתיב הלוך) אֶת־חֲכָמִ֣ים יֶחְכָּ֑ם (כתיב וחכם) וְרֹעֶ֖ה כְסִילִ֣ים יֵרֽוֹעַ׃
13:21Evil pursues sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repaid.
כאחַ֭טָּאִים תְּרַדֵּ֣ף רָעָ֑ה וְאֶת־צַ֝דִּיקִ֗ים יְשַׁלֶּם־טֽוֹב׃
13:22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
כבט֗וֹב יַנְחִ֥יל בְּנֵֽי־בָנִ֑ים וְצָפ֥וּן לַ֝צַּדִּ֗יק חֵ֣יל חוֹטֵֽא׃
13:23Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.
כגרָב־אֹ֭כֶל נִ֣יר רָאשִׁ֑ים וְיֵ֥שׁ נִ֝סְפֶּ֗ה בְּלֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
13:24He that spares his rod hates his son: but he that loves him chastens him betimes.
כדחוֹשֵׂ֣ךְ שִׁ֭בְטוֹ שׂוֹנֵ֣א בְנ֑וֹ וְ֝אֹהֲב֗וֹ שִֽׁחֲר֥וֹ מוּסָֽר׃
13:25The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.
כהצַדִּ֗יק אֹ֭כֵל לְשֹׂ֣בַע נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וּבֶ֖טֶן רְשָׁעִ֣ים תֶּחְסָֽר׃
Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible; in Proverbs they are the same as in most English Bibles.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.