Proverbs 23 (Mishlei) in Hebrew and English

23:1When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you:

אכִּֽי־תֵ֭שֵׁב לִלְח֣וֹם אֶת־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל בִּ֥ין תָּ֝בִ֗ין אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃

23:2And put a knife to your throat, if you be a man given to appetite.

בוְשַׂמְתָּ֣ שַׂכִּ֣ין בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ אִם־בַּ֖עַל נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃

23:3Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful food.

גאַל־תִּ֭תְאָו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָ֑יו וְ֝ה֗וּא לֶ֣חֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃

23:4Labour not to be rich: cease from your own wisdom.

דאַל־תִּיגַ֥ע לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ חֲדָֽל׃

23:5Will you set your eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

ההֲתָ֤עִיף (כתיב התעוף) עֵינֶ֥יךָ בּ֗וֹ וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ כִּ֤י עָשֹׂ֣ה יַעֲשֶׂה־לּ֣וֹ כְנָפַ֑יִם כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָע֥וּף (כתיב ועיף) הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

23:6Eat you not the bread of him that has an evil eye, neither desire you his dainty foods:

ואַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן וְאַל־תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו (כתיב תתאו) לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃

23:7For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: “Eat and drink,” says he to you; but his heart is not with you.

זכִּ֤י ׀ כְּמוֹ־שָׁעַ֥ר בְּנַפְשׁ֗וֹ כֶּ֫ן־ה֥וּא אֱכֹ֣ל וּ֭שְׁתֵה יֹ֣אמַר לָ֑ךְ וְ֝לִבּ֗וֹ בַּל־עִמָּֽךְ׃

23:8The morsel which you have eaten shall you vomit up, and lose your sweet words.

חפִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃

23:9Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

טבְּאָזְנֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר כִּֽי־יָ֝ב֗וּז לְשֵׂ֣כֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ׃

23:10Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:

יאַל־תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עוֹלָ֑ם וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י יְ֝תוֹמִ֗ים אַל־תָּבֹֽא׃

23:11For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with you.

יאכִּֽי־גֹאֲלָ֥ם חָזָ֑ק הֽוּא־יָרִ֖יב אֶת־רִיבָ֣ם אִתָּֽךְ׃

23:12Apply your heart unto instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.

יבהָבִ֣יאָה לַמּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝אָזְנֶ֗ךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃

23:13Withhold not correction from the child: for if you beat him with the rod, he shall not die.

יגאַל־תִּמְנַ֣ע מִנַּ֣עַר מוּסָ֑ר כִּֽי־תַכֶּ֥נּוּ בַ֝שֵּׁ֗בֶט לֹ֣א יָמֽוּת׃

23:14You shall beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from hell.

ידאַ֭תָּה בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מִשְּׁא֥וֹל תַּצִּֽיל׃

23:15My son, if your heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.

טובְּ֭נִי אִם־חָכַ֣ם לִבֶּ֑ךָ יִשְׂמַ֖ח לִבִּ֣י גַם־אָֽנִי׃

23:16Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when your lips speak right things.

טזוְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה כִלְיוֹתָ֑י בְּדַבֵּ֥ר שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃

23:17Let not your heart envy sinners: but be you in the fear of Hashem all the day long.

יזאַל־יְקַנֵּ֣א לִ֭בְּךָ בַּֽחַטָּאִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

23:18For surely there is an end; and your expectation shall not be cut off.

יחכִּ֭י אִם־יֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃

23:19Hear you, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the way.

יטשְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה בְנִ֣י וַחֲכָ֑ם וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

23:20Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

כאַל־תְּהִ֥י בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן בְּזֹלֲלֵ֖י בָשָׂ֣ר לָֽמוֹ׃

23:21For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

כאכִּי־סֹבֵ֣א וְ֭זוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ נוּמָֽה׃

23:22Hearken unto your father that begat you, and despise not your mother when she is old.

כבשְׁמַ֣ע לְ֭אָבִיךָ זֶ֣ה יְלָדֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תָּ֝ב֗וּז כִּֽי־זָקְנָ֥ה אִמֶּֽךָ׃

23:23Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

כגאֱמֶ֣ת קְ֭נֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר חָכְמָ֖ה וּמוּסָ֣ר וּבִינָֽה׃

23:24The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begets a wise child shall have joy of him.

כדגִּ֣יל (כתיב גול) יָ֭גִיל (כתיב יגול) אֲבִ֣י צַדִּ֑יק וְיוֹלֵ֥ד (כתיב יולד) חָ֝כָ֗ם יִשְׂמַח (כתיב וישמח)־בּֽוֹ׃

23:25Your father and your mother shall be glad, and she that bore you shall rejoice.

כהיִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃

23:26My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.

כותְּנָֽה־בְנִ֣י לִבְּךָ֣ לִ֑י וְ֝עֵינֶ֗יךָ דְּרָכַ֥י תִּצֹּֽרְנָה (כתיב תרצנה)׃

23:27For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

כזכִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲמֻקָּ֣ה זוֹנָ֑ה וּבְאֵ֥ר צָ֝רָ֗ה נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

23:28She also lies in wait as for a prey, and increases the transgressors among men.

כחאַף־הִ֭יא כְּחֶ֣תֶף תֶּֽאֱרֹ֑ב וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים בְּאָדָ֥ם תּוֹסִֽף׃

23:29Who has woe? who has sorrow? who has contentions? who has babbling? who has wounds without cause? who has redness of eyes?

כטלְמִ֨י א֥וֹי לְמִ֪י אֲב֡וֹי לְמִ֤י מִדְיָנִ֨ים (כתיב מדונים) ׀ לְמִ֥י שִׂ֗יחַ לְ֭מִי פְּצָעִ֣ים חִנָּ֑ם לְ֝מִ֗י חַכְלִל֥וּת עֵינָֽיִם׃

23:30They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

ללַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ׃

23:31Look not you upon the wine when it is red, when it gives his colour in the cup, when it moves itself aright.

לאאַל־תֵּ֥רֶא יַיִן֮ כִּ֪י יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם כִּֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן בַּכּ֣וֹס (כתיב בכיס) עֵינ֑וֹ יִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

23:32At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.

לבאַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃

23:33Your eyes shall behold strange women, and your heart shall utter perverse things.

לגעֵ֭ינֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּ זָר֑וֹת וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ יְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃

23:34Yea, you shall be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lies upon the top of a mast.

לדוְ֭הָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּלֶב־יָ֑ם וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּרֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃

23:35“They have stricken me,” shall you say, “and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”

לההִכּ֥וּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי֮ הֲלָמ֗וּנִי בַּל־יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי מָתַ֥י אָקִ֑יץ א֝וֹסִ֗יף אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ עֽוֹד׃