The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 5משלי 5

בְּ֭נִי לְחָכְמָתִ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗י הַט אָזְנֶֽךָ

My son, attend to my wisdom, bow your ear to my understanding:

לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְזִמּ֑וֹת וְ֝דַ֗עַת שְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ

That you mayest regard discretion, and your lips may keep knowledge.

כִּ֤י נֹ֣פֶת תִּ֭טֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתֵ֣י זָרָ֑ה וְחָלָ֖ק מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן חִכָּֽהּ

For the lips of a strange woman drop an honeycomb, and her mouth smoother than oil:

וְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָ֣ה כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה חַ֝דָּ֗ה כְּחֶ֣רֶב פִּיּֽוֹת

But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

רַ֭גְלֶיהָ יֹרְד֣וֹת מָ֑וֶת שְׁ֝א֗וֹל צְעָדֶ֥יהָ יִתְמֹֽכוּ

Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

אֹ֣רַח חַ֭יִּים פֶּן תְּפַלֵּ֑ס נָע֥וּ מַ֝עְגְּלֹתֶ֗יהָ לֹ֣א תֵדָֽע

Lest you shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, you canst not know .

וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ לִ֑י וְאַל תָּ֝ס֗וּרוּ מֵאִמְרֵי פִֽי

Hear me now therefore, O you children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

הַרְחֵ֣ק מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ דַרְכֶּ֑ךָ וְאַל תִּ֝קְרַ֗ב אֶל פֶּ֥תַח בֵּיתָֽהּ

Remove your way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

פֶּן תִּתֵּ֣ן לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים הוֹדֶ֑ךָ וּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי

Lest you give your honour to others, and your years to the cruel:

פֶּֽן יִשְׂבְּע֣וּ זָרִ֣ים כֹּחֶ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲצָבֶ֗יךָ בְּבֵ֣ית נָכְרִֽי

Lest strangers be filled with your wealth; and your labours in the house of a stranger;

וְנָהַמְתָּ֥ בְאַחֲרִיתֶ֑ךָ בִּכְל֥וֹת בְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗ וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ

And you mourn at the last, when your flesh and your body are consumed,

וְֽאָמַרְתָּ֗ אֵ֭יךְ שָׂנֵ֣אתִי מוּסָ֑ר וְ֝תוֹכַ֗חַת נָאַ֥ץ לִבִּֽי

And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

וְֽלֹא שָׁ֭מַעְתִּי בְּק֣וֹל מוֹרָ֑י וְ֝לִֽמְלַמְּדַ֗י לֹא הִטִּ֥יתִי אָזְנִֽי

And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

כִּ֭מְעַט הָיִ֣יתִי בְכָל רָ֑ע בְּת֖וֹךְ קָהָ֣ל וְעֵדָֽה

I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

שְׁתֵה מַ֥יִם מִבּוֹרֶ֑ךָ וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים מִתּ֥וֹךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ

Drink waters out of your own cistern, and running waters out of your own well.

יָפ֣וּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ ח֑וּצָה בָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹת פַּלְגֵי מָֽיִם

Let your fountains be dispersed abroad, rivers of waters in the streets.

יִֽהְיוּ לְךָ֥ לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ וְאֵ֖ין לְזָרִ֣ים אִתָּֽךְ

Let them be only your own, and not strangers' with you.

יְהִֽי מְקוֹרְךָ֥ בָר֑וּךְ וּ֝שְׂמַ֗ח מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת נְעוּרֶֽךָ

Let your fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of your youth.

אַיֶּ֥לֶת אֲהָבִ֗ים וְֽיַעֲלַ֫ת חֵ֥ן דַּ֭דֶּיהָ יְרַוֻּ֣ךָ בְכָל עֵ֑ת בְּ֝אַהֲבָתָ֗הּ תִּשְׁגֶּ֥ה תָמִֽיד

the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and be you ravished always with her love.

וְלָ֤מָּה תִשְׁגֶּ֣ה בְנִ֣י בְזָרָ֑ה וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק חֵ֣ק נָכְרִיָּֽה

And why will you, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

כִּ֤י נֹ֨כַח עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה דַּרְכֵי אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכָל מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו מְפַלֵּֽס

For the ways of man before the eyes of YHWH, and he pondereth all his goings.

עַֽווֹנוֹתָ֗יו יִלְכְּדֻנ֥וֹ אֶת הָרָשָׁ֑ע וּבְחַבְלֵ֥י חַ֝טָּאת֗וֹ יִתָּמֵֽךְ

His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

ה֗וּא יָ֭מוּת בְּאֵ֣ין מוּסָ֑ר וּבְרֹ֖ב אִוַּלְתּ֣וֹ יִשְׁגֶּֽה

He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.