משלי י״ז
Proverbs 17
Hebrew
ט֤וֹב פַּ֣ת חֲ֭רֵבָה וְשַׁלְוָה־בָ֑הּ מִ֝בַּ֗יִת מָלֵ֥א זִבְחֵי־רִֽיב׃ עֶֽבֶד־מַשְׂכִּ֗יל יִ֭מְשֹׁל בְּבֵ֣ן מֵבִ֑ישׁ וּבְת֥וֹךְ אַ֝חִ֗ים יַחֲלֹ֥ק נַחֲלָֽה׃ מַצְרֵ֣ף לַ֭כֶּסֶף וְכ֣וּר לַזָּהָ֑ב וּבֹחֵ֖ן לִבּ֣וֹת יְהֹוָֽה׃ מֵ֭רַע מַקְשִׁ֣יב עַל־שְׂפַת־אָ֑וֶן שֶׁ֥קֶר מֵ֝זִ֗ין עַל־לְשׁ֥וֹן הַוֺּֽת׃ לֹעֵ֣ג לָ֭רָשׁ חֵרֵ֣ף עֹשֵׂ֑הוּ שָׂמֵ֥חַ לְ֝אֵ֗יד לֹ֣א יִנָּקֶֽה׃ עֲטֶ֣רֶת זְ֭קֵנִים בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֑ים וְתִפְאֶ֖רֶת בָּנִ֣ים אֲבוֹתָֽם׃ לֹא־נָאוָ֣ה לְנָבָ֣ל שְׂפַת־יֶ֑תֶר אַ֝֗ף כִּֽי־לְנָדִ֥יב שְׂפַת־שָֽׁקֶר׃ אֶבֶן־חֵ֣ן הַ֭שֹּׁחַד בְּעֵינֵ֣י בְעָלָ֑יו אֶֽל־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֖ר יִפְנֶ֣ה יַשְׂכִּֽיל׃ מְֽכַסֶּה־פֶּ֭שַׁע מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אַהֲבָ֑ה וְשֹׁנֶ֥ה בְ֝דָבָ֗ר מַפְרִ֥יד אַלּֽוּף׃ תֵּ֣חַת גְּעָרָ֣ה בְמֵבִ֑ין מֵהַכּ֖וֹת כְּסִ֣יל מֵאָֽה׃ אַךְ־מְרִ֥י יְבַקֶּשׁ־רָ֑ע וּמַלְאָ֥ךְ אַ֝כְזָרִ֗י יְשֻׁלַּח־בּֽוֹ׃ פָּג֬וֹשׁ דֹּ֣ב שַׁכּ֣וּל בְּאִ֑ישׁ וְאַל־כְּ֝סִ֗יל בְּאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃ מֵשִׁ֣יב רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה לֹא־[תָמ֥וּשׁ] (תמיש) רָ֝עָ֗ה מִבֵּיתֽוֹ׃ פּ֣וֹטֵֽר מַ֭יִם רֵאשִׁ֣ית מָד֑וֹן וְלִפְנֵ֥י הִ֝תְגַּלַּ֗ע הָרִ֥יב נְטֽוֹשׁ׃ מַצְדִּ֣יק רָ֭שָׁע וּמַרְשִׁ֣יעַ צַדִּ֑יק תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ לָמָּה־זֶּ֣ה מְחִ֣יר בְּיַד־כְּסִ֑יל לִקְנ֖וֹת חׇכְמָ֣ה וְלֶב־אָֽיִן׃ בְּכׇל־עֵ֭ת אֹהֵ֣ב הָרֵ֑עַ וְאָ֥ח לְ֝צָרָ֗ה יִוָּלֵֽד׃ אָדָ֣ם חֲסַר־לֵ֭ב תּוֹקֵ֣עַ כָּ֑ף עֹרֵ֥ב עֲ֝רֻבָּ֗ה לִפְנֵ֥י רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ אֹ֣הֵֽב פֶּ֭שַׁע אֹהֵ֣ב מַצָּ֑ה מַגְבִּ֥יהַּ פִּ֝תְח֗וֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ־שָֽׁבֶר׃ עִקֶּשׁ־לֵ֭ב לֹ֣א יִמְצָא־ט֑וֹב וְנֶהְפָּ֥ךְ בִּ֝לְשׁוֹנ֗וֹ יִפּ֥וֹל בְּרָעָֽה׃ יֹלֵ֣ד כְּ֭סִיל לְת֣וּגָה ל֑וֹ וְלֹא־יִ֝שְׂמַ֗ח אֲבִ֣י נָבָֽל׃ לֵ֣ב שָׂ֭מֵחַ יֵיטִ֣יב גֵּהָ֑ה וְר֥וּחַ נְ֝כֵאָ֗ה תְּיַבֶּשׁ־גָּֽרֶם׃ שֹׁ֣חַד מֵ֭חֵק רָשָׁ֣ע יִקָּ֑ח לְ֝הַטּ֗וֹת אׇרְח֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י מֵבִ֣ין חׇכְמָ֑ה וְעֵינֵ֥י כְ֝סִ֗יל בִּקְצֵה־אָֽרֶץ׃ כַּ֣עַס לְ֭אָבִיו בֵּ֣ן כְּסִ֑יל וּ֝מֶ֗מֶר לְיֽוֹלַדְתּֽוֹ׃ גַּ֤ם עֲנ֣וֹשׁ לַצַּדִּ֣יק לֹא־ט֑וֹב לְהַכּ֖וֹת נְדִיבִ֣ים עַל־יֹֽשֶׁר׃ חוֹשֵׂ֣ךְ אֲ֭מָרָיו יוֹדֵ֣עַ דָּ֑עַת (וקר) [יְקַר־]ר֝֗וּחַ אִ֣ישׁ תְּבוּנָֽה׃ גַּ֤ם אֱוִ֣יל מַ֭חֲרִישׁ חָכָ֣ם יֵחָשֵׁ֑ב אֹטֵ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֣יו נָבֽוֹן׃
English Translation
Better a dry crust with peace
Than a house full of feasting with strife. A capable servant will dominate an incompetent son
And share the inheritance with the brothers. For silver—the crucible,
For gold—the furnace,
And GOD tests the mind. An evildoer listens to mischievous talk;
A liar gives ear to malicious words. One who mocks the poor affronts their Maker;
One who rejoices over another’s misfortune will not go unpunished. Grandchildren are the crown of their elders,
And the glory of children is their parents. Lofty words are not fitting for a villain,
Much less lying words for a noble. A bribe seems like a charm to its user;
It brings success at every turn. One who seeks love overlooks faults,
But one who harps on a matter alienates friends. A rebuke works on an intelligent person
More than one hundred blows on a fool. Evildoers seek only to rebel;
A ruthless messenger will be sent against them. Sooner meet a bereaved she-bear
Than a fool immersed in nonsense. Evil will never depart from the house
Of one who repays good with evil. To start a quarrel is to open a sluice;
Before a dispute flares up,aflares up Meaning of Heb. uncertain. drop it. To acquit the guilty and convict the innocent—
Both are an abomination to GOD. What good is money in the hand of a fool
To purchase wisdom, when that person has no mind? A friend is devoted at all times;
A sibling is born to share adversity. Devoid of sense are the people who give their hand
To stand surety for their fellows. One who loves transgression loves strife;
One who builds a high threshold invites broken bones. Crooked minds come to no good,
And the double-tongued fall into trouble. One begets a dullard to one’s own grief;
The father of a villain has no joy. A joyful heart makes for good health;bgood health Or “a cheerful face”; meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Despondency dries up the bones. The wicked draw bribes out of their bosom
To pervert the course of justice. Wisdom lies before the intelligent;
The eyes of dullards range to the ends of the earth. A stupid son is vexation for his father
And a heartache for the woman who bore him. To punish an innocent is surely not right,
Or to flog the great for their uprightness. One who is knowledgeable is sparing with words;
A man of understanding is reticent. Even fools who keep silent are deemed wise;
Intelligent, while their mouthcmouth Lit. “lips.” is shut.
Than a house full of feasting with strife. A capable servant will dominate an incompetent son
And share the inheritance with the brothers. For silver—the crucible,
For gold—the furnace,
And GOD tests the mind. An evildoer listens to mischievous talk;
A liar gives ear to malicious words. One who mocks the poor affronts their Maker;
One who rejoices over another’s misfortune will not go unpunished. Grandchildren are the crown of their elders,
And the glory of children is their parents. Lofty words are not fitting for a villain,
Much less lying words for a noble. A bribe seems like a charm to its user;
It brings success at every turn. One who seeks love overlooks faults,
But one who harps on a matter alienates friends. A rebuke works on an intelligent person
More than one hundred blows on a fool. Evildoers seek only to rebel;
A ruthless messenger will be sent against them. Sooner meet a bereaved she-bear
Than a fool immersed in nonsense. Evil will never depart from the house
Of one who repays good with evil. To start a quarrel is to open a sluice;
Before a dispute flares up,aflares up Meaning of Heb. uncertain. drop it. To acquit the guilty and convict the innocent—
Both are an abomination to GOD. What good is money in the hand of a fool
To purchase wisdom, when that person has no mind? A friend is devoted at all times;
A sibling is born to share adversity. Devoid of sense are the people who give their hand
To stand surety for their fellows. One who loves transgression loves strife;
One who builds a high threshold invites broken bones. Crooked minds come to no good,
And the double-tongued fall into trouble. One begets a dullard to one’s own grief;
The father of a villain has no joy. A joyful heart makes for good health;bgood health Or “a cheerful face”; meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Despondency dries up the bones. The wicked draw bribes out of their bosom
To pervert the course of justice. Wisdom lies before the intelligent;
The eyes of dullards range to the ends of the earth. A stupid son is vexation for his father
And a heartache for the woman who bore him. To punish an innocent is surely not right,
Or to flog the great for their uprightness. One who is knowledgeable is sparing with words;
A man of understanding is reticent. Even fools who keep silent are deemed wise;
Intelligent, while their mouthcmouth Lit. “lips.” is shut.
About This Text
Source
Proverbs
Category
Tanach
Reference
Proverbs 17
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