4:1

שִׁמְעוּ בָנִים מוּסַר אָב וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לָדַעַת בִּינָה׃

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding.

¹

4:2

כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם תּוֹרָתִי אַל־תַּעֲזֹבוּ׃

For I give you a good taking; Forsake ye not my teaching.

¹

4:3

כִּי־בֵן הָיִיתִי לְאָבִי רַךְ וְיָחִיד לִפְנֵי אִמִּי׃

For I was a son unto my father, Tender and an only one in front of my mother.

¹

4:4

וַיֹּרֵנִי וַיֹּאמֶר לִי יִתְמָךְ־דְּבָרַי לִבֶּךָ שְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתַי וֶחְיֵה׃

And he taught me, and said unto me: ‘Let thy heart hold fast my words, Keep my commandments, and live;

¹

4:5

קְנֵה חָכְמָה קְנֵה בִינָה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח וְאַל־תֵּט מֵאִמְרֵי־פִי׃

Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;

4:6

אַל־תַּעַזְבֶהָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶךָּ אֱהָבֶהָ וְתִצְּרֶךָּ׃

Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee.

¹

4:7

רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה קְנֵה חָכְמָה וּבְכָל־קִנְיָנְךָ קְנֵה בִינָה׃

The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding.

²

4:8

סַלְסְלֶהָ וּתְרוֹמְמֶךָּ תְּכַבֵּדְךָ כִּי תְחַבְּקֶנָּה׃

Extol her, and she will exalt thee; She will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

¹

4:9

תִּתֵּן לְרֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵן עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת תְּמַגְּנֶךָּ׃

She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; A crown of glory will she bestow on thee.’

¹

4:10

שְׁמַע בְּנִי וְקַח אֲמָרָי וְיִרְבּוּ לְךָ שְׁנוֹת חַיִּים׃

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many.

4:11

בְּדֶרֶךְ חָכְמָה הֹרֵתִיךָ הִדְרַכְתִּיךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹשֶׁר׃

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.

4:12

בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לֹא־יֵצַר צַעֲדֶךָ וְאִם־תָּרוּץ לֹא תִכָּשֵׁל׃

When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

¹

4:13

הַחֲזֵק בַּמּוּסָר אַל־תֶּרֶף נִצְּרֶהָ כִּי־הִיא חַיֶּיךָ׃

Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go; Keep her, for she is thy life.

¹

4:14

בְּאֹרַח רְשָׁעִים אַל־תָּבֹא וְאַל־תְּאַשֵּׁר בְּדֶרֶךְ רָעִים׃

Enter not into the path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil men.

¹

4:15

פְּרָעֵהוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בּוֹ שְׂטֵה מֵעָלָיו וַעֲבוֹר׃

Avoid it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on.

¹

4:16

כִּי לֹא יִשְׁנוּ אִם־לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְנִגְזְלָה שְׁנָתָם אִם־לֹא יכשולו [יַכְשִׁילוּ׃]

For they sleep not, except they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

¹

4:17

כִּי לָחֲמוּ לֶחֶם רֶשַׁע וְיֵין חֲמָסִים יִשְׁתּוּ׃

For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

4:18

וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וָאוֹר עַד־נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם׃

But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

¹

4:19

דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים כָּאֲפֵלָה לֹא יָדְעוּ בַּמֶּה יִכָּשֵׁלוּ׃

The way of the wicked is as darkness; They know not at what they stumble.

¹

4:20

בְּנִי לִדְבָרַי הַקְשִׁיבָה לַאֲמָרַי הַט־אָזְנֶךָ׃

My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings.

4:21

אַל־יַלִּיזוּ מֵעֵינֶיךָ שָׁמְרֵם בְּתוֹךְ לְבָבֶךָ׃

Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart.

4:22

כִּי־חַיִּים הֵם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶם וּלְכָל־בְּשָׂרוֹ מַרְפֵּא׃

For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.

¹

4:23

מִכָּל־מִשְׁמָר נְצֹר לִבֶּךָ כִּי־מִמֶּנּוּ תּוֹצְאוֹת חַיִּים׃

Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; For out of it are the issues of life.

¹

4:24

הָסֵר מִמְּךָ עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּה וּלְזוּת שְׂפָתַיִם הַרְחֵק מִמֶּךָּ׃

Put away from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee.

¹

4:25

עֵינֶיךָ לְנֹכַח יַבִּיטוּ וְעַפְעַפֶּיךָ יַיְשִׁרוּ נֶגְדֶּךָ׃

Let thine eyes look right on, And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

¹

4:26

פַּלֵּס מַעְגַּל רַגְלֶךָ וְכָל־דְּרָכֶיךָ יִכֹּנוּ׃

Make plain the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established.

¹

4:27

אַל־תֵּט־יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול הָסֵר רַגְלְךָ מֵרָע׃

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; Remove thy foot from evil.

¹