New Living Translation

Hebrew Study Bible

1Don’t envy evil people or desire their company.

1אַל־ תְּ֭קַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י רָעָ֑ה וְאַל־ [תתאו] (תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו) לִהְי֥וֹת אִתָּֽם׃

2For their hearts plot violence, and their words always stir up trouble.

2כִּי־ שֹׁ֭ד יֶהְגֶּ֣ה לִבָּ֑ם וְ֝עָמָ֗ל שִׂפְתֵיהֶ֥ם תְּדַבֵּֽרְנָה׃

3A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense.

3בְּ֭חָכְמָה יִבָּ֣נֶה בָּ֑יִת וּ֝בִתְבוּנָ֗ה יִתְכּוֹנָֽן׃

4Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

4וּ֭בְדַעַת חֲדָרִ֣ים יִמָּלְא֑וּ כָּל־ ה֖וֹן יָקָ֣ר וְנָעִֽים׃

5The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.

5גֶּֽבֶר־ חָכָ֥ם בַּע֑וֹז וְאִֽישׁ־ דַּ֝֗עַת מְאַמֶּץ־ כֹּֽחַ׃

6So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.

6כִּ֣י בְ֭תַחְבֻּלוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־ לְּךָ֣ מִלְחָמָ֑ה וּ֝תְשׁוּעָ֗ה בְּרֹ֣ב יוֹעֵֽץ׃

7Wisdom is too lofty for fools. Among leaders at the city gate, they have nothing to say.

7רָאמ֣וֹת לֶֽאֱוִ֣יל חָכְמ֑וֹת בַּ֝שַּׁ֗עַר לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־ פִּֽיהוּ׃

8A person who plans evil will get a reputation as a troublemaker.

8מְחַשֵּׁ֥ב לְהָרֵ֑עַ ל֝֗וֹ בַּֽעַל־ מְזִמּ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽאוּ׃

9The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone detests a mocker.

9זִמַּ֣ת אִוֶּ֣לֶת חַטָּ֑את וְתוֹעֲבַ֖ת לְאָדָ֣ם לֵֽץ׃

10If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.

10הִ֭תְרַפִּיתָ בְּי֥וֹם צָרָ֗ה צַ֣ר כֹּחֶֽכָה׃

11Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death.

11הַ֭צֵּל לְקֻחִ֣ים לַמָּ֑וֶת וּמָטִ֥ים לַ֝הֶ֗רֶג אִם־ תַּחְשֽׂוֹךְ׃

12Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.

12כִּֽי־ תֹאמַ֗ר הֵן֮ לֹא־ יָדַ֪עְנ֫וּ זֶ֥ה הֲ‍ֽלֹא־ תֹ֘כֵ֤ן לִבּ֨וֹת ׀ הֽוּא־ יָבִ֗ין וְנֹצֵ֣ר נַ֭פְשְׁךָ ה֣וּא יֵדָ֑ע וְהֵשִׁ֖יב לְאָדָ֣ם כְּפָעֳלֽוֹ׃

13My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste.

13אֱכָל־ בְּנִ֣י דְבַ֣שׁ כִּי־ ט֑וֹב וְנֹ֥פֶת מָ֝ת֗וֹק עַל־ חִכֶּֽךָ׃

14In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short.

14כֵּ֤ן ׀ דְּעֶ֥ה חָכְמָ֗ה לְנַ֫פְשֶׁ֥ךָ אִם־ מָ֭צָאתָ וְיֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃ פ

15Don’t wait in ambush at the home of the godly, and don’t raid the house where the godly live.

15אַל־ תֶּאֱרֹ֣ב רָ֭שָׁע לִנְוֵ֣ה צַדִּ֑יק אַֽל־ תְּשַׁדֵּ֥ד רִבְצוֹ׃‪‬‪‬

16The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

16כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨בַע ׀ יִפּ֣וֹל צַדִּ֣יק וָקָ֑ם וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בְרָעָֽה׃

17Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall; don’t be happy when they stumble.

17בִּנְפֹ֣ל [אויביך] (אֽ֭וֹיִבְךָ‪‬) אַל־ תִּשְׂמָ֑ח וּ֝בִכָּשְׁל֗וֹ אַל־ יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ׃

18For the LORD will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them.

18פֶּן־ יִרְאֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה וְרַ֣ע בְּעֵינָ֑יו וְהֵשִׁ֖יב מֵעָלָ֣יו אַפּֽוֹ׃

19Don’t fret because of evildoers; don’t envy the wicked.

19אַל־ תִּתְחַ֥ר בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים אַל־ תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א בָּרְשָׁעִֽים׃

20For evil people have no future; the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.

20כִּ֤י ׀ לֹֽא־ תִהְיֶ֣ה אַחֲרִ֣ית לָרָ֑ע נֵ֖ר רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִדְעָֽךְ׃

21My child, fear the LORD and the king. Don’t associate with rebels,

21יְרָֽא־ אֶת־ יְהוָ֣ה בְּנִ֣י וָמֶ֑לֶךְ עִם־ שׁ֝וֹנִ֗ים אַל־ תִּתְעָרָֽב׃

22for disaster will hit them suddenly. Who knows what punishment will come from the LORD and the king? More Sayings of the Wise

22כִּֽי־ פִ֭תְאֹם יָק֣וּם אֵידָ֑ם וּפִ֥יד שְׁ֝נֵיהֶ֗ם מִ֣י יוֹדֵֽעַ׃ ס

23Here are some further sayings of the wise: It is wrong to show favoritism when passing judgment.

23גַּם־ אֵ֥לֶּה לַֽחֲכָמִ֑ים הַֽכֵּר־ פָּנִ֖ים בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט בַּל־ טֽוֹב׃

24A judge who says to the wicked, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by many people and denounced by the nations.

24אֹ֤מֵ֨ר ׀ לְרָשָׁע֮ צַדִּ֪יק אָ֥תָּה יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ עַמִּ֑ים יִזְעָמ֥וּהוּ לְאֻמִּֽים׃

25But it will go well for those who convict the guilty; rich blessings will be showered on them.

25וְלַמּוֹכִיחִ֥ים יִנְעָ֑ם וַֽ֝עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם תָּב֥וֹא בִרְכַּת־ טֽוֹב׃

26An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship.

26שְׂפָתַ֥יִם יִשָּׁ֑ק מֵ֝שִׁ֗יב דְּבָרִ֥ים נְכֹחִֽים׃

27Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.

27הָ֘כֵ֤ן בַּח֨וּץ ׀ מְלַאכְתֶּ֗ךָ וְעַתְּדָ֣הּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֣ה לָ֑ךְ אַ֝חַ֗ר וּבָנִ֥יתָ בֵיתֶֽךָ׃ פ

28Don’t testify against your neighbors without cause; don’t lie about them.

28אַל־ תְּהִ֣י עֵד־ חִנָּ֣ם בְּרֵעֶ֑ךָ וַ֝הֲפִתִּ֗יתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃

29And don’t say, “Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me! I’ll get even with them!”

29אַל־ תֹּאמַ֗ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽשָׂה־ לִ֭י כֵּ֤ן אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־ לּ֑וֹ אָשִׁ֖יב לָאִ֣ישׁ כְּפָעֳלֽוֹ׃

30I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense.

30עַל־ שְׂדֵ֣ה אִישׁ־ עָצֵ֣ל עָבַ֑רְתִּי וְעַל־ כֶּ֝֗רֶם אָדָ֥ם חֲסַר־ לֵֽב׃

31I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down.

31וְהִנֵּ֨ה עָ֘לָ֤ה כֻלּ֨וֹ ׀ קִמְּשֹׂנִ֗ים כָּסּ֣וּ פָנָ֣יו חֲרֻלִּ֑ים וְגֶ֖דֶר אֲבָנָ֣יו נֶהֱרָֽסָה׃

32Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson:

32וָֽאֶחֱזֶ֣ה אָ֭נֹכִֽי אָשִׁ֣ית לִבִּ֑י רָ֝אִ֗יתִי לָקַ֥חְתִּי מוּסָֽר׃

33A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—

33מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט ׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

34then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

34וּבָֽא־ מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵישֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹרֶ֗יךָ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃ פ

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.