New Living Translation

Hebrew Study Bible

1My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—

1בְּ֭נִי אִם־ עָרַ֣בְתָּ לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ תָּקַ֖עְתָּ לַזָּ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

2if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—

2נוֹקַ֥שְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־ פִ֑יךָ נִ֝לְכַּ֗דְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־ פִֽיךָ׃

3follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased.

3עֲשֵׂ֨ה זֹ֥את אֵפ֪וֹא ׀ בְּנִ֡י וְֽהִנָּצֵ֗ל כִּ֘י בָ֤אתָ בְכַף־ רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֵ֥ךְ הִ֝תְרַפֵּ֗ס וּרְהַ֥ב רֵעֶֽיךָ׃

4Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.

4אַל־ תִּתֵּ֣ן שֵׁנָ֣ה לְעֵינֶ֑יךָ וּ֝תְנוּמָ֗ה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

5Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.

5הִ֭נָּצֵל כִּצְבִ֣י מִיָּ֑ד וּ֝כְצִפּ֗וֹר מִיַּ֥ד יָקֽוּשׁ׃ פ

6Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!

6לֵֽךְ־ אֶל־ נְמָלָ֥ה עָצֵ֑ל רְאֵ֖ה דְרָכֶ֣יהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

7Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work,

7אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֵֽין־ לָ֥הּ קָצִ֗ין שֹׁטֵ֥ר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

8they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.

8תָּכִ֣ין בַּקַּ֣יִץ לַחְמָ֑הּ אָגְרָ֥ה בַ֝קָּצִ֗יר מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

9But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?

9עַד־ מָתַ֖י עָצֵ֥ל ׀ תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב מָ֝תַ֗י תָּק֥וּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

10A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—

10מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט ׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

11then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

11וּבָֽא־ כִמְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵאשֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹֽרְךָ֗ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃ פ

12What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars,

12אָדָ֣ם בְּ֭לִיַּעַל אִ֣ישׁ אָ֑וֶן ה֝וֹלֵ֗ךְ עִקְּשׁ֥וּת פֶּֽה׃

13signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.

13קֹרֵ֣ץ בְּ֭עֵינָו‪‬‪‬ מֹלֵ֣ל בְּרַגְלָ֑ו‪‬‪‬ מֹ֝רֶ֗ה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

14Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble.

14תַּֽהְפֻּכ֨וֹת ׀ בְּלִבּ֗וֹ חֹרֵ֣שׁ רָ֣ע בְּכָל־ עֵ֑ת [מדנים] (מִדְיָנִ֥ים) יְשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

15But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.

15עַל־ כֵּ֗ן פִּ֭תְאֹם יָב֣וֹא אֵיד֑וֹ פֶּ֥תַע יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר וְאֵ֣ין מַרְפֵּֽא׃ פ

16There are six things the LORD hates— no, seven things he detests:

16שֶׁשׁ־ הֵ֭נָּה שָׂנֵ֣א יְהוָ֑ה וְ֝שֶׁ֗בַע [תועבות] (תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת‪‬) נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent,

17עֵינַ֣יִם רָ֭מוֹת לְשׁ֣וֹן שָׁ֑קֶר וְ֝יָדַ֗יִם שֹׁפְכ֥וֹת דָּם־ נָקִֽי׃

18a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,

18לֵ֗ב חֹ֭רֵשׁ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָ֑וֶן רַגְלַ֥יִם מְ֝מַהֲר֗וֹת לָר֥וּץ לָֽרָעָה׃‪‬

19a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.

19יָפִ֣יחַ כְּ֭זָבִים עֵ֣ד שָׁ֑קֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּ֥חַ מְ֝דָנִ֗ים בֵּ֣ין אַחִֽים׃ פ

20My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.

20נְצֹ֣ר בְּ֭נִי מִצְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־ תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תּוֹרַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

21Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck.

21קָשְׁרֵ֣ם עַל־ לִבְּךָ֣ תָמִ֑יד עָ֝נְדֵ֗ם עַל־ גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

22When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you.

22בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ֨ ׀ תַּנְחֶ֬ה אֹתָ֗ךְ בְּֽ֭שָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר עָלֶ֑יךָ וַ֝הֲקִיצ֗וֹתָ הִ֣יא תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃

23For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life.

23כִּ֤י נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה וְת֣וֹרָה א֑וֹר וְדֶ֥רֶךְ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תּוֹכְח֥וֹת מוּסָֽר׃

24It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.

24לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאֵ֣שֶׁת רָ֑ע מֵֽ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת לָשׁ֥וֹן נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

25Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.

25אַל־ תַּחְמֹ֣ד יָ֭פְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־ תִּ֝קָּֽחֲךָ֗ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

26For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.

26כִּ֤י בְעַד־ אִשָּׁ֥ה זוֹנָ֗ה עַֽד־ כִּכַּ֫ר לָ֥חֶם וְאֵ֥שֶׁת אִ֑ישׁ נֶ֖פֶשׁ יְקָרָ֣ה תָצֽוּד׃ פ

27Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire?

27הֲיַחְתֶּ֤ה אִ֓ישׁ אֵ֬שׁ בְּחֵיק֑וֹ וּ֝בְגָדָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

28Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet?

28אִם־ יְהַלֵּ֣ךְ אִ֭ישׁ עַל־ הַגֶּחָלִ֑ים וְ֝רַגְלָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃

29So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished.

29כֵּ֗ן הַ֭בָּא אֶל־ אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֑הוּ לֹ֥א יִ֝נָּקֶ֗ה כָּֽל־ הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּֽהּ׃

30Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving.

30לֹא־ יָב֣וּזוּ לַ֭גַּנָּב כִּ֣י יִגְנ֑וֹב לְמַלֵּ֥א נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ כִּ֣י יִרְעָֽב׃

31But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house.

31וְ֭נִמְצָא יְשַׁלֵּ֣ם שִׁבְעָתָ֑יִם אֶת־ כָּל־ ה֖וֹן בֵּית֣וֹ יִתֵּֽן׃

32But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself.

32נֹאֵ֣ף אִשָּׁ֣ה חֲסַר־ לֵ֑ב מַֽשְׁחִ֥ית נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ ה֣וּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

33He will be wounded and disgraced. His shame will never be erased.

33נֶֽגַע־ וְקָל֥וֹן יִמְצָ֑א וְ֝חֶרְפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א תִמָּחֶֽה׃

34For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

34כִּֽי־ קִנְאָ֥ה חֲמַת־ גָּ֑בֶר וְלֹֽא־ יַ֝חְמ֗וֹל בְּי֣וֹם נָקָֽם׃

35He will accept no compensation, nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.

35לֹא־ יִ֭שָּׂא פְּנֵ֣י כָל־ כֹּ֑פֶר וְלֹֽא־ יֹ֝אבֶ֗ה כִּ֣י תַרְבֶּה־ שֹֽׁחַד׃ 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.