English Standard Version

Hebrew Study Bible

1My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger,

1בְּ֭נִי אִם־ עָרַ֣בְתָּ לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ תָּקַ֖עְתָּ לַזָּ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

2if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth,

2נוֹקַ֥שְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־ פִ֑יךָ נִ֝לְכַּ֗דְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־ פִֽיךָ׃

3then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor.

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

4Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber;

4אַל־ תִּתֵּ֣ן שֵׁנָ֣ה לְעֵינֶ֑יךָ וּ֝תְנוּמָ֗ה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

5save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

5הִ֭נָּצֵל כִּצְבִ֣י מִיָּ֑ד וּ֝כְצִפּ֗וֹר מִיַּ֥ד יָקֽוּשׁ׃ פ

6Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

6לֵֽךְ־ אֶל־ נְמָלָ֥ה עָצֵ֑ל רְאֵ֖ה דְרָכֶ֣יהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

7Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,

7אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֵֽין־ לָ֥הּ קָצִ֗ין שֹׁטֵ֥ר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

8she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

8תָּכִ֣ין בַּקַּ֣יִץ לַחְמָ֑הּ אָגְרָ֥ה בַ֝קָּצִ֗יר מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

9How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?

9עַד־ מָתַ֖י עָצֵ֥ל ׀ תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב מָ֝תַ֗י תָּק֥וּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

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

10מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט ׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

11and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

11וּבָֽא־ כִמְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵאשֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹֽרְךָ֗ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃ פ

12A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech,

12אָדָ֣ם בְּ֭לִיַּעַל אִ֣ישׁ אָ֑וֶן ה֝וֹלֵ֗ךְ עִקְּשׁ֥וּת פֶּֽה׃

13winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger,

13קֹרֵ֣ץ בְּ֭עֵינָו‪‬‪‬ מֹלֵ֣ל בְּרַגְלָ֑ו‪‬‪‬ מֹ֝רֶ֗ה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

14with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord;

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

15therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

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

16There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him:

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

17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

17עֵינַ֣יִם רָ֭מוֹת לְשׁ֣וֹן שָׁ֑קֶר וְ֝יָדַ֗יִם שֹׁפְכ֥וֹת דָּם־ נָקִֽי׃

18a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,

18לֵ֗ב חֹ֭רֵשׁ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָ֑וֶן רַגְלַ֥יִם מְ֝מַהֲר֗וֹת לָר֥וּץ לָֽרָעָה׃‪‬

19a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

19יָפִ֣יחַ כְּ֭זָבִים עֵ֣ד שָׁ֑קֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּ֥חַ מְ֝דָנִ֗ים בֵּ֣ין אַחִֽים׃ פ

20My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.

20נְצֹ֣ר בְּ֭נִי מִצְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־ תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תּוֹרַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

21Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.

21קָשְׁרֵ֣ם עַל־ לִבְּךָ֣ תָמִ֑יד עָ֝נְדֵ֗ם עַל־ גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

22When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.

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

23For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

23כִּ֤י נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה וְת֣וֹרָה א֑וֹר וְדֶ֥רֶךְ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תּוֹכְח֥וֹת מוּסָֽר׃

24to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

24לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאֵ֣שֶׁת רָ֑ע מֵֽ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת לָשׁ֥וֹן נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

25Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;

25אַל־ תַּחְמֹ֣ד יָ֭פְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־ תִּ֝קָּֽחֲךָ֗ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

26for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life.

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

27Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?

27הֲיַחְתֶּ֤ה אִ֓ישׁ אֵ֬שׁ בְּחֵיק֑וֹ וּ֝בְגָדָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

28Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?

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

29So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.

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

30People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,

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

31but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house.

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

32He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.

32נֹאֵ֣ף אִשָּׁ֣ה חֲסַר־ לֵ֑ב מַֽשְׁחִ֥ית נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ ה֣וּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

33He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.

33נֶֽגַע־ וְקָל֥וֹן יִמְצָ֑א וְ֝חֶרְפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א תִמָּחֶֽה׃

34For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge.

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

35He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

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

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

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