← 4 | ← Proverbs | 6 →
Chapter 5
Avoiding Immorality
1
My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my insight,
𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤄𐤒𐤔𐤉𐤁𐤄 𐤋𐤇𐤊𐤌𐤕𐤉 𐤄𐤈 𐤀𐤆𐤍𐤊 𐤋𐤕𐤁𐤅𐤍𐤕𐤉
בְּ֭נִי הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לְחָכְמָתִ֣י הַט־ אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ לִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗י bə·nî haq·šî·ḇāh lə·ḥā·ḵə·mā·ṯî haṭ- ’ā·zə·ne·ḵā liṯ·ḇū·nā·ṯî — WLC · 1
2
that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.
𐤋𐤔𐤌𐤓 𐤌𐤆𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤔𐤐𐤕𐤉𐤊 𐤉𐤍𐤑𐤓𐤅 𐤅𐤃𐤏𐤕
לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְזִמּ֑וֹת שְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃ וְ֝דַ֗עַת liš·mōr mə·zim·mō·wṯ śə·p̄ā·ṯe·ḵā yin·ṣō·rū wə·ḏa·‘aṯ — WLC · 2
3
Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech [is] smoother than oil,
𐤊𐤉 𐤔𐤐𐤕𐤉 𐤆𐤓𐤄 𐤕𐤈𐤐𐤍𐤄 𐤍𐤐𐤕 𐤇𐤊𐤄 𐤅𐤇𐤋𐤒 𐤌𐤔𐤌𐤍
כִּ֤י שִׂפְתֵ֣י זָרָ֑ה תִּ֭טֹּפְנָה נֹ֣פֶת חִכָּֽהּ׃ וְחָלָ֖ק מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן kî śip̄·ṯê zā·rāh tiṭ·ṭō·p̄ə·nāh nō·p̄eṯ ḥik·kāh wə·ḥā·lāq miš·še·men — WLC · 3
4
in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.
𐤅𐤀𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤕𐤄 𐤌𐤓𐤄 𐤊𐤋𐤏𐤍𐤄 𐤇𐤃𐤄 𐤐𐤉𐤅𐤕 𐤊𐤇𐤓𐤁
וְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָ֣ה כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה חַ֝דָּ֗ה פִּיּֽוֹת׃ כְּחֶ֣רֶב wə·’a·ḥă·rî·ṯāh mā·rāh ḵal·la·‘ă·nāh ḥad·dāh pî·yō·wṯ kə·ḥe·reḇ — WLC · 4
5
Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol.
𐤓𐤂𐤋𐤉𐤄 𐤉𐤓𐤃𐤅𐤕 𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤑𐤏𐤃𐤉𐤄 𐤉𐤕𐤌𐤊𐤅 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋
רַ֭גְלֶיהָ יֹרְד֣וֹת מָ֑וֶת צְעָדֶ֥יהָ יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃ שְׁ֝א֗וֹל raḡ·le·hā yō·rə·ḏō·wṯ mā·weṯ ṣə·‘ā·ḏe·hā yiṯ·mō·ḵū šə·ʾôl — WLC · 5
6
She does not consider the path of life; she does not know that her ways are unstable.
𐤐𐤍 𐤕𐤐𐤋𐤎 𐤀𐤓𐤇 𐤇𐤉𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤕𐤃𐤏𐤐 𐤌𐤏𐤂𐤋𐤕𐤉𐤄 𐤍𐤏𐤅
פֶּן־ תְּפַלֵּ֑ס אֹ֣רַח חַ֭יִּים לֹ֣א תֵדָֽע׃פ מַ֝עְגְּלֹתֶ֗יהָ נָע֥וּ pen- tə·p̄al·lês ’ō·raḥ ḥay·yîm lō ṯê·ḏā‘ ma‘·gə·lō·ṯe·hā nā·‘ū — WLC · 6
7
So now, my sons, listen to me, and do not turn aside from the words of my mouth.
𐤅𐤏𐤕𐤄 𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤌 𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤅 𐤋𐤉 𐤅𐤀𐤋 𐤕𐤎𐤅𐤓𐤅 𐤌𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤉 𐤐𐤉
וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־ לִ֑י וְאַל־ תָּ֝ס֗וּרוּ מֵאִמְרֵי־ פִֽי׃ wə·‘at·tāh ḇā·nîm šim·‘ū- lî wə·’al- tā·sū·rū mê·’im·rê- p̄î — WLC · 7
8
Keep your path far from her; do not go near… the door of her house,
𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤊 𐤄𐤓𐤇𐤒 𐤌𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤄 𐤅𐤀𐤋 𐤕𐤒𐤓𐤁 𐤀𐤋 𐤐𐤕𐤇 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤄
דַרְכֶּ֑ךָ הַרְחֵ֣ק מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ וְאַל־ תִּ֝קְרַ֗ב אֶל־ פֶּ֥תַח בֵּיתָֽהּ׃ ḏar·ke·ḵā har·ḥêq mê·‘ā·le·hā wə·’al- tiq·raḇ ’el- pe·ṯaḥ bê·ṯāh — WLC · 8
9
lest you concede your vigor to others, and your years to one who is cruel;
𐤐𐤍 𐤕𐤕𐤍 𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤊 𐤋𐤀𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤔𐤍𐤕𐤉𐤊 𐤋𐤀𐤊𐤆𐤓𐤉
פֶּן־ תִּתֵּ֣ן הוֹדֶ֑ךָ לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים וּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃ pen- tit·tên hō·w·ḏe·ḵā la·’ă·ḥê·rîm ū·šə·nō·ṯe·ḵā lə·’aḵ·zā·rî — WLC · 9
10
lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors [enrich] the house of a foreigner.
𐤐𐤍 𐤆𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤉𐤔𐤁𐤏𐤅 𐤊𐤇𐤊 𐤅𐤏𐤑𐤁𐤉𐤊 𐤁𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤍𐤊𐤓𐤉
פֶּֽן־ זָרִ֣ים יִשְׂבְּע֣וּ כֹּחֶ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲצָבֶ֗יךָ בְּבֵ֣ית נָכְרִֽי׃ pen- zā·rîm yiś·bə·‘ū kō·ḥe·ḵā wa·‘ă·ṣā·ḇe·ḵā bə·ḇêṯ nā·ḵə·rî — WLC · 10
11
At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are spent,
𐤁𐤀𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤕𐤊 𐤅𐤍𐤄𐤌𐤕 𐤁𐤔𐤓𐤊 𐤅𐤔𐤀𐤓𐤊 𐤁𐤊𐤋𐤅𐤕
בְאַחֲרִיתֶ֑ךָ וְנָהַמְתָּ֥ בְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗ וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃ בִּכְל֥וֹת ḇə·’a·ḥă·rî·ṯe·ḵā wə·nā·ham·tā bə·śā·rə·ḵā ū·šə·’ê·re·ḵā biḵ·lō·wṯ — WLC · 11
12
and you will say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!
𐤅𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤕 𐤀𐤉𐤊 𐤔𐤍𐤀𐤕𐤉 𐤌𐤅𐤎𐤓 𐤋𐤁𐤉 𐤍𐤀𐤑 𐤅𐤕𐤅𐤊𐤇𐤕
וְֽאָמַרְתָּ֗ אֵ֭יךְ שָׂנֵ֣אתִי מוּסָ֑ר לִבִּֽי׃ נָאַ֥ץ וְ֝תוֹכַ֗חַת wə·’ā·mar·tā ’êḵ śā·nê·ṯî mū·sār lib·bî nā·’aṣ wə·ṯō·w·ḵa·ḥaṯ — WLC · 12
13
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers [or] incline my ear to my mentors.
𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤕𐤉 𐤁𐤒𐤅𐤋 𐤌𐤅𐤓𐤉 𐤋𐤀 𐤄𐤈𐤉𐤕𐤉 𐤀𐤆𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤋𐤌𐤋𐤌𐤃𐤉
וְֽלֹא־ שָׁ֭מַעְתִּי בְּק֣וֹל מוֹרָ֑י לֹא־ הִטִּ֥יתִי אָזְנִֽי׃ וְ֝לִֽמְלַמְּדַ֗י wə·lō·šā- šā·maʿ·tî bə·qō·wl mō·w·rāy lō- hiṭ·ṭî·ṯî ’ā·zə·nî wə·lim·lam·mə·ḏay — WLC · 13
14
I am on the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly…”
𐤄𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤉 𐤊𐤌𐤏𐤈 𐤁𐤊𐤋 𐤓𐤏 𐤁𐤕𐤅𐤊 𐤒𐤄𐤋 𐤅𐤏𐤃𐤄
הָיִ֣יתִי כִּ֭מְעַט בְכָל־ רָ֑ע בְּת֖וֹךְ קָהָ֣ל וְעֵדָֽה׃ hā·yî·ṯî kim·‘aṭ ḇə·ḵāl- rā‘ bə·ṯō·wḵ qā·hāl wə·‘ê·ḏāh — WLC · 14
15
Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.
𐤔𐤕𐤄 𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤌𐤁𐤅𐤓𐤊 𐤅𐤍𐤆𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤌𐤕𐤅𐤊 𐤁𐤀𐤓𐤊
שְׁתֵה־ מַ֥יִם מִבּוֹרֶ֑ךָ וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים מִתּ֥וֹךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃ šə·ṯêh- ma·yim mib·bō·w·re·ḵā wə·nō·zə·lîm mit·tō·wḵ bə·’ê·re·ḵā — WLC · 15
16
Why should your springs flow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?
𐤌𐤏𐤉𐤍𐤕𐤉𐤊 𐤉𐤐𐤅𐤑𐤅 𐤇𐤅𐤑𐤄 𐤐𐤋𐤂𐤉 𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤓𐤇𐤁𐤅𐤕
מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ יָפ֣וּצוּ ח֑וּצָה פַּלְגֵי־ מָֽיִם׃ בָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹת ma‘·yə·nō·ṯe·ḵā yā·p̄ū·ṣū ḥū·ṣāh pal·ḡê- mā·yim bā·rə·ḥō·ḇō·wṯ — WLC · 16
17
Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.
𐤉𐤄𐤉𐤅 𐤋𐤊 𐤋𐤁𐤃𐤊 𐤅𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤀𐤕𐤊 𐤋𐤆𐤓𐤉𐤌
יִֽהְיוּ־ לְךָ֥ לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ וְאֵ֖ין אִתָּֽךְ׃ לְזָרִ֣ים yih·yū- lə·ḵā lə·ḇad·de·ḵā wə·’ên ’it·tāḵ lə·zā·rîm — WLC · 17
18
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:
𐤌𐤒𐤅𐤓𐤊 𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤁𐤓𐤅𐤊 𐤅𐤔𐤌𐤇 𐤌𐤀𐤔𐤕 𐤍𐤏𐤅𐤓𐤊
מְקוֹרְךָ֥ יְהִֽי־ בָר֑וּךְ וּ֝שְׂמַ֗ח מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃ mə·qō·wr·ḵā yə·hî- ḇā·rūḵ ū·śə·maḥ mê·’ê·šeṯ nə·‘ū·re·ḵā — WLC · 18
19
A loving doe, a graceful fawn— may her breasts satisfy you always…; may you be captivated by her love forever.
𐤀𐤄𐤁𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤉𐤋𐤕 𐤇𐤍 𐤅𐤉𐤏𐤋𐤕 𐤃𐤃𐤉𐤄 𐤉𐤓𐤅𐤊 𐤁𐤊𐤋 𐤏𐤕 𐤕𐤔𐤂𐤄 𐤁𐤀𐤄𐤁𐤕𐤄 𐤕𐤌𐤉𐤃
אֲהָבִ֗ים אַיֶּ֥לֶת חֵ֥ן וְֽיַעֲלַ֫ת־ דַּ֭דֶּיהָ יְרַוֻּ֣ךָ בְכָל־ עֵ֑ת תִּשְׁגֶּ֥ה בְּ֝אַהֲבָתָ֗הּ תָמִֽיד׃ ’ă·hā·ḇîm ’ay·ye·leṯ ḥên wə·ya·‘ă·laṯ- dad·de·hā yə·raw·wu·ḵā ḇə·ḵāl- ‘êṯ tiš·geh bə·’a·hă·ḇā·ṯāh ṯā·mîḏ — WLC · 19
20
Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress, or embrace the bosom of a stranger?
𐤅𐤋𐤌𐤄 𐤕𐤔𐤂𐤄 𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤁𐤆𐤓𐤄 𐤅𐤕𐤇𐤁𐤒 𐤇𐤒 𐤍𐤊𐤓𐤉𐤄
וְלָ֤מָּה תִשְׁגֶּ֣ה בְנִ֣י בְזָרָ֑ה וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק חֵ֣ק נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ wə·lām·māh ṯiš·geh ḇə·nî ḇə·zā·rāh ū·ṯə·ḥab·bêq ḥêq nā·ḵə·rî·yāh — WLC · 20
21
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and [the LORD] examines all his paths.
𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤉 𐤍𐤊𐤇 𐤏𐤉𐤍𐤉 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤌𐤐𐤋𐤎 𐤅𐤊𐤋 𐤌𐤏𐤂𐤋𐤕𐤉𐤅
כִּ֤י אִ֑ישׁ דַּרְכֵי־ נֹ֨כַח׀ עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה מְפַלֵּֽס׃ וְֽכָל־ מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו kî ’îš dar·ḵê- nō·ḵaḥ ‘ê·nê Yah·weh mə·p̄al·lês wə·ḵāl ma‘·gə·lō·ṯāw — WLC · 21
22
The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.
𐤏𐤅𐤅𐤍𐤅𐤕𐤉𐤅 𐤄𐤓𐤔𐤏 𐤉𐤋𐤊𐤃𐤍𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤉𐤕𐤌𐤊 𐤇𐤈𐤀𐤕𐤅 𐤅𐤁𐤇𐤁𐤋𐤉
עַֽווֹנוֹתָ֗יו הָרָשָׁ֑ע יִלְכְּדֻנ֥וֹ אֶת־ יִתָּמֵֽךְ׃ חַ֝טָּאת֗וֹ וּבְחַבְלֵ֥י ʿa·wō·nō·ṯå̄w hā·rā·šā‘ yil·kə·ḏu·nōw ’eṯ- yit·tā·mêḵ ḥaṭ·ṭā·ṯōw ū·ḇə·ḥaḇ·lê — WLC · 22
23
He dies for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.
𐤄𐤅𐤀 𐤉𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤁𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤌𐤅𐤎𐤓 𐤉𐤔𐤂𐤄𐤐 𐤅𐤁𐤓𐤁 𐤀𐤅𐤋𐤕𐤅
ה֗וּא יָ֭מוּת בְּאֵ֣ין מוּסָ֑ר יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃פ וּבְרֹ֖ב אִוַּלְתּ֣וֹ hū yā·mūṯ bə·’ên mū·sār yiš·geh ū·ḇə·rōḇ ’iw·wal·tōw — WLC · 23