1My sonבְּ֭נִיBe.niH1121,pay attentionהַקְשִׁ֑יבָהhak.Shi.vahH7181to my wisdomלְחָכְמָתִ֣יle.cha.khe.ma.TiH2451;inclineהַט־hat-H5186your earאָזְנֶֽךָ׃'a.ze.Ne.khaH241to my insightלִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗יlit.vu.na.TiH8394,
2that you may maintainלִשְׁמֹ֥רlish.MorH8104discretionמְזִמּ֑וֹתme.zi.MotH4209and your lipsשְׂפָתֶ֥יךָse.fa.Tei.khaH8193may preserveיִנְצֹֽרוּ׃yin.Tzo.ruH5341knowledgeוְ֝דַ֗עַתve.Da.'atH1847.
3Thoughכִּ֤יkiH3588the lipsשִׂפְתֵ֣יsif.TeiH8193of the forbidden womanזָרָ֑הza.RahH2114dripתִּ֭טֹּפְנָהTi.to.fe.nahH5197honeyנֹ֣פֶתNo.fetH5317and her speechחִכָּֽהּ׃chi.KahH2441issmootherוְחָלָ֖קve.cha.LakH2509than oilמִשֶּׁ֣מֶןmi.She.menH8081,
4in the endוְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּVe.'a.cha.ri.tahH319she is bitterמָרָ֣הma.RahH4751as wormwoodכַֽלַּעֲנָ֑הkha.la.'a.NahH3939,sharpחַ֝דָּ֗הcha.DahH2299as a double-edgedפִּיּֽוֹת׃pi.YotH6310swordכְּחֶ֣רֶבke.Che.revH2719.
6She does notפֶּן־pen-H6435considerתְּפַלֵּ֑סte.fa.LesH6424the pathאֹ֣רַח'O.rachH734of lifeחַ֭יִּיםChai.yimH2416;she does notלֹ֣אlo'H3808know thatתֵדָֽע׃ פte.Da'H3045her waysמַ֝עְגְּלֹתֶ֗יהָma'.ge.lo.Tei.haH4570are unstableנָע֥וּna.'UH5128.
7So nowוְעַתָּ֣הve.'a.TahH6258,my sonsבָ֭נִיםVa.nimH1121,listenשִׁמְעוּ־shim.'u-H8085to me,and do notוְאַל־ve.'al-H408turn asideתָּ֝ס֗וּרוּta.Su.ruH5493from the wordsמֵאִמְרֵי־me.'im.rei-H561of my mouthפִֽי׃FiH6310.
8Keep your pathדַרְכֶּ֑ךָdar.Ke.khaH1870farהַרְחֵ֣קhar.ChekH7368from herמֵעָלֶ֣יהָme.'a.Lei.haH5921;do notוְאַל־ve.'al-H408go nearתִּ֝קְרַ֗ב אֶל־tik.Rav 'el-H7126H413the doorפֶּ֥תַחPe.tachH6607of her houseבֵּיתָֽהּ׃bei.TahH1004,
9lestפֶּן־pen-H6435you concedeתִּתֵּ֣ןti.TenH5414your vigorהוֹדֶ֑ךָho.De.khaH1935to othersלַאֲחֵרִ֣יםla.'a.che.RimH312,and your yearsוּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָu.she.no.Tei.khaH8141to one who is cruelלְאַכְזָרִֽי׃le.'akh.za.RiH394;
10lestפֶּֽן־pen-H6435strangersזָרִ֣יםza.RimH2114feastיִשְׂבְּע֣וּyis.be.'UH7646on your wealthכֹּחֶ֑ךָko.Che.khaH3581,and your laborsוַ֝עֲצָבֶ֗יךָva.'a.tza.Vei.khaH6089enrichthe houseבְּבֵ֣יתbe.VeitH1004of a foreignerנָכְרִֽי׃na.khe.RiH5237.
11At the end of your lifeבְאַחֲרִיתֶ֑ךָve.'a.cha.ri.Te.khaH319you will groanוְנָהַמְתָּ֥ve.na.ham.TaH5098when your fleshבְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗be.sa.re.khaH1320and your bodyוּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃u.she.'e.Re.khaH7607are spentבִּכְל֥וֹתbikh.LotH3615,
12and you will sayוְֽאָמַרְתָּ֗ve.'a.mar.TaH559, “Howאֵ֭יךְ'eikhH349I hatedשָׂנֵ֣אתִיsa.Ne.tiH8130disciplineמוּסָ֑רmu.SarH4148,and my heartלִבִּֽי׃li.BiH3820despisedנָאַ֥ץna.'AtzH5006reproofוְ֝תוֹכַ֗חַתve.to.Kha.chatH8433!
13I did notוְֽלֹא־ve.lo.Sha'-H3808listenשָׁ֭מַעְתִּיSha.ma'.tiH8085to the voiceבְּק֣וֹלbe.KolH6963of my teachersמוֹרָ֑יmo.RaiH4175orלֹא־lo'-H3808inclineהִטִּ֥יתִיhi.Ti.tiH5186my earאָזְנִֽי׃'a.ze.NiH241to my mentorsוְ֝לִֽמְלַמְּדַ֗יve.lim.la.me.DaiH3925.
14I amהָיִ֣יתִיha.Yi.tiH1961on the brinkכִּ֭מְעַטKim.'atH4592of utterבְכָל־ve.khol-H3605ruinרָ֑עRa'H7451in the midstבְּת֖וֹךְbe.TokhH8432of the whole assemblyקָהָ֣ל וְעֵדָֽה׃ka.Hal ve.'e.DahH6951H5712.”
15Drinkשְׁתֵה־she.teh-H8354waterמַ֥יִםMa.yimH4325from your own cisternמִבּוֹרֶ֑ךָmi.bo.Re.khaH953,and running waterוְ֝נֹזְלִ֗יםve.no.ze.LimH5140fromמִתּ֥וֹךְmi.TokhH8432your own wellבְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃be.'e.Re.khaH875.
16Why should your springsמַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָma'.ye.no.Tei.khaH4599flowיָפ֣וּצוּya.Fu.tzuH6327in the streetsח֑וּצָהChu.tzahH2351,your streamsפַּלְגֵי־pal.gei-H6388of waterמָֽיִם׃Ma.yimH4325in the public squaresבָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹתba.re.cho.VotH7339?
17Let them beיִֽהְיוּ־yih.yu-H1961yoursaloneלְבַדֶּ֑ךָle.va.De.khaH905,neverוְאֵ֖יןve.'EinH369to be sharedאִתָּֽךְ׃'i.TakhH854with strangersלְזָרִ֣יםle.za.RimH2114.
18May your fountainמְקוֹרְךָ֥me.kor.ChaH4726beיְהִֽי־ye.hi-H1961blessedבָר֑וּךְva.RukhH1288,and may you rejoiceוּ֝שְׂמַ֗חu.se.MachH8055in the wifeמֵאֵ֥שֶׁתme.'E.shetH802of your youthנְעוּרֶֽךָ׃ne.'u.Re.khaH5271:
19A lovingאֲהָבִ֗ים'a.ha.VimH158doeאַיֶּ֥לֶת'ai.Ye.letH355,a gracefulחֵ֥ןchenH2580fawnוְֽיַעֲלַ֫ת־ve.ya.'a.Lat-H3280—may her breastsדַּ֭דֶּיהָDa.dei.haH1717satisfy youיְרַוֻּ֣ךָye.ra.Vu.khaH7301alwaysבְכָל־ עֵ֑תve.khol- 'EtH3605H6256;may you be captivatedתִּשְׁגֶּ֥הtish.GehH7686by her loveבְּ֝אַהֲבָתָ֗הּbe.'a.ha.va.TahH160foreverתָמִֽיד׃ta.MidH8548.
20Whyוְלָ֤מָּהve.La.mahH4100be captivatedתִשְׁגֶּ֣הtish.GehH7686,my sonבְנִ֣יve.NiH1121,by an adulteressבְזָרָ֑הve.za.RahH2114,or embraceוּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗קu.te.cha.BekH2263the bosomחֵ֣קchekH2436of a strangerנָכְרִיָּֽה׃na.khe.ri.YahH5237?
21Forכִּ֤יkiH3588a man’sאִ֑ישׁ'IshH376waysדַּרְכֵי־dar.khei-H1870are beforeנֹ֨כַח׀No.khachH5227the eyesעֵינֵ֣י'ei.NeiH5869of the LORDיְ֭הוָהYah.wehH3068,and the LORD examinesמְפַלֵּֽס׃me.fa.LesH6424allוְֽכָל־ve.kholH3605his pathsמַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יוma'.ge.lo.TavH4570.
22The iniquitiesעַֽווֹנוֹתָ֗יוa.vo.no.TavH5771of a wicked manהָרָשָׁ֑עha.ra.Sha'H7563entrap himיִלְכְּדֻנ֥וֹyil.ke.du.NoH3920אֶת־'et-H853;the cordsיִתָּמֵֽךְ׃yi.ta.MekhH8551of his sinחַ֝טָּאת֗וֹcha.ta.ToH2403entangle himוּבְחַבְלֵ֥יu.ve.chav.LeiH2256.
23Heה֗וּאHu'H1931diesיָ֭מוּתYa.mutH4191for lackבְּאֵ֣יןbe.'EinH369of disciplineמוּסָ֑רmu.SarH4148,led astrayיִשְׁגֶּֽה׃ פyish.GehH7686by his own greatוּבְרֹ֖בu.ve.RoH7230follyאִוַּלְתּ֣וֹ'i.val.ToH200.
Commentaries