Revised Version 1895

Proverbs 4

1Hearשִׁמְע֣וּshim.'UH8085, mysonsבָ֭נִיםVa.nimH1121, theinstructionמ֣וּסַרMu.sarH4148of afatherאָ֑ב'AvH1, and attend toknowלָדַ֥עַתla.Da.'atH3045understandingבִּינָֽה׃bi.NahH998:

2For Igiveנָתַ֣תִּיna.Ta.tiH5414youכִּ֤יkiH3588goodט֭וֹבTovH2896doctrine;forsakeתַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃ta.'a.ZouH5800yenotאַֽל־'al-H408mylawתּֽ֝וֹרָתִ֗יto.ra.TiH8451.

3For I was asonבֵ֭ןvenH1121unto myfatherלְאָבִ֑יle.'a.ViH1,tenderרַ֥ךְrakhH7390andonlyוְ֝יָחִ֗ידve.ya.ChidH3173beloved in thesightלִפְנֵ֥יlif.NeiH6440of mymotherאִמִּֽי׃'i.MiH517.

4And hetaughtוַיֹּרֵ֗נִיvai.yo.Re.niH3384meH8104, andsaidוַיֹּ֥אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559untomeH8104, Let thineheartלִבֶּ֑ךָli.Be.khaH3820retain mywordsדְּבָרַ֥יde.va.RaiH1697;keepשְׁמֹ֖רshe.MorH8104mycommandmentsמִצְוֹתַ֣יmitz.vo.TaiH4687, andliveוֶֽחְיֵֽה׃Vech.YehH2421:

5Getקְנֵ֣הke.NehH7069wisdomחָ֭כְמָהchokh.mahH2451,getקְנֵ֣הke.NehH7069understandingבִינָ֑הvi.NahH998;forgetתִּשְׁכַּ֥חtish.KachH7911itnotאַל־'al-H408,neitherוְאַל־ve.'al-H408declineתֵּ֝֗טTetH5186from thewordsמֵֽאִמְרֵי־me.'im.rei-H561of mymouthפִֽי׃FiH6310:

6Forsakeתַּעַזְבֶ֥הָta.'az.Ve.haH5800herH8104notאַל־'al-H408, and she shallpreserveוְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃ve.ti.tze.Re.kaH5341thee;loveאֱהָבֶ֥הָ'e.ha.Ve.haH157herH8104, and she shallkeepוְתִשְׁמְרֶ֑ךָּve.tish.me.Re.kaH8104thee.

7Wisdomחָ֭כְמָהchokh.mahH2451is the principalthingH3605; thereforegetH7069wisdomחָכְמָ֑הchokh.mahH2451: yea, withallH3605thou hastgottenH7069getH7069understandingבִינָֽה׃vi.NahH998.

8Exaltוּֽתְרוֹמְמֶ֑ךָּu.te.ro.Me.kaH7311herH3588, andsheH3588shallpromoteH7311thee:sheH3588shall bring thee to honour, when thou dostembraceתְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃te.chab.be.Ke.nahH2263herH3588.

9She shallgiveH5414to thineheadלְ֭רֹאשְׁךָLe.ro.she.khaH7218a chaplet ofgraceחֵ֑ןChenH2580: acrownעֲטֶ֖רֶת'a.Te.retH5850ofbeautyתִּפְאֶ֣רֶתtif.'E.retH8597shall shedeliverH5414to thee.

10Hearשְׁמַ֣עshe.Ma'H8085, O mysonבְּ֭נִיBe.niH1121, andreceiveוְקַ֣חve.KachH3947mysayingsאֲמָרָ֑י'a.ma.RaiH561; and theyearsשְׁנ֣וֹתshe.NotH8141of thylifeחַיִּֽים׃chai.YimH2416shall bemanyוְיִרְבּ֥וּve.yir.BuH7235.

11I havetaughtהֹרֵתִ֑יךָho.re.Ti.khaH3384thee in thewayבְּדֶ֣רֶךְbe.De.rekhH1870ofwisdomחָ֭כְמָהchokh.mahH2451; I haveledהִ֝דְרַכְתִּ֗יךָhid.rakh.Ti.khaH1869thee inpathsבְּמַעְגְּלֵי־be.ma'.ge.lei-H4570ofuprightnessיֹֽשֶׁר׃Yo.sherH3476.

12When thou goest, thystepsצַעֲדֶ֑ךָtza.'a.De.khaH6806shallnotלֹא־lo'-H3808be straitened; andifוְאִם־ve.'im-H518thou runnest, thou shaltnotלֹ֣אlo'H3808stumbleתִכָּשֵֽׁל׃ti.ka.ShelH3782.

13Takeהַחֲזֵ֣קha.cha.ZekH2388fastH2388holdH2388ofinstructionבַּמּוּסָ֣רba.mu.SarH4148;letH7503herH3588notאַל־'al-H408goתֶּ֑רֶףTe.refH7503:keepנִ֝צְּרֶ֗הָni.tze.Re.haH5341herH3588; forsheהִ֥יאhi'H1931is thylifeחַיֶּֽיךָ׃chai.Yei.khaH2416.

14EnterH935notאַל־'al-H408intoH935thepathבְּאֹ֣רַחbe.'O.rachH734of thewickedרְ֭שָׁעִיםRe.sha.'imH7563, andwalkH1870notוְאַל־ve.'al-H408in thewayבְּדֶ֣רֶךְbe.De.rekhH1870ofevilרָעִֽים׃ra.'ImH7451menH7563.

15Avoidפְּרָעֵ֥הוּpe.ra.'E.huH6544it,passתַּעֲבָר־ta.'a.vor-H5674notאַל־'al-H408by it;turnשְׂטֵ֖הse.TehH7847from it, andpassוַעֲבֽוֹר׃va.'a.VorH5674on.

16For theysleepשְׁ֝נָתָ֗םShe.na.TamH8142notH3808,exceptאִם־'im-H518they have done mischief; and theirsleepH8142istakenH1497awayוְֽנִגְזְלָ֥הve.nig.ze.LahH1497,unlessאִם־'im-H518they cause some tofallיַכְשִֽׁילוּ׃yikh.sho.luH3782.

17For theyeatלָ֭חֲמוּLa.cha.muH3898thebreadלֶ֣חֶםLe.chemH3899ofwickednessרֶ֑שַׁעRe.sha'H7562, anddrinkיִשְׁתּֽוּ׃yish.TuH8354thewineוְיֵ֖יןve.YeinH3196ofviolenceחֲמָסִ֣יםcha.ma.SimH2555.

18But thepathוְאֹ֣רַחve.'O.rachH734of therighteousצַ֭דִּיקִיםTza.di.kimH6662is as theshiningH216lightכְּא֣וֹרke.'orH216, that shineth more and more unto the perfectdayהַיּֽוֹם׃hai.YomH3117.

19Thewayדֶּ֣רֶךְDe.rekhH1870of thewickedרְ֭שָׁעִיםRe.sha.'imH7563is asdarknessכָּֽאֲפֵלָ֑הka.'a.fe.LahH653: theyknowיָ֝דְע֗וּya.de.'UH3045notלֹ֥אlo'H3808atwhatבַּמֶּ֥הba.MehH4100theystumbleיִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃ פyi.ka.She.luH3782.

20Mysonבְּ֭נִיBe.niH1121, attend to mywordsלִדְבָרַ֣יlid.va.RaiH1697;inclineהַט־hat-H5186thineearאָזְנֶֽךָ׃'a.ze.Ne.khaH241unto mysayingsלַ֝אֲמָרַ֗יla.'a.ma.RaiH561.

21LetH408themnotH408departיַלִּ֥יזוּya.Li.zuH3868from thineeyesמֵעֵינֶ֑יךָme.'ei.Nei.khaH5869;keepשָׁ֝מְרֵ֗םSham.RemH8104them in themidstבְּת֣וֹךְbe.TokhH8432of thineheartלְבָבֶֽךָ׃le.va.Ve.khaH3824.

22For they arelifeחַיִּ֣יםchai.YimH2416untothoseH3605thatfindלְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑םle.mo.tze.'ei.HemH4672them, andhealthמַרְפֵּֽא׃mar.Pe'H4832toallH3605theirfleshבְּשָׂר֥וֹbe.sa.RoH1320.

23Keepנְצֹ֣רne.TzorH5341thyheartלִבֶּ֑ךָli.Be.khaH3820withallמִֽכָּל־mi.kolH3605diligenceמִ֭שְׁמָרMish.morH4929; foroutמִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּmi.Me.nuH4480of it are the issues oflifeחַיִּֽים׃chai.YimH2416.

24PutH5493awayH5493from thee a frowardmouthפֶּ֑הPehH6310, andperverseעִקְּשׁ֣וּת'i.ke.ShutH6143lipsשְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִםSe.fa.Ta.yimH8193putH5493farהַרְחֵ֥קhar.ChekH7368from thee.

25LetH6079thineeyesעֵ֭ינֶיךָ'Ei.nei.khaH5869lookיַבִּ֑יטוּya.Bi.tuH5027rightH3474on, andletH6079thineeyelidsוְ֝עַפְעַפֶּ֗יךָve.'af.'a.Pei.khaH6079lookH5027straightיַיְשִׁ֥רוּyay.Shi.ruH3474beforeנֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃neg.De.khaH5048thee.

26MakeH3559levelפַּ֭לֵּסPa.lesH6424thepathH1870of thyfeetרַגְלֶ֑ךָrag.Le.khaH7272, and letallוְֽכָל־ve.kholH3605thywaysדְּרָכֶ֥יךָde.ra.Khei.khaH1870beestablishedH3559.

27Turnהָסֵ֖רha.SerH5493notH408to therightיָמִ֥יןya.MinH3225handH3225norH408to theleftוּשְׂמֹ֑אולu.se.MolH8040:removeH5493thyfootרַגְלְךָ֣rag.le.KhaH7272fromevilמֵרָֽע׃me.Ra'H7451.

Commentaries on Proverbs 4

Revised Version 1895 — 1895 — Public Domain