Chapter 22

1Repute is preferable to great wealth Grace is better than silver and gold.

אנִבְחָר שֵׁם מֵעֹשֶׁר רָב מִכֶּסֶף וּמִזָּהָב חֵן טוֹב׃

2Rich man and poor man meet; Hashem made them both.

בעָשִׁיר וָרָשׁ נִפְגָּשׁוּ עֹשֵׂה כֻלָּם יְהֹוָה׃

3The shrewd man saw trouble and took cover; The simple kept going and paid the penalty.

געָרוּם רָאָה רָעָה ויסתר [וְנִסְתָּר] וּפְתָיִים עָבְרוּ וְנֶעֱנָשׁוּ׃

4The effect of humility is fear of Hashem, Wealth, honor, and life.

דעֵקֶב עֲנָוָה יִרְאַת יְהֹוָה עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד וְחַיִּים׃

5Thorns and snares are in the path of the crooked; He who values his life will keep far from them.

הצִנִּים פַּחִים בְּדֶרֶךְ עִקֵּשׁ שׁוֹמֵר נַפְשׁוֹ יִרְחַק מֵהֶם׃

6Train a lad in the way he ought to go; He will not swerve from it even in old age.

וחֲנֹךְ לַנַּעַר עַל־פִּי דַרְכּוֹ גַּם כִּי־יַזְקִין לֹא־יָסוּר מִמֶּנָּה׃

7The rich rule the poor, And the borrower is a slave to the lender.

זעָשִׁיר בְּרָשִׁים יִמְשׁוֹל וְעֶבֶד לֹוֶה לְאִישׁ מַלְוֶה׃

8He who sows injustice shall reap misfortune; His rod of wrath shall fail.

חזוֹרֵעַ עַוְלָה יקצור־[יִקְצָר־] אָוֶן וְשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתוֹ יִכְלֶה׃

9The generous man is blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

טטוֹב־עַיִן הוּא יְבֹרָךְ כִּי־נָתַן מִלַּחְמוֹ לַדָּל׃

10Expel the scoffer and contention departs, Quarrel and contumely cease.

יגָּרֵשׁ לֵץ וְיֵצֵא מָדוֹן וְיִשְׁבֹּת דִּין וְקָלוֹן׃

11A pure-hearted friend, His speech is gracious; He has the king for his companion.

יאאֹהֵב טהור־[טְהָר־] לֵב חֵן שְׂפָתָיו רֵעֵהוּ מֶלֶךְ׃

12The eyes of Hashem watch the wise man; He subverts the words of the treacherous.

יבעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה נָצְרוּ דָעַת וַיְסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי בֹגֵד׃

13The lazy man says, “There's a lion in the street; I shall be killed if I step outside.”

יגאָמַר עָצֵל אֲרִי בַחוּץ בְּתוֹךְ רְחֹבוֹת אֵרָצֵחַ׃

14The mouth of a forbidden woman is a deep pit; He who is doomed by Hashem falls into it.

ידשׁוּחָה עֲמֻקָּה פִּי זָרוֹת זְעוּם יְהֹוָה יפול־[יִפָּל־] שָׁם׃

15If folly settles in the heart of a lad, The rod of discipline will remove it.

טואִוֶּלֶת קְשׁוּרָה בְלֶב־נָעַר שֵׁבֶט מוּסָר יַרְחִיקֶנָּה מִמֶּנּוּ׃

16To profit by withholding what is due to the poor Is like making gifts to the rich—pure loss.

טזעֹשֵׁק דָּל לְהַרְבּוֹת לוֹ נֹתֵן לְעָשִׁיר אַךְ־לְמַחְסוֹר׃

17Incline your ear and listen to the words of the sages; Pay attention to my wisdom.

יזהַט אָזְנְךָ וּשְׁמַע דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְלִבְּךָ תָּשִׁית לְדַעְתִּי׃

18It is good that you store them inside you, And that all of them be constantly on your lips,

יחכִּי־נָעִים כִּי־תִשְׁמְרֵם בְּבִטְנֶךָ יִכֹּנוּ יַחְדָּו עַל־שְׂפָתֶיךָ׃

19That you may put your trust in Hashem. I let you know today—yes, you—

יטלִהְיוֹת בַּיהֹוָה מִבְטַחֶךָ הוֹדַעְתִּיךָ הַיּוֹם אַף־אָתָּה׃

20Indeed, I wrote down for you a threefold lore, Wise counsel,

כהֲלֹא כָתַבְתִּי לְךָ שלשום [שָׁלִישִׁים] בְּמוֹעֵצֹת וָדָעַת׃

21To let you know truly reliable words, That you may give a faithful reply to him who sent you.

כאלְהוֹדִיעֲךָ קֹשְׁטְ אִמְרֵי אֱמֶת לְהָשִׁיב אֲמָרִים אֱמֶת לְשֹׁלְחֶיךָ׃

22Do not rob the wretched because he is wretched; Do not crush the poor man in the gate;

כבאַל־תִּגְזָל־דָּל כִּי דַל־הוּא וְאַל־תְּדַכֵּא עָנִי בַשָּׁעַר׃

23For Hashem will take up their cause And despoil those who despoil them of life.

כגכִּי־יְהֹוָה יָרִיב רִיבָם וְקָבַע אֶת־קֹבְעֵיהֶם נָפֶשׁ׃

24Do not associate with an irascible man, Or go about with one who is hot-tempered,

כדאַל־תִּתְרַע אֶת־בַּעַל אָף וְאֶת־אִישׁ חֵמוֹת לֹא תָבוֹא׃

25Lest you learn his ways And find yourself ensnared.

כהפֶּן־תֶּאֱלַף ארחתו [אֹרְחֹתָיו] וְלָקַחְתָּ מוֹקֵשׁ לְנַפְשֶׁךָ׃

26Do not be one of those who give their hand, Who stand surety for debts,

כואַל־תְּהִי בְתֹקְעֵי־כָף בַּעֹרְבִים מַשָּׁאוֹת׃

27Lest your bed be taken from under you When you have no money to pay.

כזאִם־אֵין־לְךָ לְשַׁלֵּם לָמָּה יִקַּח מִשְׁכָּבְךָ מִתַּחְתֶּיךָ׃

28Do not remove the ancient boundary stone That your ancestors set up.

al ta-SAYG g'-VUL o-LAM a-SHER a-SU a-vo-TE-kha

כחאַל־תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ׃

29See a man skilled at his work— He shall attend upon kings; He shall not attend upon obscure men.

כטחָזִיתָ אִישׁ מָהִיר בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ לִפְנֵי־מְלָכִים יִתְיַצָּב בַּל־יִתְיַצֵּב לִפְנֵי חֲשֻׁכִּים׃