What's Actually Worth Wanting.

כִּֽי־תֵ֭שֵׁב לִלְח֣וֹם אֶת־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל בִּ֥ין תָּ֝בִ֗ין אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃

When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you,

וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ שַׂכִּ֣ין בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ אִם־בַּ֖עַל נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃

[2] and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.

אַל־תִּ֭תְאָו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָ֑יו וְ֝ה֗וּא לֶ֣חֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃

[3] Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.

אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ חֲדָֽל׃

[4] Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.

׳הֲתָעוּף׳ ״הֲתָ֤עִיף״ עֵינֶ֥יךָ בּ֗וֹ וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ כִּ֤י עָשֹׂ֣ה יַעֲשֶׂה־לּ֣וֹ כְנָפַ֑יִם כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר ׳וְעָיֵף׳ ״יָע֥וּף״ הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ פ

[5] When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.

אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן ׳וְאַל־תִּתְאָו׳ ״וְאַל־תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו״ לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃

[6] Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies,

כִּ֤י׀ כְּמוֹ־שָׁעַ֥ר בְּנַפְשׁ֗וֹ כֶּ֫ן־ה֥וּא אֱכֹ֣ל וּ֭שְׁתֵה יֹ֣אמַר לָ֑ךְ וְ֝לִבּ֗וֹ בַּל־עִמָּֽךְ׃

[7] for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃

[8] You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words.

בְּאָזְנֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר כִּֽי־יָ֝ב֗וּז לְשֵׂ֣כֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ׃

[9] Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words.

אַל־תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עוֹלָ֑ם וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י יְ֝תוֹמִ֗ים אַל־תָּבֹֽא׃

[10] Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless,

כִּֽי־גֹאֲלָ֥ם חָזָ֑ק הֽוּא־יָרִ֖יב אֶת־רִיבָ֣ם אִתָּֽךְ׃

[11] for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you.

הָבִ֣יאָה לַמּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝אָזְנֶ֗ךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃

[12] Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.

אַל־תִּמְנַ֣ע מִנַּ֣עַר מוּסָ֑ר כִּֽי־תַכֶּ֥נּוּ בַ֝שֵּׁ֗בֶט לֹ֣א יָמֽוּת׃

[13] Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

אַ֭תָּה בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מִשְּׁא֥וֹל תַּצִּֽיל׃

[14] If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

בְּ֭נִי אִם־חָכַ֣ם לִבֶּ֑ךָ יִשְׂמַ֖ח לִבִּ֣י גַם־אָֽנִי׃

[15] My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad.

וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה כִלְיוֹתָ֑י בְּדַבֵּ֥ר שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃

[16] My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right.

אַל־יְקַנֵּ֣א לִ֭בְּךָ בַּֽחַטָּאִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

[17] Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.

כִּ֭י אִם־יֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃

[18] Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

שְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה בְנִ֣י וַחֲכָ֑ם וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

[19] Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.

אַל־תְּהִ֥י בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן בְּזֹלֲלֵ֖י בָשָׂ֣ר לָֽמוֹ׃

[20] Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,

כִּי־סֹבֵ֣א וְ֭זוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ נוּמָֽה׃

[21] for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.

שְׁמַ֣ע לְ֭אָבִיךָ זֶ֣ה יְלָדֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תָּ֝ב֗וּז כִּֽי־זָקְנָ֥ה אִמֶּֽךָ׃

[22] Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

אֱמֶ֣ת קְ֭נֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר חָכְמָ֖ה וּמוּסָ֣ר וּבִינָֽה׃

[23] Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

׳גּוֹל׳ ״גִּ֣יל״ ׳יָגוֹל׳ ״יָ֭גִיל״ אֲבִ֣י צַדִּ֑יק ׳יוֹלֵד׳ ״וְיוֹלֵ֥ד״ חָ֝כָ֗ם ׳וְיִשְׂמַח־יִשְׂמַח־בּֽוֹ׃׳

[24] The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.

יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃

[25] Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.

תְּנָֽה־בְנִ֣י לִבְּךָ֣ לִ֑י וְ֝עֵינֶ֗יךָ דְּרָכַ֥י ׳תִּרְצֶנָה׳ ״תִּצֹּֽרְנָה׃״

[26] My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.

כִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲמֻקָּ֣ה זוֹנָ֑ה וּבְאֵ֥ר צָ֝רָ֗ה נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

[27] For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well.

אַף־הִ֭יא כְּחֶ֣תֶף תֶּֽאֱרֹ֑ב וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים בְּאָדָ֥ם תּוֹסִֽף׃

[28] She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind.

לְמִ֨י א֥וֹי לְמִ֪י אֲב֡וֹי לְמִ֤י ׳מְדוֹנִים׳ ״מִדְיָנִ֨ים׀״ לְמִ֥י שִׂ֗יחַ לְ֭מִי פְּצָעִ֣ים חִנָּ֑ם לְ֝מִ֗י חַכְלִל֥וּת עֵינָֽיִם׃

[29] Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?

לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ׃

[30] Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.

אַל־תֵּ֥רֶא יַיִן֮ כִּ֪י יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם כִּֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן ׳בַּכִּיס׳ ״בַּכּ֣וֹס״ עֵינ֑וֹ יִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

[31] Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.

אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃

[32] In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.

עֵ֭ינֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּ זָר֑וֹת וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ יְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃

[33] Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.

וְ֭הָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּלֶב־יָ֑ם וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּרֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃

[34] You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.

הִכּ֥וּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי֮ הֲלָמ֗וּנִי בַּל־יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי מָתַ֥י אָקִ֑יץ א֝וֹסִ֗יף אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ עֽוֹד׃

[35] “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”