The Traps You Won't See Coming.

בְּ֭נִי אִם־עָרַ֣בְתָּ לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ תָּקַ֖עְתָּ לַזָּ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger,

נוֹקַ֥שְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִ֑יךָ נִ֝לְכַּ֗דְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

[2] if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth,

עֲשֵׂ֨ה זֹ֥את אֵפ֪וֹא׀ בְּנִ֡י וְֽהִנָּצֵ֗ל כִּ֘י בָ֤אתָ בְכַף־רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֵ֥ךְ הִ֝תְרַפֵּ֗ס וּרְהַ֥ב רֵעֶֽיךָ׃

[3] then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor.

אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן שֵׁנָ֣ה לְעֵינֶ֑יךָ וּ֝תְנוּמָ֗ה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

[4] Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber;

הִ֭נָּצֵל כִּצְבִ֣י מִיָּ֑ד וּ֝כְצִפּ֗וֹר מִיַּ֥ד יָקֽוּשׁ׃ פ

[5] save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

לֵֽךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָ֥ה עָצֵ֑ל רְאֵ֖ה דְרָכֶ֣יהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

[6] Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֵֽין־לָ֥הּ קָצִ֗ין שֹׁטֵ֥ר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

[7] Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,

תָּכִ֣ין בַּקַּ֣יִץ לַחְמָ֑הּ אָגְרָ֥ה בַ֝קָּצִ֗יר מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

[8] she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

עַד־מָתַ֖י עָצֵ֥ל׀ תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב מָ֝תַ֗י תָּק֥וּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

[9] How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?

מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

[10] A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

וּבָֽא־כִמְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵאשֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹֽרְךָ֗ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃ פ

[11] and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

אָדָ֣ם בְּ֭לִיַּעַל אִ֣ישׁ אָ֑וֶן ה֝וֹלֵ֗ךְ עִקְּשׁ֥וּת פֶּֽה׃

[12] A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech,

קֹרֵ֣ץ בְּ֭עֵינָיו מֹלֵ֣ל בְּרַגְלָ֑ו מֹ֝רֶ֗ה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

[13] winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger,

תַּֽהְפֻּכ֨וֹת׀ בְּלִבּ֗וֹ חֹרֵ֣שׁ רָ֣ע בְּכָל־עֵ֑ת ׳מְדָנִים׳ ״מִדְיָנִ֥ים״ יְשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

[14] with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord;

עַל־כֵּ֗ן פִּ֭תְאֹם יָב֣וֹא אֵיד֑וֹ פֶּ֥תַע יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר וְאֵ֣ין מַרְפֵּֽא׃ פ

[15] therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

שֶׁשׁ־הֵ֭נָּה שָׂנֵ֣א יְהוָ֑ה וְ֝שֶׁ֗בַע ׳תּוֹעֲבוֹת׳ ״תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת״ נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

[16] There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him:

עֵינַ֣יִם רָ֭מוֹת לְשׁ֣וֹן שָׁ֑קֶר וְ֝יָדַ֗יִם שֹׁפְכ֥וֹת דָּם־נָקִֽי׃

[17] haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

לֵ֗ב חֹ֭רֵשׁ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָ֑וֶן רַגְלַ֥יִם מְ֝מַהֲר֗וֹת לָר֥וּץ לָֽרָעָה׃

[18] a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,

יָפִ֣יחַ כְּ֭זָבִים עֵ֣ד שָׁ֑קֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּ֥חַ מְ֝דָנִ֗ים בֵּ֣ין אַחִֽים׃ פ

[19] a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

נְצֹ֣ר בְּ֭נִי מִצְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תּוֹרַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

[20] My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.

קָשְׁרֵ֣ם עַל־לִבְּךָ֣ תָמִ֑יד עָ֝נְדֵ֗ם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

[21] Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.

בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ֨׀ תַּנְחֶ֬ה אֹתָ֗ךְ בְּֽ֭שָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר עָלֶ֑יךָ וַ֝הֲקִיצ֗וֹתָ הִ֣יא תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃

[22] When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.

כִּ֤י נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה וְת֣וֹרָה א֑וֹר וְדֶ֥רֶךְ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תּוֹכְח֥וֹת מוּסָֽר׃

[23] For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאֵ֣שֶׁת רָ֑ע מֵֽ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת לָשׁ֥וֹן נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

[24] to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. [24] to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

אַל־תַּחְמֹ֣ד יָ֭פְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝קָּֽחֲךָ֗ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

[25] Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; [25] Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;

כִּ֤י בְעַד־אִשָּׁ֥ה זוֹנָ֗ה עַֽד־כִּכַּ֫ר לָ֥חֶם וְאֵ֥שֶׁת אִ֑ישׁ נֶ֖פֶשׁ יְקָרָ֣ה תָצֽוּד׃ פ

[26] for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life. [26] for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life.

הֲיַחְתֶּ֤ה אִ֓ישׁ אֵ֬שׁ בְּחֵיק֑וֹ וּ֝בְגָדָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

[27] Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? [27] Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?

אִם־יְהַלֵּ֣ךְ אִ֭ישׁ עַל־הַגֶּחָלִ֑ים וְ֝רַגְלָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃

[28] Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? [28] Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?

כֵּ֗ן הַ֭בָּא אֶל־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֑הוּ לֹ֥א יִ֝נָּקֶ֗ה כָּֽל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּֽהּ׃

[29] So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished. [29] So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.

לֹא־יָב֣וּזוּ לַ֭גַּנָּב כִּ֣י יִגְנ֑וֹב לְמַלֵּ֥א נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ כִּ֣י יִרְעָֽב׃

[30] People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, [30] People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,

וְ֭נִמְצָא יְשַׁלֵּ֣ם שִׁבְעָתָ֑יִם אֶת־כָּל־ה֖וֹן בֵּית֣וֹ יִתֵּֽן׃

[31] but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house. [31] but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house.

נֹאֵ֣ף אִשָּׁ֣ה חֲסַר־לֵ֑ב מַֽשְׁחִ֥ית נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ ה֣וּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

[32] He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. [32] He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.

נֶֽגַע־וְקָל֥וֹן יִמְצָ֑א וְ֝חֶרְפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א תִמָּחֶֽה׃

[33] He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. [33] He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.

כִּֽי־קִנְאָ֥ה חֲמַת־גָּ֑בֶר וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חְמ֗וֹל בְּי֣וֹם נָקָֽם׃

[34] For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. [34] For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge.

לֹא־יִ֭שָּׂא פְּנֵ֣י כָל־כֹּ֑פֶר וְלֹֽא־יֹ֝אבֶ֗ה כִּ֣י תַרְבֶּה־שֹֽׁחַד׃ פ

[35] He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts. [35] He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.