1.בְּנִי, לְחָכְמָתִי הַקְשִׁיבָה; לִתְבוּנָתִי, הַט-אָזְנֶךָ.beni, lekhamati hakshiva; litvunati, hat-oznekha.My son, attend unto my wisdom; incline thine ear to my understanding;
2.לִשְׁמֹר מְזִמּוֹת; וְדַעַת, שְׂפָתֶיךָ יִנְצֹרוּ.lishmor mezimot; veda'at, sefateykha yintsoru.That thou mayest preserve discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3.כִּי נֹפֶת תִּטֹּפְנָה, שִׂפְתֵי זָרָה; וְחָלָק מִשֶּׁמֶן חִכָּהּ.ki nofet titofnah, siftei zarah; vekhalak mishemen khikah.For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;
4.וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ, מָרָה כַלַּעֲנָה; חַדָּה, כְּחֶרֶב פִּיּוֹת.Ve'aharitah, marah khala'anah; khaddah, khecherev piyyot.But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
5.רַגְלֶיהָ, יֹרְדוֹת מָוֶת; שְׁאוֹל, צְעָדֶיהָ יִתְמֹכוּ.Ragleyha, yordot mavet; she'ol, tze'adeyha yitmokhu.Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on the nether-world;
6.אֹרַח חַיִּים, פֶּן-תְּפַלֵּס; נָעוּ מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ, לֹא תֵדָע.Orakh chayim, pen-tepalles; na'u ma'g'loteiha, lo teda.Lest she should walk the even path of life, her ways wander, but she knoweth it not.
7.וְעַתָּה בָנִים, שִׁמְעוּ-לִי; וְאַל-תָּסוּרוּ, מֵאִמְרֵי-פִי.Ve'atta vanim, shim'u-li; ve'al-tasuru, me'imrei-fi.Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
8.הַרְחֵק מֵעָלֶיהָ דַרְכֶּךָ; וְאַל-תִּקְרַב, אֶל-פֶּתַח בֵּיתָהּ.harkhek me'aleha darkekha; ve'al-tikrav, el-petakh beitah.Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house;
9.פֶּן-תִּתֵּן לַאֲחֵרִים הוֹדֶךָ; וּשְׁנֹתֶיךָ, לְאַכְזָרִי.pen-titten la'akherim hodekha; ushnotekha, le'akzari.Lest thou give thy vigour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;
10.פֶּן-יִשְׂבְּעוּ זָרִים כֹּחֶךָ; וַעֲצָבֶיךָ, בְּבֵית נָכְרִי.pen-yisbe'u zarim kokhekha; va'atzaveykha, beveit nokhri.Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, and thy labours be in the house of an alien;
11.וְנָהַמְתָּ בְאַחֲרִיתֶךָ; בִּכְלוֹת בְּשָׂרְךָ, וּשְׁאֵרֶךָ.venahamta ve'akharitekha; bikhlot besarokha, ushe'erekha.And thou moan, when thine end cometh, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
12.וְאָמַרְתָּ--אֵיךְ, שָׂנֵאתִי מוּסָר; וְתוֹכַחַת, נָאַץ לִבִּי.ve'amarta eikh sane'iti musar vetokhakhat na'atz libiAnd say: 'How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
13.וְלֹא-שָׁמַעְתִּי, בְּקוֹל מוֹרָי; וְלִמְלַמְּדַי, לֹא-הִטִּיתִי אָזְנִי.velo-shama'ti beqol moray velimlameday lo-hititi ozniNeither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
14.כִּמְעַט, הָיִיתִי בְכָל-רָע-- בְּתוֹךְ קָהָל וְעֵדָה.kim'at hayiti bekhol-ra betokh qahal ve'edaI was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.'
15.שְׁתֵה-מַיִם מִבּוֹרֶךָ; וְנֹזְלִים, מִתּוֹךְ בְּאֵרֶךָ.shete-mayim miborekha venozlim mitokh be'erekhaDrink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
16.יָפוּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶיךָ חוּצָה; בָּרְחֹבוֹת, פַּלְגֵי-מָיִם.yafutsu ma'yenotekha khutsa barekhovot palge-mayimLet thy springs be dispersed abroad, and courses of water in the streets.
17.יִהְיוּ-לְךָ לְבַדֶּךָ; וְאֵין לְזָרִים אִתָּךְ.yihyu-lekha levadekha ve'ein lezarim itakhLet them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
18.יְהִי-מְקוֹרְךָ בָרוּךְ; וּשְׂמַח, מֵאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶךָ.yehi-mekorkha varukh usemakH me'eset ne'urekhaLet thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.
19.אַיֶּלֶת אֲהָבִים, וְיַעֲלַת-חֵן:דַּדֶּיהָ, יְרַוֻּךָ בְכָל-עֵת; בְּאַהֲבָתָהּ, תִּשְׁגֶּה תָמִיד.ayyelet ahavim veya'alat-khen daddeyha yeravukha vekhal-et be'ahavatah tishge tamidA lovely hind and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; with her love be thou ravished always.
20.וְלָמָּה תִשְׁגֶּה בְנִי בְזָרָה; וּתְחַבֵּק, חֵק נָכְרִיָּה.velamah tishgeh veni vezarah; utehabek, hek nokriyah.Why then wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of an alien?
21.כִּי נֹכַח, עֵינֵי יְהוָה--דַּרְכֵי-אִישׁ; וְכָל-מַעְגְּלֹתָיו מְפַלֵּס.ki nokah, einei YHWH--darkei-ish; vehol-ma'gelotav mepales.For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He maketh even all his paths.
22.עֲווֹנֹתָיו--יִלְכְּדֻנוֹ אֶת-הָרָשָׁע; וּבְחַבְלֵי חַטָּאתוֹ, יִתָּמֵךְ.avonotav--yilkeduno et-harasha; uvehavlei hatato, yitameh.His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.
23.הוּא--יָמוּת, בְּאֵין מוּסָר; וּבְרֹב אִוַּלְתּוֹ יִשְׁגֶּה.hu--yamut, be'ein musar; uverov ivalto yishgeh.He shall die for lack of instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall reel.