1.חָכְמוֹת, בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ; חָצְבָה עַמּוּדֶיהָ שִׁבְעָה.chakhomot, banetah veytah; khatzevah amudeiha shiv'ah.Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars;
2.טָבְחָה טִבְחָהּ, מָסְכָה יֵינָהּ; אַף, עָרְכָה שֻׁלְחָנָהּ.tavchah tivchah, maskah yeinah; af, arekhah shulkhanah.She hath prepared her meat, she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.
3.שָׁלְחָה נַעֲרֹתֶיהָ תִקְרָא-- עַל-גַּפֵּי, מְרֹמֵי קָרֶת.shalchah na'aroteha tikra -- al-gapei, meromei karet.She hath sent forth her maidens, she calleth, upon the highest places of the city:
4.מִי-פֶתִי, יָסֻר הֵנָּה; חֲסַר-לֵב, אָמְרָה לּוֹ.mi-feti, yasur henah; chasar-lev, amrah lo.'Whoso is thoughtless, let him turn in hither'; as for him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him:
5.לְכוּ, לַחֲמוּ בְלַחֲמִי; וּשְׁתוּ, בְּיַיִן מָסָכְתִּי.lechu, lachamu velachami; ushetu, beyayin masakti.'Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.
6.עִזְבוּ פְתָאיִם וִחְיוּ; וְאִשְׁרוּ, בְּדֶרֶךְ בִּינָה.izvu feta'yim vchiyu; ve'ishru, bederech binah.Forsake all thoughtlessness, and live; and walk in the way of understanding.
7.יֹסֵר, לֵץ--לֹקֵחַ לוֹ קָלוֹן; וּמוֹכִיחַ לְרָשָׁע מוּמוֹ.yoser, lets--lokeakh lo kalon; umokhiakh lerasha mumo.He that correcteth a scorner getteth to himself shame, and he that reproveth a wicked man, it becometh unto him a blot.
8.אַל-תּוֹכַח לֵץ, פֶּן-יִשְׂנָאֶךָּ; הוֹכַח לְחָכָם, וְיֶאֱהָבֶךָּ.al-tokhakh lets, pen-yisne'eka; khokhakh lekhakham, ve'e'ehabeka.Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.
9.תֵּן לְחָכָם, וְיֶחְכַּם-עוֹד; הוֹדַע לְצַדִּיק, וְיוֹסֶף לֶקַח.ten lekhakham, veyekhkham-od; hodat letsaddik, veyosef lekakh.Give to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10.תְּחִלַּת חָכְמָה, יִרְאַת יְהוָה; וְדַעַת קְדֹשִׁים בִּינָה.tekhillat khakhmah, yirat YHWH; veda'at kedoshim binah.The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the All-holy is understanding.
11.כִּי-בִי, יִרְבּוּ יָמֶיךָ; וְיוֹסִיפוּ לְּךָ, שְׁנוֹת חַיִּים.ki-vi, yirbu yameykha; ve-yosifu lekha, shenot khayim.For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.
12.אִם-חָכַמְתָּ, חָכַמְתָּ לָּךְ; וְלַצְתָּ, לְבַדְּךָ תִשָּׂא.im-khakhamta, khakhamta lakh; ve-latzta, levadekha tissa.If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; and if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.'
13.אֵשֶׁת כְּסִילוּת, הֹמִיָּה; פְּתַיּוּת, וּבַל-יָדְעָה מָּה.eshet kesilut, homiyyah; petayut, u-val-yad'ah mah.The woman Folly is riotous; she is thoughtless, and knoweth nothing.
14.וְיָשְׁבָה, לְפֶתַח בֵּיתָהּ-- עַל-כִּסֵּא, מְרֹמֵי קָרֶת.ve-yasheva, le-petaikh betah-- al-kisse, merome karet.And she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,
15.לִקְרֹא לְעֹבְרֵי-דָרֶךְ; הַמְיַשְּׁרִים, אֹרְחוֹתָם.likro le'ovrei-darekh; hamyay-sherim, orecHotam.To call to them that pass by, who go right on their ways:
16.מִי-פֶתִי, יָסֻר הֵנָּה; וַחֲסַר-לֵב, וְאָמְרָה לּוֹ.mi-feti, yasur hennah; vachasar-lev, ve'amrah lo.'Whoso is thoughtless, let him turn in hither'; and as for him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him:
17.מַיִם-גְּנוּבִים יִמְתָּקוּ; וְלֶחֶם סְתָרִים יִנְעָם.mayim-genuvim yimtaku; velekhem setarim yin'am.'Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.'
18.וְלֹא-יָדַע, כִּי-רְפָאִים שָׁם; בְּעִמְקֵי שְׁאוֹל קְרֻאֶיהָ.velo-yada, ki-refa'im sham; be'imkei she'ol kruleiha.But he knoweth not that the shades are there; that her guests are in the depths of the nether-world.