1
Dead flies make a
perfumer's oil stink, so a
little foolishness is
weightier than wisdom and
honor.
r'q'y ;xeqw{r !,m,v ;[yiB;y vyia.b;y t,w'm yeb.Wb.z ? j'[.m t.Wl.kis dw{b'Kim h'm.k'xem
2
A
wise man's heart directs him toward the
right, but the
foolish man's heart directs him toward the
left.
w{la{m.fil lyis.K bel.w w{nyimyil ~'k'x bel
3
Even when the
fool walks along the
road, his
sense is
lacking and he
demonstrates to
everyone that he is a
fool.
r;m'a.w res'x w{Bil .$el{h l'k'S;h,v.K .$,r,D;B -m;g.w ? a.Wh l'k's l{K;l
4
If the
ruler's temper rises against you, do not
abandon your
position,
because composure allays great offenses.
x;N;T -l;a '$.mw{q.m '$y,l'[ h,l][;T levw{M;h ;x.Wr -mia ? ~yilw{d.G ~yia'j]x ;xyiN;y aeP.r;m yiK
5
There is an
evil I have
seen under the
sun, like an
error which goes forth from the
ruler -
a'c{Y,v h'g'g.viK v,m'V;h t;x;T yityia'r h'['r vey ? jyiL;V;h yen.piLim
6
folly is
set in
many exalted places while
rich men sit in
humble places.
l,peV;B ~yiryiv][;w ~yiB;r ~yimw{r.M;B l,k,S;h !;Tin ? .Wbevey
7
I have
seen slaves riding on
horses and
princes walking like
slaves on the
land.
~yik.l{h ~yir'f.w ~yis.Ws -l;[ ~yid'b][ yityia'r ? #,r'a'h -l;[ ~yid'b][;K
8
He who
digs a
pit may
fall into it, and a
serpent may
bite him who
breaks through a
wall.
.WN,k.VIy red'G #er{p.W lw{PIy w{B #'M.WG rep{x ? v'x'n
9
He who
quarries stones may be
hurt by them, and he who
splits logs may be
endangered by them.
!,k'SIy ~yice[ ;[eqw{B ~,h'B bec'[ey ~yin'b]a ;[yiS;m ? ~'B
10
If the
axe is
dull and he does not
sharpen its
edge, then he must
exert more
strength.
Wisdom has the
advantage of
giving success.
l;q.liq ~yin'p -a{l a.Wh.w l,z.r;B;h h'heq -mia ? h'm.k'x q]ryev.k;h !w{r.tIy.w reB;g.y ~yil'y]x;w
11
If the
serpent bites before being
charmed,
there is
no profit for the
charmer *.
!w{r.tIy !yea.w v;x'l -aw{l.B v'x'N;h .${VIy -mia ? !w{v'L;h l;[;b.l
12
Words from the
mouth of a
wise man are
gracious, while the
lips of a
fool consume him;
.WN,[.L;b.T lyis.K tw{t.pif.w !ex ~'k'x -yip yer.biD
13
the
beginning of his
talking * is
folly and the
end of it is
wicked madness.
.WhyiP tyir]x;a.w t.Wl.kis .Whyip -yer.biD t;Lix.T ? h'['r t.Wlelw{h
14
Yet the
fool multiplies words.
No man knows what will
happen, and
who can
tell him
what will
come after * him?
h,y.hiY,v -h;m ~'d'a'h [;dey -a{l ~yir'b.d h,B.r;y l'k'S;h.w ? w{l dyiG;y yim wy'r]x;aem h,y.hIy r,v]a;w
15
The
toil of a
fool so
wearies him that he does not even
know how to
go to a
city.
[;d'y -a{l r,v]a .WN,[.G;y.T ~yilyis.K;h l;m][ ? ryi[ -l,a t,k,l'l
16
Woe to you, O
land,
whose king is a
lad and whose
princes feast in the
morning.
r,q{B;B<01242!> .$Iy;r'f.w r;['n .$eK.l;M,v #,r,a .$'l -yia ? .Wleka{y
17
Blessed are you, O
land,
whose king is of
nobility * and whose
princes eat at the appropriate
time -for
strength and not for
drunkenness.
.$Iy;r'f.w ~yirw{x -n,B .$eK.l;M,v #,r,a .$yer.v;a ? yit.V;b<08358!> a{l.w h'r.Wb.giB .Wleka{y te['B
18
Through
indolence the
rafters sag, and through
slackness * the
house leaks.
~Iy;d'y t.Wl.piv.b.W h,r'q.M;h .$;MIy ~Iy;T.l;c][;B ? tIy'B;h @{l.dIy
19
Men
prepare a
meal for
enjoyment, and
wine makes life merry, and
money is the
answer to
everything.
@,s,K;h.w ~yiY;x x;M;f.y !Iy;y.w ~,x,l ~yif{[ qw{x.fil ? l{K;h -t,a h,n][;y
20
Furthermore, in your
bedchamber do not
curse a
king, and in your
sleeping rooms do not
curse a
rich man, for a
bird of the
heavens will
carry the
sound and the
winged creature will
make the
matter known.
'$.b'K.vim yer.d;x.b.W leL;q.T -l;a .$,l,m '$]['D;m.B ~;G ? .$yilw{y ~Iy;m'V;h @w{[ yiK ryiv'[ leL;q.T -l;a ? r'b'D dyeG;y ~Iy;p'n.K;h l;[;b.W lw{Q;h -t,a