1 My son, if you will take my words to your heart, storing up my laws in your mind;

1 בְּ֭נִי אִם־תִּקַּ֣ח אֲמָרָ֑י וּ֝מִצְוֹתַ֗י תִּצְפֹּ֥ן אִתָּֽךְ׃

2 So that your ear gives attention to wisdom, and your heart is turned to knowledge;

2 לְהַקְשִׁ֣יב לַֽחָכְמָ֣ה אָזְנֶ֑ךָ תַּטֶּ֥ה לִ֝בְּךָ֗ לַתְּבוּנָֽה׃

3 Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge;

3 כִּ֤י אִ֣ם לַבִּינָ֣ה תִקְרָ֑א לַ֝תְּבוּנָ֗ה תִּתֵּ֥ן קֹולֶֽךָ׃

4 If you are looking for her as for silver, and searching for her as for stored-up wealth;

4 אִם־תְּבַקְשֶׁ֥נָּה כַכָּ֑סֶף וְֽכַמַּטְמֹונִ֥ים תַּחְפְּשֶֽׂנָּה׃

5 Then the fear of the Lord will be clear to you, and knowledge of God will be yours.

5 אָ֗ז תָּ֭בִין יִרְאַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת אֱלֹהִ֣ים תִּמְצָֽא׃

6 For the Lord gives wisdom; out of his mouth come knowledge and reason:

6 כִּֽי־יְ֭הוָה יִתֵּ֣ן חָכְמָ֑ה מִ֝פִּ֗יו דַּ֣עַת וּתְבוּנָֽה׃

7 He has salvation stored up for the upright, he is a breastplate to those in whom there is no evil;

7 וְצָפַן יִצְפֹּ֣ן לַ֭יְשָׁרִים תּוּשִׁיָּ֑ה מָ֝גֵ֗ן לְהֹ֣לְכֵי תֹֽם׃

8 He keeps watch on the ways which are right, and takes care of those who have the fear of him.

8 לִ֭נְצֹר אָרְחֹ֣ות מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְדֶ֖רֶךְ חֲסִידֹו חֲסִידָ֣יו יִשְׁמֹֽר׃

9 Then you will have knowledge of righteousness and right acting, and upright behaviour, even of every good way.

9 אָ֗ז תָּ֭בִין צֶ֣דֶק וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּ֝מֵישָׁרִ֗ים כָּל־מַעְגַּל־טֹֽוב׃

10 For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul;

10 כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣וא חָכְמָ֣ה בְלִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝דַ֗עַת לְֽנַפְשְׁךָ֥ יִנְעָֽם׃

11 Wise purposes will be watching over you, and knowledge will keep you;

11 מְ֭זִמָּה תִּשְׁמֹ֥ר עָלֶ֗יךָ תְּבוּנָ֥ה תִנְצְרֶֽכָּה׃

12 Giving you salvation from the evil man, from those whose words are false;

12 לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ רָ֑ע מֵ֝אִ֗ישׁ מְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֹֽות׃

13 Who give up the way of righteousness, to go by dark roads;

13 הַ֭עֹ֣זְבִים אָרְחֹ֣ות יֹ֑שֶׁר לָ֝לֶ֗כֶת בְּדַרְכֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

14 Who take pleasure in wrongdoing, and have joy in the evil designs of the sinner;

14 הַ֭שְּׂמֵחִים לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות רָ֑ע יָ֝גִ֗ילוּ בְּֽתַהְפֻּכֹ֥ות רָֽע׃

15 Whose ways are not straight, and whose footsteps are turned to evil:

15 אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָרְחֹתֵיהֶ֣ם עִקְּשִׁ֑ים וּ֝נְלֹוזִ֗ים בְּמַעְגְּלֹותָֽם׃

16 To take you out of the power of the strange woman, who says smooth words with her tongue;

16 לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃

17 Who is false to the husband of her early years, and does not keep the agreement of her God in mind:

17 הַ֭עֹזֶבֶת אַלּ֣וּף נְעוּרֶ֑יהָ וְאֶת־בְּרִ֖ית אֱלֹהֶ֣יהָ שָׁכֵֽחָה׃

18 For her house is on the way down to death; her footsteps go down to the shades:

18 כִּ֤י שָׁ֣חָה אֶל־מָ֣וֶת בֵּיתָ֑הּ וְאֶל־רְ֝פָאִ֗ים מַעְגְּלֹתֶֽיהָ׃

19 Those who go to her do not come back again; their feet do not keep in the ways of life:

19 כָּל־בָּ֭אֶיהָ לֹ֣א יְשׁוּב֑וּן וְלֹֽא־יַ֝שִּׂ֗יגוּ אָרְחֹ֥ות חַיִּֽים׃

20 So that you may go in the way of good men, and keep in the footsteps of the upright.

20 לְמַ֗עַן תֵּ֭לֵךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ טֹובִ֑ים וְאָרְחֹ֖ות צַדִּיקִ֣ים תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃

21 For the upright will be living in the land, and the good will have it for their heritage.

21 כִּֽי־יְשָׁרִ֥ים יִשְׁכְּנוּ־אָ֑רֶץ וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים יִוָּ֥תְרוּ בָֽהּ׃

22 But sinners will be cut off from the land, and those whose acts are false will be uprooted.

22 וּ֭רְשָׁעִים מֵאֶ֣רֶץ יִכָּרֵ֑תוּ וּ֝בֹוגְדִ֗ים יִסְּח֥וּ מִמֶּֽנָּה׃