| א בְּנִי, שְׁמֹר אֲמָרָי; וּמִצְוֺתַי, תִּצְפֹּן אִתָּךְ. |
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. |
| ב שְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתַי וֶחְיֵה; וְתוֹרָתִי, כְּאִישׁוֹן עֵינֶיךָ. |
2 Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of thine eye. |
| ג קָשְׁרֵם עַל-אֶצְבְּעֹתֶיךָ; כָּתְבֵם, עַל-לוּחַ לִבֶּךָ. |
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart. |
| ד אֱמֹר לַחָכְמָה, אֲחֹתִי אָתְּ; וּמֹדָע, לַבִּינָה תִקְרָא. |
4 Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art my sister', and call understanding thy kinswoman; |
| ה לִשְׁמָרְךָ, מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה; מִנָּכְרִיָּה, אֲמָרֶיהָ הֶחֱלִיקָה. |
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words. |
| ו כִּי, בְּחַלּוֹן בֵּיתִי-- בְּעַד אֶשְׁנַבִּי נִשְׁקָפְתִּי. |
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice; |
| ז וָאֵרֶא בַפְּתָאיִם, אָבִינָה בַבָּנִים-- נַעַר חֲסַר-לֵב. |
7 And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, |
| ח עֹבֵר בַּשּׁוּק, אֵצֶל פִּנָּהּ; וְדֶרֶךְ בֵּיתָהּ יִצְעָד. |
8 Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house; |
| ט בְּנֶשֶׁף-בְּעֶרֶב יוֹם; בְּאִישׁוֹן לַיְלָה, וַאֲפֵלָה. |
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness. |
| י וְהִנֵּה אִשָּׁה, לִקְרָאתוֹ; שִׁית זוֹנָה, וּנְצֻרַת לֵב. |
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart. |
| יא הֹמִיָּה הִיא וְסֹרָרֶת; בְּבֵיתָהּ, לֹא-יִשְׁכְּנוּ רַגְלֶיהָ. |
11 She is riotous and rebellious, her feet abide not in her house; |
| יב פַּעַם, בַּחוּץ--פַּעַם בָּרְחֹבוֹת; וְאֵצֶל כָּל-פִּנָּה תֶאֱרֹב. |
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lieth in wait at every corner. |
| יג וְהֶחֱזִיקָה בּוֹ, וְנָשְׁקָה לּוֹ; הֵעֵזָה פָנֶיהָ, וַתֹּאמַר לוֹ. |
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him: |
| יד זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים עָלָי; הַיּוֹם, שִׁלַּמְתִּי נְדָרָי. |
14 'Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows. |
| טו עַל-כֵּן, יָצָאתִי לִקְרָאתֶךָ; לְשַׁחֵר פָּנֶיךָ, וָאֶמְצָאֶךָּ. |
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek thy face, and I have found thee. |
| טז מַרְבַדִּים, רָבַדְתִּי עַרְשִׂי; חֲטֻבוֹת, אֵטוּן מִצְרָיִם. |
16 I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt. |
| יז נַפְתִּי מִשְׁכָּבִי-- מֹר אֲהָלִים, וְקִנָּמוֹן. |
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. |
| יח לְכָה נִרְוֶה דֹדִים, עַד-הַבֹּקֶר; נִתְעַלְּסָה, בָּאֳהָבִים. |
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves. |
| יט כִּי אֵין הָאִישׁ בְּבֵיתוֹ; הָלַךְ, בְּדֶרֶךְ מֵרָחוֹק. |
19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey; |
| כ צְרוֹר-הַכֶּסֶף, לָקַח בְּיָדוֹ; לְיוֹם הַכֵּסֶא, יָבֹא בֵיתוֹ. |
20 He hath taken the bag of money with him; he will come home at the full moon.' |
| כא הִטַּתּוּ, בְּרֹב לִקְחָהּ; בְּחֵלֶק שְׂפָתֶיהָ, תַּדִּיחֶנּוּ. |
21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield, with the blandishment of her lips she enticeth him away. |
| כב הוֹלֵךְ אַחֲרֶיהָ, פִּתְאֹם: כְּשׁוֹר, אֶל-טֶבַח יָבֹא; וּכְעֶכֶס, אֶל-מוּסַר אֱוִיל. |
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox that goeth to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool; |
|
כג עַד יְפַלַּח חֵץ, כְּבֵדוֹ-- כְּמַהֵר צִפּוֹר אֶל-פָּח; וְלֹא-יָדַע, כִּי-בְנַפְשׁוֹ הוּא. |
23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare-- {N} and knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life. |
| כד וְעַתָּה בָנִים, שִׁמְעוּ-לִי; וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ, לְאִמְרֵי-פִי. |
24 Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth. |
| כה אַל-יֵשְׂטְ אֶל-דְּרָכֶיהָ לִבֶּךָ; אַל-תֵּתַע, בִּנְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ. |
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. |
| כו כִּי-רַבִּים חֲלָלִים הִפִּילָה; וַעֲצֻמִים, כָּל-הֲרֻגֶיהָ. |
26 For she hath cast down many wounded; yea, a mighty host are all her slain. |
| כז דַּרְכֵי שְׁאוֹל בֵּיתָהּ; יֹרְדוֹת, אֶל-חַדְרֵי-מָוֶת. | 27 Her house is the way to the nether-world, going down to the chambers of death. {P} |