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א בְּנִי, לְחָכְמָתִי הַקְשִׁיבָה; לִתְבוּנָתִי, הַט-אָזְנֶךָ.
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1 My son, attend unto my wisdom; incline thine ear to my understanding;
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ב לִשְׁמֹר מְזִמּוֹת; וְדַעַת, שְׂפָתֶיךָ יִנְצֹרוּ.
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2 That thou mayest preserve discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
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ג כִּי נֹפֶת תִּטֹּפְנָה, שִׂפְתֵי זָרָה; וְחָלָק מִשֶּׁמֶן חִכָּהּ.
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3 For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;
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ד וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ, מָרָה כַלַּעֲנָה; חַדָּה, כְּחֶרֶב פִּיּוֹת.
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4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
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ה רַגְלֶיהָ, יֹרְדוֹת מָוֶת; שְׁאוֹל, צְעָדֶיהָ יִתְמֹכוּ.
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5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on the nether-world;
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ו אֹרַח חַיִּים, פֶּן-תְּפַלֵּס; נָעוּ מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ, לֹא תֵדָע.
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6 Lest she should walk the even path of life, her ways wander, but she knoweth it not. {P}
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ז וְעַתָּה בָנִים, שִׁמְעוּ-לִי; וְאַל-תָּסוּרוּ, מֵאִמְרֵי-פִי.
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7 Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
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ח הַרְחֵק מֵעָלֶיהָ דַרְכֶּךָ; וְאַל-תִּקְרַב, אֶל-פֶּתַח בֵּיתָהּ.
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8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house;
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ט פֶּן-תִּתֵּן לַאֲחֵרִים הוֹדֶךָ; וּשְׁנֹתֶיךָ, לְאַכְזָרִי.
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9 Lest thou give thy vigour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;
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י פֶּן-יִשְׂבְּעוּ זָרִים כֹּחֶךָ; וַעֲצָבֶיךָ, בְּבֵית נָכְרִי.
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10 Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, and thy labours be in the house of an alien;
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יא וְנָהַמְתָּ בְאַחֲרִיתֶךָ; בִּכְלוֹת בְּשָׂרְךָ, וּשְׁאֵרֶךָ.
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11 And thou moan, when thine end cometh, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
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יב וְאָמַרְתָּ--אֵיךְ, שָׂנֵאתִי מוּסָר; וְתוֹכַחַת, נָאַץ לִבִּי.
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12 And say: 'How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
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יג וְלֹא-שָׁמַעְתִּי, בְּקוֹל מוֹרָי; וְלִמְלַמְּדַי, לֹא-הִטִּיתִי אָזְנִי.
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13 Neither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
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יד כִּמְעַט, הָיִיתִי בְכָל-רָע-- בְּתוֹךְ קָהָל וְעֵדָה.
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14 I was well nigh in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.'
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טו שְׁתֵה-מַיִם מִבּוֹרֶךָ; וְנֹזְלִים, מִתּוֹךְ בְּאֵרֶךָ.
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15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
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טז יָפוּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶיךָ חוּצָה; בָּרְחֹבוֹת, פַּלְגֵי-מָיִם.
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16 Let thy springs be dispersed abroad, and courses of water in the streets.
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יז יִהְיוּ-לְךָ לְבַדֶּךָ; וְאֵין לְזָרִים אִתָּךְ.
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17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
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יח יְהִי-מְקוֹרְךָ בָרוּךְ; וּשְׂמַח, מֵאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶךָ.
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18 Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.
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יט אַיֶּלֶת אֲהָבִים, וְיַעֲלַת-חֵן:
דַּדֶּיהָ, יְרַוֻּךָ בְכָל-עֵת; בְּאַהֲבָתָהּ, תִּשְׁגֶּה תָמִיד.
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19 A lovely hind and a graceful doe, {N}
let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; with her love be thou ravished always.
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כ וְלָמָּה תִשְׁגֶּה בְנִי בְזָרָה; וּתְחַבֵּק, חֵק נָכְרִיָּה.
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20 Why then wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of an alien?
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כא כִּי נֹכַח, עֵינֵי יְהוָה--דַּרְכֵי-אִישׁ; וְכָל-מַעְגְּלֹתָיו מְפַלֵּס.
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21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He maketh even all his paths.
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כב עֲווֹנֹתָיו--יִלְכְּדֻנוֹ אֶת-הָרָשָׁע; וּבְחַבְלֵי חַטָּאתוֹ, יִתָּמֵךְ.
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22 His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.
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כג הוּא--יָמוּת, בְּאֵין מוּסָר; וּבְרֹב אִוַּלְתּוֹ יִשְׁגֶּה.
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23 He shall die for lack of instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall reel. {P}
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