TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 10

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1The proverbs of Shlomo: A wise son brings joy to his father; A dull son is his mother's sorrow.

אמִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֵּן חָכָם יְשַׂמַּח־אָב וּבֵן כְּסִיל תּוּגַת אִמּוֹ׃

2Ill-gotten wealth is of no avail, But righteousness saves from death.

בלֹא־יוֹעִילוּ אוֹצְרוֹת רֶשַׁע וּצְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּוֶת׃

3Hashem will not let the righteous go hungry, But He denies the wicked what they crave.

גלֹא־יַרְעִיב יְהֹוָה נֶפֶשׁ צַדִּיק וְהַוַּת רְשָׁעִים יֶהְדֹּף׃

4Negligent hands cause poverty, But diligent hands enrich.

דרָאשׁ עֹשֶׂה כַף־רְמִיָּה וְיַד חָרוּצִים תַּעֲשִׁיר׃

5He who lays in stores during the summer is a capable son, But he who sleeps during the harvest is an incompetent.

האֹגֵר בַּקַּיִץ בֵּן מַשְׂכִּיל נִרְדָּם בַּקָּצִיר בֵּן מֵבִישׁ׃

6Blessings light upon the head of the righteous, But lawlessness covers the mouth of the wicked.

ובְּרָכוֹת לְרֹאשׁ צַדִּיק וּפִי רְשָׁעִים יְכַסֶּה חָמָס׃

7The name of the righteous is invoked in blessing, But the fame of the wicked rots.

זזֵכֶר צַדִּיק לִבְרָכָה וְשֵׁם רְשָׁעִים יִרְקָב׃

8He whose heart is wise accepts commands, But he whose speech is foolish comes to grief.

חחֲכַם־לֵב יִקַּח מִצְוׂת וֶאֱוִיל שְׂפָתַיִם יִלָּבֵט׃

9He who lives blamelessly lives safely, But he who walks a crooked path will be found out.

טהוֹלֵךְ בַּתֹּם יֵלֶךְ בֶּטַח וּמְעַקֵּשׁ דְּרָכָיו יִוָּדֵעַ׃

10He who winks his eye causes sorrow; He whose speech is foolish comes to grief.

יקֹרֵץ עַיִן יִתֵּן עַצָּבֶת וֶאֱוִיל שְׂפָתַיִם יִלָּבֵט׃

11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, But lawlessness covers the mouth of the wicked.

יאמְקוֹר חַיִּים פִּי צַדִּיק וּפִי רְשָׁעִים יְכַסֶּה חָמָס׃

12Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers up all faults.

יבשִׂנְאָה תְּעוֹרֵר מְדָנִים וְעַל כָּל־פְּשָׁעִים תְּכַסֶּה אַהֲבָה׃

13Wisdom is to be found on the lips of the intelligent, But a rod is ready for the back of the senseless.

יגבְּשִׂפְתֵי נָבוֹן תִּמָּצֵא חָכְמָה וְשֵׁבֶט לְגֵו חֲסַר־לֵב׃

14The wise store up knowledge; The mouth of the fool is an imminent ruin.

ידחֲכָמִים יִצְפְּנוּ־דָעַת וּפִי־אֱוִיל מְחִתָּה קְרֹבָה׃

15The wealth of a rich man is his fortress; The poverty of the poor is his ruin.

טוהוֹן עָשִׁיר קִרְיַת עֻזּוֹ מְחִתַּת דַּלִּים רֵישָׁם׃

16The labor of the righteous man makes for life; The produce of the wicked man makes for want.

טזפְּעֻלַּת צַדִּיק לְחַיִּים תְּבוּאַת רָשָׁע לְחַטָּאת׃

17He who follows discipline shows the way to life, But he who ignores reproof leads astray.

יזאֹרַח לְחַיִּים שׁוֹמֵר מוּסָר וְעוֹזֵב תּוֹכַחַת מַתְעֶה׃

18He who conceals hatred has lying lips, While he who speaks forth slander is a dullard.

יחמְכַסֶּה שִׂנְאָה שִׂפְתֵי־שָׁקֶר וּמוֹצִא דִבָּה הוּא כְסִיל׃

19Where there is much talking, there is no lack of transgressing, But he who curbs his tongue shows sense.

יטבְּרֹב דְּבָרִים לֹא יֶחְדַּל־פָּשַׁע וְחֹשֵׂךְ שְׂפָתָיו מַשְׂכִּיל׃

20The tongue of a righteous man is choice silver, But the mind of the wicked is of little worth.

ככֶּסֶף נִבְחָר לְשׁוֹן צַדִּיק לֵב רְשָׁעִים כִּמְעָט׃

21The lips of the righteous sustain many, But fools die for lack of sense.

כאשִׂפְתֵי צַדִּיק יִרְעוּ רַבִּים וֶאֱוִילִים בַּחֲסַר־לֵב יָמוּתוּ׃

22It is the blessing of Hashem that enriches, And no toil can increase it.

bir-KAT a-do-NAI HEE ta-a-SHEER v'-LO yo-SIF E-tzev i-MAH

כבבִּרְכַּת יְהֹוָה הִיא תַעֲשִׁיר וְלֹא־יוֹסִף עֶצֶב עִמָּהּ׃

 10:22   It is the blessing of Hashem that enriches

Granot water desalination plant

 In Sefer Devarim (11:10-12), the Torah describes how the Promised Land is different from Egypt. In Egypt, one could water his crops from the Nile by using his foot to easily direct water to his fields, but in the Land of Israel, the eyes of Hashem are on the land. It is only through His blessings, as our verse says, that the land enriches and provides its fruits. Modern Israel has compensated for its lack of natural water resources and limited rainfall through great technological breakthroughs such as water recycling and desalination. Nevertheless, we must always remember that even with great technology and innovation, “it is the blessing of Hashem that enriches.”

23As mischief is sport for the dullard, So is wisdom for the man of understanding.

כגכִּשְׂחוֹק לִכְסִיל עֲשׂוֹת זִמָּה וְחָכְמָה לְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה׃

24What the wicked man plots overtakes him; What the righteous desire is granted.

כדמְגוֹרַת רָשָׁע הִיא תְבוֹאֶנּוּ וְתַאֲוַת צַדִּיקִים יִתֵּן׃

25When the storm passes the wicked man is gone, But the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

כהכַּעֲבוֹר סוּפָה וְאֵין רָשָׁע וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם׃

26Like vinegar to the teeth, Like smoke to the eyes, Is a lazy man to those who send him on a mission.

כוכַּחֹמֶץ לַשִּׁנַּיִם וְכֶעָשָׁן לָעֵינָיִם כֵּן הֶעָצֵל לְשֹׁלְחָיו׃

27The fear of Hashem prolongs life, While the years of the wicked will be shortened.

כזיִרְאַת יְהֹוָה תּוֹסִיף יָמִים וּשְׁנוֹת רְשָׁעִים תִּקְצֹרְנָה׃

28The righteous can look forward to joy, But the hope of the wicked is doomed.

כחתּוֹחֶלֶת צַדִּיקִים שִׂמְחָה וְתִקְוַת רְשָׁעִים תֹּאבֵד׃

29The way of Hashem is a stronghold for the blameless, But a ruin for evildoers.

כטמָעוֹז לַתֹּם דֶּרֶךְ יְהֹוָה וּמְחִתָּה לְפֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן׃

30The righteous will never be shaken; The wicked will not inhabit the earth.

לצַדִּיק לְעוֹלָם בַּל־יִמּוֹט וּרְשָׁעִים לֹא יִשְׁכְּנוּ־אָרֶץ׃

31The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom, But the treacherous tongue shall be cut off.

לאפִּי־צַדִּיק יָנוּב חָכְמָה וּלְשׁוֹן תַּהְפֻּכוֹת תִּכָּרֵת׃

32The lips of the righteous know what is pleasing; The mouth of the wicked [knows] duplicity.

לבשִׂפְתֵי צַדִּיק יֵדְעוּן רָצוֹן וּפִי רְשָׁעִים תַּהְפֻּכוֹת׃