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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 20

Translation and Transliteration of 

1Wine is a scoffer, strong drink a roisterer; He who is muddled by them will not grow wise.

LETS ha-YA-yin HO-meh SHE-kar, v'-KOL sho-GEH BO lo yech-KAM.

אלֵ֣ץ הַ֭יַּיִן הֹמֶ֣ה שֵׁכָ֑ר וְכׇל־שֹׁ֥גֶה בּ֝֗וֹ לֹ֣א יֶחְכָּֽם׃

2The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; He who provokes his anger risks his life.

na-HAM ka-ke-FEER EY-mat ME-lekh mit-a-BE-ro KHO-te NOF-sho

בנַ֣הַם כַּ֭כְּפִיר אֵ֣ימַת מֶ֑לֶךְ מִ֝תְעַבְּר֗וֹ חוֹטֵ֥א נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

3It is honorable for a man to desist from strife, But every fool becomes embroiled.

ka-VOD la-ISH she-VET me-REEV, v'-kol e-VIL yit-ga-LA

גכָּב֣וֹד לָ֭אִישׁ שֶׁ֣בֶת מֵרִ֑יב וְכׇל־אֱ֝וִ֗יל יִתְגַּלָּֽע׃

4In winter the lazy man does not plow; At harvesttime he seeks, and finds nothing.

m'-KHO-ref a-TSEL lo ya-KHA-rosh (ya-SHAL) [va-SHAL] ba-ka-TZIR va-A-yin

דמֵ֭חֹרֶף עָצֵ֣ל לֹא־יַחֲרֹ֑שׁ (ישאל) [וְשָׁאַ֖ל] בַּקָּצִ֣יר וָאָֽיִן׃

5The designs in a man's mind are deep waters But a man of understanding can draw them out.

ma-YIM a-MU-kim E-tza v'-LEV EESH v'-EESH t'-VU-na yid-LE-nah

המַ֣יִם עֲ֭מֻקִּים עֵצָ֣ה בְלֶב־אִ֑ישׁ וְאִ֖ישׁ תְּבוּנָ֣ה יִדְלֶֽנָּה׃

6He calls many a man his loyal friend, But who can find a faithful man?

rov-a-DAM yik-RA ish chas-DO, v'-ish e-mu-NIM mi yim-TZA

ורׇב־אָדָ֗ם יִ֭קְרָא אִ֣ישׁ חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים מִ֣י יִמְצָֽא׃

7The righteous man lives blamelessly; Happy are his children who come after him.

mit-ha-LEKH b'-tu-MO tza-DIK ash-RAY va-NAV a-cha-RAV

זמִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ בְּתֻמּ֣וֹ צַדִּ֑יק אַשְׁרֵ֖י בָנָ֣יו אַחֲרָֽיו׃

8The king seated on the throne of judgment Can winnow out all evil by his glance.

me-LEKH yo-SHEV al-ki-SE-din me-ZA-reh ve-EI-naiv kol-RA

חמֶ֗לֶךְ יוֹשֵׁ֥ב עַל־כִּסֵּא־דִ֑ין מְזָרֶ֖ה בְעֵינָ֣יו כׇּל־רָֽע׃

9Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart, I am purged of my sin”?

mi-YO-mer zi-KI-tee li-BEE, ta-HAR-tee me-kha-ta-TA-tee

טמִֽי־יֹ֭אמַר זִכִּ֣יתִי לִבִּ֑י טָ֝הַ֗רְתִּי מֵחַטָּאתִֽי׃

10False weights and false measures, Both are an abomination to Hashem.

e-VEN va-e-VEN, eY-fa va-eY-fa, to-a-VAT a-do-NAI gam-sh'-NE-hem

יאֶ֣בֶן וָ֭אֶבֶן אֵיפָ֣ה וְאֵיפָ֑ה תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

11A child may be dissembling in his behavior Even though his actions are blameless and proper.

gam b'-ma-a-la-LAV yit-na-KHER na-AR, im-ZAKH v'-im-ya-SHAR po-a-LO

יאגַּ֣ם בְּ֭מַעֲלָלָיו יִתְנַכֶּר־נָ֑עַר אִם־זַ֖ךְ וְאִם־יָשָׁ֣ר פׇּעֳלֽוֹ׃

12The ear that hears, the eye that sees— Hashem made them both.

o-ZEN sho-MA-at v'-a-YIN ro-AH, a-do-NAI a-SA gam-sh'-NE-hem

יבאֹ֣זֶן שֹׁ֭מַעַת וְעַ֣יִן רֹאָ֑ה יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה עָשָׂ֥ה גַם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

13Do not love sleep lest you be impoverished; Keep your eyes open and you will have plenty of food.

al-te-e-HAV she-NAH pen-ti-va-RESH pe-KACH e-YE-ne-KHA se-VA-l'-KHEM

יגאַל־תֶּאֱהַ֣ב שֵׁ֭נָה פֶּן־תִּוָּרֵ֑שׁ פְּקַ֖ח עֵינֶ֣יךָ שְֽׂבַֽע־לָֽחֶם׃

14“Bad, bad,” says the buyer, But having moved off, he congratulates himself.

RA RA yo-MAR ha-ko-NEH, v'-o-ZEL LO az yit-ha-LAL

ידרַ֣ע רַ֭ע יֹאמַ֣ר הַקּוֹנֶ֑ה וְאֹזֵ֥ל ל֝֗וֹ אָ֣ז יִתְהַלָּֽל׃

15Gold is plentiful, jewels abundant, But wise speech is a precious object.

YAYSH za-HAV v'-ROV pe-NEE-neem, u-k'-LEE ye-KAR sif-tei-DA-at.

טויֵ֣שׁ זָ֭הָב וְרׇב־פְּנִינִ֑ים וּכְלִ֥י יְ֝קָ֗ר שִׂפְתֵי־דָֽעַת׃

16Seize his garment, for he stood surety for another; Take it as a pledge, [for he stood surety] for an unfamiliar woman.

l'-kakh bi-G'-do ki-a-RAV zar u-v'-AD (no-KA-reem) [no-k'-ree-YAH] khav-l'-HU

טזלְֽקַח־בִּ֭גְדוֹ כִּי־עָ֣רַב זָ֑ר וּבְעַ֖ד (נכרים) [נׇכְרִיָּ֣ה] חַבְלֵֽהוּ׃

17Bread gained by fraud may be tasty to a man, But later his mouth will be filled with gravel.

a-REV la-ISH le-KHEM sha-KER, v'-a-KHAR yi-ma-LE p'-HU kha-TZATZ

יזעָרֵ֣ב לָ֭אִישׁ לֶ֣חֶם שָׁ֑קֶר וְ֝אַחַ֗ר יִמָּֽלֵא־פִ֥יהוּ חָצָֽץ׃

18Plans laid in council will succeed; Wage war with stratagems.

ma-ha-SHA-vot b'-e-TZAH ti-KON u-v'-takh-bu-LOT a-SEH mil-kha-MAH

יחמַ֭חֲשָׁבוֹת בְּעֵצָ֣ה תִכּ֑וֹן וּ֝בְתַחְבֻּל֗וֹת עֲשֵׂ֣ה מִלְחָמָֽה׃

19He who gives away secrets is a base fellow; Do not take up with a garrulous man.

go-LEH-sod ho-LEKH ra-KHIL u-le-fo-TEH s'-fa-TAV lo tit-a-RAV

יטגּֽוֹלֶה־סּ֭וֹד הוֹלֵ֣ךְ רָכִ֑יל וּלְפֹתֶ֥ה שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִתְעָרָֽב׃

20One who reviles his father or mother, Light will fail him when darkness comes.

m'-ka-LEL a-VEEV v'-i-MO yi-D'-akh nay-RO (b'-e-SHUN) [b'-e-SHUN] kho-SHEKH

כמְ֭קַלֵּל אָבִ֣יו וְאִמּ֑וֹ יִֽדְעַ֥ךְ נֵ֝ר֗וֹ (באישון) [בֶּאֱשׁ֥וּן] חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

21An estate acquired in haste at the outset Will not be blessed in the end.

na-KHA-lah (me-va-KHA-lat) [me-vo-HE-let] ba-ri-SHO-na, v'-a-kha-ree-TAH lo te-vo-RAKH

כאנַ֭חֲלָה (מבחלת) [מְבֹהֶ֣לֶת] בָּרִאשׁוֹנָ֑ה וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ לֹ֣א תְבֹרָֽךְ׃

22Do not say, “I will requite evil”; Put your hope in Hashem and He will deliver you.

al to-MAR a-sha-l'-mah RA ka-VAY la-do-NAI v'-YO-sha LAKH

כבאַל־תֹּאמַ֥ר אֲשַׁלְּמָה־רָ֑ע קַוֵּ֥ה לַ֝יהֹוָ֗ה וְיֹ֣שַֽׁע לָֽךְ׃

 20:22   Put your hope in Hashem and He will deliver you

Sometimes we see wrongdoing in this world, and it bothers us. This verse teaches that it is not up to man to avenge evil, rather, this is Hashem’s duty. However, the fourteenth-century sage Rabbi Levi ben Gershon, better known as Ralbag, points out that we should not wish for God’s vengeance against our enemies, but only for salvation from their harm. Similarly, the Talmud (Berachot 10a) comments, regarding the verse in Sefer Tehillim (104:35), that we should not pray for our enemies’ demise, but for them to repent of their evil ways.

23False weights are an abomination to Hashem; Dishonest scales are not right.

TO-a-VAT a-do-NAI EV-en va-A-ven u-mo-Z'-nei mir-MAH lo-TOV

כגתּוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְ֭הֹוָה אֶ֣בֶן וָאָ֑בֶן וּמֹאזְנֵ֖י מִרְמָ֣ה לֹא־טֽוֹב׃

24A man's steps are decided by Hashem; What does a man know about his own way?

me-a-do-NAI mitz-a-DAY ga-VER v'-a-DAM mah ya-VEEN dar-KO

כדמֵיְהֹוָ֥ה מִצְעֲדֵי־גָ֑בֶר וְ֝אָדָ֗ם מַה־יָּבִ֥ין דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃

25It is a snare for a man to pledge a sacred gift rashly And to give thought to his vows only after they have been made.

mo-KESH a-DAM ya-LA ko-DASH v'-a-KHAR ne-da-REEM l'-va-KER

כהמוֹקֵ֣שׁ אָ֭דָם יָ֣לַע קֹ֑דֶשׁ וְאַחַ֖ר נְדָרִ֣ים לְבַקֵּֽר׃

26A wise king winnows out the wicked, And turns the wheel upon them.

m'-za-REH r'-sha-EEM ME-lekh kha-KHAM va-YA-shev a-LE-hem o-FAN

כומְזָרֶ֣ה רְ֭שָׁעִים מֶ֣לֶךְ חָכָ֑ם וַיָּ֖שֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם אוֹפָֽן׃

27The lifebreath of man is the lamp of Hashem Revealing all his inmost parts.

NER a-do-NAI nish-MAT a-DAM, kho-FES kol-khad-rei-va-TEN

כזנֵ֣ר יְ֭הֹוָה נִשְׁמַ֣ת אָדָ֑ם חֹ֝פֵ֗שׂ כׇּל־חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃

28Faithfulness and loyalty protect the king; He maintains his throne by faithfulness.

KHE-sed ve-e-MET yit-t'-RU me-LEKH v'-sa-AD ba-KHE-sed kis-O

כחחֶ֣סֶד וֶֽ֭אֱמֶת יִצְּרוּ־מֶ֑לֶךְ וְסָעַ֖ד בַּחֶ֣סֶד כִּסְאֽוֹ׃

29The glory of youths is their strength; The majesty of old men is their gray hair.

tif-E-ret ba-KHU-rim ko-KHAM va-ha-DAR ze-KE-nim se-VAH

כטתִּפְאֶ֣רֶת בַּחוּרִ֣ים כֹּחָ֑ם וַהֲדַ֖ר זְקֵנִ֣ים שֵׂיבָֽה׃

30Bruises and wounds are repayment for evil, Striking at one's inmost parts.

kha-BU-rot pe-TZA (tam-REEK) [tam-ROOK] b'-RA u-ma-KOT khad-rei-va-TEN

לחַבֻּר֣וֹת פֶּ֭צַע (תמריק) [תַּמְר֣וּק] בְּרָ֑ע וּ֝מַכּ֗וֹת חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃