TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 23
Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:
- Commentary
- Buy E-book
- Buy the Israel Bible
1When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider well who is before you.
אכִּי־תֵשֵׁב לִלְחוֹם אֶת־מוֹשֵׁל בִּין תָּבִין אֶת־אֲשֶׁר לְפָנֶיךָ׃
2Thrust a knife into your gullet If you have a large appetite.
בוְשַׂמְתָּ שַׂכִּין בְּלֹעֶךָ אִם־בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ אָתָּה׃
3Do not crave for his dainties, For they are counterfeit food.
גאַל־תִּתְאָו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָיו וְהוּא לֶחֶם כְּזָבִים׃
4Do not toil to gain wealth; Have the sense to desist.
דאַל־תִּיגַע לְהַעֲשִׁיר מִבִּינָתְךָ חֲדָל׃
5You see it, then it is gone; It grows wings and flies away, Like an eagle, heavenward.
ha-ta-EEF ay-NE-kha BO v'-ay-NE-nu KEE a-SOH ya-a-seh LO kh'-na-FA-yim k'-NE-sher ya-UF ha-sha-MA-yim
ההתעוף [הֲתָעִיף] עֵינֶיךָ בּוֹ וְאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי עָשֹׂה יַעֲשֶׂה־לּוֹ כְנָפַיִם כְּנֶשֶׁר ועיף [יָעוּף] הַשָּׁמָיִם׃
23:5 Like an eagle, heavenward
The eagle flies higher than other birds. According to the medieval commentator Rashi, this is the reason why Hashem uses the metaphor of an eagle when describing the Exodus from Egypt: “I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me” (Exodus 19:4). As opposed to other birds who carry their young between their legs to protect them from predators flying above them, an eagle carries its young on its back (see Deuteronomy 32:11). Since the eagle flies higher than other birds, it fears no other flying predators. Its only concern comes from people who might shoot at its young from below, so it uses its own body to protect its children from the arrows. Similarly, the Lord placed His angel between the Israelites and the Egyptians (Exodus 14:19-20) in order to protect His children by absorbing the Egyptian arrows and stones.
An eagle in flight in the Golan Heights
An eagle native to the Land of Israel.
6Do not eat of a stingy man's food; Do not crave for his dainties;
ואַל־תִּלְחַם אֶת־לֶחֶם רַע עָיִן וְאַל־תתאו [תִּתְאָיו] לְמַטְעַמֹּתָיו׃
7He is like one keeping accounts; “Eat and drink,” he says to you, But he does not really mean it.
זכִּי כְּמוֹ־שָׁעַר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ כֶּן־הוּא אֱכֹל וּשְׁתֵה יֹאמַר לָךְ וְלִבּוֹ בַּל־עִמָּךְ׃
8The morsel you eat you will vomit; You will waste your courteous words.
חפִּתְּךָ־אָכַלְתָּ תְקִיאֶנָּה וְשִׁחַתָּ דְּבָרֶיךָ הַנְּעִימִים׃
9Do not speak to a dullard, For he will disdain your sensible words.
טבְּאָזְנֵי כְסִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּר כִּי־יָבוּז לְשֵׂכֶל מִלֶּיךָ׃
10Do not remove ancient boundary stones; Do not encroach upon the field of orphans,
יאַל־תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עוֹלָם וּבִשְׂדֵי יְתוֹמִים אַל־תָּבֹא׃
11For they have a mighty Kinsman, And He will surely take up their cause with you.
יאכִּי־גֹאֲלָם חָזָק הוּא־יָרִיב אֶת־רִיבָם אִתָּךְ׃
12Apply your mind to discipline And your ears to wise sayings.
יבהָבִיאָה לַמּוּסָר לִבֶּךָ וְאָזְנֶךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָעַת׃
13Do not withhold discipline from a child; If you beat him with a rod he will not die.
יגאַל־תִּמְנַע מִנַּעַר מוּסָר כִּי־תַכֶּנּוּ בַשֵּׁבֶט לֹא יָמוּת׃
14Beat him with a rod And you will save him from the grave.
ידאַתָּה בַּשֵּׁבֶט תַּכֶּנּוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ מִשְּׁאוֹל תַּצִּיל׃
15My son, if your mind gets wisdom, My mind, too, will be gladdened.
טובְּנִי אִם־חָכַם לִבֶּךָ יִשְׂמַח לִבִּי גַם־אָנִי׃
16I shall rejoice with all my heart When your lips speak right things.
טזוְתַעְלֹזְנָה כִלְיוֹתָי בְּדַבֵּר שְׂפָתֶיךָ מֵישָׁרִים׃
17Do not envy sinners in your heart, But only Hashem-fearing men, at all times,
יזאַל־יְקַנֵּא לִבְּךָ בַּחַטָּאִים כִּי אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְהֹוָה כָּל־הַיּוֹם׃
18For then you will have a future, And your hope will never fail.
יחכִּי אִם־יֵשׁ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָתְךָ לֹא תִכָּרֵת׃
19Listen, my son, and get wisdom; Lead your mind in a [proper] path.
יטשְׁמַע־אַתָּה בְנִי וַחֲכָם וְאַשֵּׁר בַּדֶּרֶךְ לִבֶּךָ׃
20Do not be of those who guzzle wine, Or glut themselves on meat;
כאַל־תְּהִי בְסֹבְאֵי־יָיִן בְּזֹלֲלֵי בָשָׂר לָמוֹ׃
21For guzzlers and gluttons will be impoverished, And drowsing will clothe you in tatters.
כאכִּי־סֹבֵא וְזוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵשׁ וּקְרָעִים תַּלְבִּישׁ נוּמָה׃
22Listen to your father who begot you; Do not disdain your mother when she is old.
כבשְׁמַע לְאָבִיךָ זֶה יְלָדֶךָ וְאַל־תָּבוּז כִּי־זָקְנָה אִמֶּךָ׃
23Buy truth and never sell it, And wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
כגאֱמֶת קְנֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּר חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר וּבִינָה׃
24The father of a righteous man will exult; He who begets a wise son will rejoice in him.
כדגול [גִּיל] יגול [יָגִיל] אֲבִי צַדִּיק יולד [וְיוֹלֵד] חָכָם וישמח־[יִשְׂמַח־] בּוֹ׃
25Your father and mother will rejoice; She who bore you will exult.
כהיִשְׂמַח־אָבִיךָ וְאִמֶּךָ וְתָגֵל יוֹלַדְתֶּךָ׃
26Give your mind to me, my son; Let your eyes watch my ways.
כותְּנָה־בְנִי לִבְּךָ לִי וְעֵינֶיךָ דְּרָכַי תרצנה [תִּצֹּרְנָה׃]
27A harlot is a deep pit; A forbidden woman is a narrow well.
כזכִּי־שׁוּחָה עֲמֻקָּה זוֹנָה וּבְאֵר צָרָה נָכְרִיָּה׃
28She too lies in wait as if for prey, And destroys the unfaithful among men.
כחאַף־הִיא כְּחֶתֶף תֶּאֱרֹב וּבוֹגְדִים בְּאָדָם תּוֹסִף׃
29Who cries, “Woe!” who, “Alas!”; Who has quarrels, who complaints; Who has wounds without cause; Who has bleary eyes?
כטלְמִי אוֹי לְמִי אֲבוֹי לְמִי מדונים [מִדְיָנִים ] לְמִי שִׂיחַ לְמִי פְּצָעִים חִנָּם לְמִי חַכְלִלוּת עֵינָיִם׃
30Those whom wine keeps till the small hours, Those who gather to drain the cups.
ללַמְאַחֲרִים עַל־הַיָּיִן לַבָּאִים לַחְקֹר מִמְסָךְ׃
31Do not ogle that red wine As it lends its color to the cup, As it flows on smoothly;
לאאַל־תֵּרֶא יַיִן כִּי יִתְאַדָּם כִּי־יִתֵּן בכיס [בַּכּוֹס] עֵינוֹ יִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִים׃
32In the end, it bites like a snake; It spits like a basilisk.
לבאַחֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָשׁ יִשָּׁךְ וּכְצִפְעֹנִי יַפְרִשׁ׃
33Your eyes will see strange sights; Your heart will speak distorted things.
לגעֵינֶיךָ יִרְאוּ זָרוֹת וְלִבְּךָ יְדַבֵּר תַּהְפֻּכוֹת׃
34You will be like one lying in bed on high seas, Like one lying on top of the rigging.
לדוְהָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵב בְּלֶב־יָם וּכְשֹׁכֵב בְּרֹאשׁ חִבֵּל׃
35“They struck me, but I felt no hurt; They beat me, but I was unaware; As often as I wake, I go after it again.”
לההִכּוּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי הֲלָמוּנִי בַּל־יָדָעְתִּי מָתַי אָקִיץ אוֹסִיף אֲבַקְשֶׁנּוּ עוֹד׃
