אַל־תְּקַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁי רָעָה וְאַל־תִּתְאָו לִהְיוֹת אִתָּם

Do not envy the success of men of evil, and do not crave to be among them, or to associate with them.

כִּי שֹׁד יֶהְגֶּה לִבָּם וְעָמָל שִׂפְתֵיהֶם תְּדַבֵּרְנָה

No benefit will come from such a relationship, for their heart contemplates robbery, and their lips speak evil and mischief. They are no good for anything, and one should not rely on them.

בְּחָכְמָה יִבָּנֶה בָּיִת וּבִתְבוּנָה יִתְכּוֹנָן

By contrast, with wisdom a house is built, and with sagacity it is established and will endure;

וּבְדַעַת חֲדָרִים יִמָּלְאוּ כָל־הוֹן יָקָר וְנָעִים

with knowledge, chambers are filled with all precious and pleasant wealth. Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge are creative, constructive, and reliable qualities.

גֶּבֶר־חָכָם בַּעוֹז וְאִישׁ־דַּעַת מְאַמֶּץ כֹּחַ

Therefore, a wise man has might, as he gains power and fortitude from his wisdom, and a man of knowledge exerts his strength. Strength is not merely a physical quality; it also depends on the character of the individual in question.

כִּי בְתַחְבֻּלוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ מִלְחָמָה וּתְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹב יוֹעֵץ

For it is not only with force but also with strategies that you will wage war for yourself, and at a time of conflict and in battle, salvation is with the wisdom and insight of abundant counsel, many advisors.

רָאמוֹת לֶאֱוִיל חָכְמוֹת בַּשַּׁעַר לֹא יִפְתַּח פִּיהוּ

Wisdom is lofty to a fool, like an unreachably high place. Since the fool feels that wisdom is entirely beyond his reach, he does not even attempt to study or acquire it, and therefore at the city gate, where the important people congregate, he will not open his mouth, as he has nothing to add to their learned conversations.

מְחַשֵּׁב לְהָרֵעַ לוֹ בַּעַל־מְזִמּוֹת יִקְרָאוּ

He who calculates to do harm to others, they will call him a schemer. In general, one who plans to harm another does so surreptitiously. When his plot is eventually discovered, he earns a reputation as one who uses his wisdom for illegitimate personal gains.

זִמַּת אִוֶּלֶת חַטָּאת וְתוֹעֲבַת לְאָדָם לֵץ

A mere scheme of folly is sin, even if it is not brought to fruition, and abomination is for a scoffing person. Revulsion is the appropriate reaction to individuals who scoff at important matters.

הִתְרַפִּיתָ בְּיוֹם צָרָה צַר כֹּחֶכָה

If you falter on a day of trouble, your strength will be curbed. It is more important to show strength at times of trouble than when everything is running smoothly.

הַצֵּל לְקֻחִים לַמָּוֶת ומָטִים לַהֶרֶג אִם תַּחְשׂוֹךְ

This proverb is perhaps an illustration of the previous verse: You must deliver, save, those people who are being taken to death. You must take any action you can to save such individuals. If only you would save those likely to be killed. Some explain this as a question: Will you, due to weakness, absolve yourself of responsibility and refrain from taking action on such a day of trouble?

כִּי תֹאמַר הֵן לֹא־יָדַעְנוּ זֶה הֲלֹא־תֹכֵן לִבּוֹת הוּא־יָבִין וְנֹצֵר נַפְשְׁךָ הוּא יֵדָע וְהֵשִׁיב לְאָדָם כְּפָעֳלוֹ

You will not escape responsibility for failing to respond. Even if you say: Behold, we did not know this, we could not have known that those people were in danger or that we could have saved them, this will not save you. Truly, the Assessor of hearts, He understands, and the Safeguard of your soul, He knows. Even if such excuses convince others that you are absolved of responsibility, such claims will be ineffective before God. He knows exactly what you did and did not know, and God repays each man in accordance with his actions.

אֱכָל בְּנִי דְבַשׁ כִּי טוֹב וְנֹפֶת מָתוֹק עַל־חִכֶּךָ

Eat honey, my son, as it is good, and nectar is sweet on your palate;

כֵּן דְּעֶה חָכְמָה לְנַפְשֶׁךָ אִם־מָצָאתָ וְיֵשׁ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָתְךָ לֹא תִכָּרֵת

so too is knowing wisdom. Just as honey is pleasing to the palate, you will find wisdom similarly pleasing for your soul; if you have found it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be lost.

אַל־תֶּאֱרֹב רָשָׁע לִנְוֵה צַדִּיק אַל־תְּשַׁדֵּד רִבְצוֹ

The aphorist speaks directly to the wicked person: Do not lie in wait, wicked one, by the abode of the righteous, if you see that he is about to suffer financial collapse or is forced to abandon his home. Do not plunder, or destroy, his resting place. You should know that a righteous individual differs greatly from you,

כִּי שֶׁבַע יִפּוֹל צַדִּיק וָקָם ורְשָׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בְרָעָה

as the righteous falls seven times, for everyone experiences downfalls during their lifetime, and yet he rises up again. But the wicked ones, like you, will stumble into harm, and will not rise up again. Consequently, if you attempt to harm the righteous, it is you who will ultimately be destroyed by your own plot.

בִּנְפֹל אוֹיִבְךָ אַל־תִּשְׂמָח וּב יכָּשְׁלוֹ אַל־יָגֵל לִבֶּךָ

The aphorist turns to the righteous: With the fall of your enemy, rejoice not, and in his stumbling, let your heart not be glad. Such a reaction is immoral; there are no legitimate justifications for happiness over someone’s sad fate.

פֶּן־יִרְאֶה ה'וְרַע בְּעֵינָיו וְהֵשִׁיב מֵעָלָיו אַפּוֹ

Furthermore, such rejoicing can be counterproductive: Do not rejoice in your enemy’s fall lest the Lord see it, and it is evil in His eyes, and as a result He will turn His wrath from him. God does not want people to rejoice over the failure and suffering of others. If He observes you enjoying your enemy’s downfall, He might reduce his suffering. In that case, your happiness has indirectly saved your enemy from the full extent of the punishment he deserves.

אַל־תִּתְחַר בַּמְּרֵעִים אַל־תְּקַנֵּא בָּרְשָׁעִים

Do not compete with evildoers. Alternatively, do not mingle with them and attempt to emulate their ways, and do not envy the wicked.

כִּי לֹא־תִהְיֶה אַחֲרִית לָרָע נֵר רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ

Such envy is entirely misguided, for there will be no future for, or no remnant of, the evil one, and the lamp of the wicked will ultimately go out.

יְרָא־אֶת־ה' בְּנִי ומֶלֶךְ עִם שׁוֹנִים אַל־תִּתְעָרָב

Fear the Lord, my son, and also be wary of the king; do not mix with those who are different, people with foreign opinions and ways,

כִּי־פִתְאֹם יָקוּם אֵידָם וּפִיד שְׁנֵיהֶם מִי יוֹדֵעַ

for their calamity will rise suddenly and unexpectedly, and who knows the tragedy of both of them, those who have foreign ideas and those who mingle with them? Alternatively, the latter phrase refers to those who disobey God and those who defy the king. It is impossible to know when they will be punished and in what manner. This fundamental idea is a recurring theme throughout the book of Proverbs: If you are not absolutely certain of all the details of a situation, it is preferable not to get involved.

גַּם־אֵלֶּה לַחֲכָמִים הַכֵּר־פָּנִים בְּמִשְׁפָּט בַּל טוֹב

These, the following proverbs, too are designed for the wise people, many of whom are important individuals, including judges: Showing preference in judgment, creating the impression or appearance of favoring one party, is no good. Not only is such conduct expressly prohibited by the Torah, it also causes goodness to be withheld from the individual and society.

אֹמֵר לְרָשָׁע צַדִּיק אָתָּה יִקְּבֻהוּ עַמִּים יִזְעָמוּהוּ לְאֻמִּים

He who says to the wicked: You are righteous, all peoples will curse him, and nations will be furious with him.

ולַמּוֹכִיחִים יִנְעָם וַעֲלֵיהֶם תָּבוֹא בִרְכַּת־טוֹב

Conversely, for the rebukers it will be pleasant, and a blessing of goodness will come upon them, as people will bless them. A judge who maintains his objectivity and refrains from unjustly favoring anyone is not necessarily a passive individual. On the contrary, the prohibition against showing favoritism includes an obligation to rebuke those who act improperly, even if they are legally in the right.

שְׂפָתַיִם יִשָּׁק מֵשִׁיב דְּבָרִים נְכֹחִים

Everyone’s lips will kiss he who responds with sensible, clear, and just words. People admire such an individual. Some explain that one who gives a right answer is comparable to one who kisses the lips of his listeners.

הָכֵן בַּחוּץ מְלַאכְתֶּךָ וְעַתְּדָהּ בַּשָּׂדֶה לָךְ אַחַר וּבָנִיתָ בֵיתֶךָ

Prepare your labor outside, and ready them for future use for you in the field; and only afterward you will build your house.

אַל־תְּהִי עֵד־חִנָּם בְּרֵעֶךָ וַהֲפִתִּיתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶיךָ

Do not be a witness against your friend for nothing, unnecessarily, nor should you spread wide your lips to prattle. It is inappropriate to meddle in other people’s affairs, or to waste time with meaningless chatter.

אַל־תֹּאמַר כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה־לִי כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה־לּוֹ אָשִׁיב לָאִישׁ כְּפָעֳלוֹ

Do not say: I will do to him as he did to me; I will repay the man according to his actions. Do not take revenge.

עַל שְׂדֵה אִישׁ־עָצֵל עָבַרְתִּי וְעַל־כֶּרֶם אָדָם חֲסַר־לֵב

The following passage is a rebuke to lazy people: I have passed by an idle man’s field and the vineyard of a person lacking heart, meaning devoid of understanding,

וְהִנֵּה עָלָה כֻלּוֹ קִמְּשֹׂנִים כָּסּוּ פָנָיו חֲרֻלִּים וְגֶדֶר אֲבָנָיו נֶהֱרָסָה

and behold, it was all overgrown with nettles, its surface covered with various prickly plants and thorns, and its stone fence, which had previously enclosed the area, was destroyed.

וָאֶחֱזֶה אָנֹכִי אָשִׁית לִבִּי רָאִיתִי לָקַחְתִּי מוּסָר

I saw, and I set my heart; I saw, and received admonition by contemplating his neglected property.

מְעַט שֵׁנוֹת מְעַט תְּנוּמוֹת מְעַט חִבֻּק יָדַיִם לִשְׁכָּב

The aphorist summarizes the pattern of the lazy person’s habits: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down. First he sleeps a little, then he slumbers, and even after he eventually wakes up, he simply folds his hands and continues to rest.

וּבָא מִתְהַלֵּךְ רֵישֶׁךָ וּמַחְסֹרֶיךָ כְּאִישׁ מָגֵן

Your poverty will come walking about confidently, and your lack will come with certainty, like a military man. You carry out your affairs slowly, without any sense of urgency. By contrast, the consequences of your indolence will arrive swiftly and with determination.