اَلْجَامِعَةِ 12

١ 1 فَٱذْكُرْ خَالِقَكَ فِي أَيَّامِ شَبَابِكَ، قَبْلَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَ أَيَّامُ ٱلشَّرِّ أَوْ تَجِيءَ ٱلسِّنُونَ إِذْ تَقُولُ: «لَيْسَ لِي فِيهَا سُرُورٌ».

Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shall say, I have no pleasure in them,

٢ 2 قَبْلَ مَا تَظْلُمُ ٱلشَّمْسُ وَٱلنُّورُ وَٱلْقَمَرُ وَٱلنُّجُومُ، وَتَرْجِعُ ٱلسُّحُبُ بَعْدَ ٱلْمَطَرِ.

before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain,

٣ 3 فِي يَوْمٍ يَتَزَعْزَعُ فِيهِ حَفَظَةُ ٱلْبَيْتِ، وَتَتَلَوَّى رِجَالُ ٱلْقُوَّةِ، وَتَبْطُلُ ٱلطَّوَاحِنُ لِأَنَّهَا قَلَّتْ، وَتُظْلِمُ ٱلنَّوَاظِرُ مِنَ ٱلشَّبَابِيكِ.

in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows shall be darkened,

٤ 4 وَتُغْلَقُ ٱلْأَبْوَابُ فِي ٱلسُّوقِ. حِينَ يَنْخَفِضُ صَوْتُ ٱلْمِطْحَنَةِ، وَيَقُومُ لِصَوْتِ ٱلْعُصْفُورِ، وَتُحَطُّ كُلُّ بَنَاتِ ٱلْغِنَاءِ.

and the doors shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low,

٥ 5 وَأَيْضًا يَخَافُونَ مِنَ ٱلْعَالِي، وَفِي ٱلطَّرِيقِ أَهْوَالٌ، وَٱللَّوْزُ يُزْهِرُ، وَٱلْجُنْدُبُ يُسْتَثْقَلُ، وَٱلشَّهْوَةُ تَبْطُلُ. لِأَنَّ ٱلْإِنْسَانَ ذَاهِبٌ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ ٱلْأَبَدِيِّ، وَٱلنَّادِبُونَ يَطُوفُونَ فِي ٱلسُّوقِ.

yea, they shall be afraid of height, and terrors shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail, because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets,

٦ 6 قَبْلَ مَا يَنْفَصِمُ حَبْلُ ٱلْفِضَّةِ، أَوْ يَنْسَحِقُ كُوزُ ٱلذَّهَبِ، أَوْ تَنْكَسِرُ ٱلْجَرَّةُ عَلَى ٱلْعَيْنِ، أَوْ تَنْقَصِفُ ٱلْبَكَرَةُ عِنْدَ ٱلْبِئْرِ.

before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

٧ 7 فَيَرْجِعُ ٱلتُّرَابُ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَمَا كَانَ، وَتَرْجِعُ ٱلرُّوحُ إِلَى ٱللهِ ٱلَّذِي أَعْطَاهَا.

and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

٨ 8 بَاطِلُ ٱلْأَبَاطِيلِ، قَالَ ٱلْجَامِعَةُ: ٱلْكُلُّ بَاطِلٌ.

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, all is vanity.

٩ 9 بَقِيَ أَنَّ ٱلْجَامِعَةَ كَانَ حَكِيمًا، وَأَيْضًا عَلَّمَ ٱلشَّعْبَ عِلْمًا، وَوَزَنَ وَبَحَثَ وَأَتْقَنَ أَمْثَالًا كَثِيرَةً.

And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

١٠ 10 اَلْجَامِعَةُ طَلَبَ أَنْ يَجِدَ كَلِمَاتٍ مُسِرَّةً مَكْتُوبَةً بِٱلِٱسْتِقَامَةِ، كَلِمَاتِ حَقٍّ.

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly-words of truth.

١١ 11 كَلَامُ ٱلْحُكَمَاءِ كَٱلْمَنَاسِيسِ، وَكَأَوْتَادٍ مُنْغَرِزَةٍ، أَرْبَابُ ٱلْجَمَاعَاتِ، قَدْ أُعْطِيَتْ مِنْ رَاعٍ وَاحِدٍ.

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies. They have been given from one shepherd.

١٢ 12 وَبَقِيَ، فَمِنْ هَذَا يَاٱبْنِي تَحَذَّرْ: لِعَمَلِ كُتُبٍ كَثِيرَةٍ لَا نِهَايَةَ، وَٱلدَّرْسُ ٱلْكَثِيرُ تَعَبٌ لِلْجَسَدِ.

And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

١٣ 13 فَلْنَسْمَعْ خِتَامَ ٱلْأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ: ٱتَّقِ ٱللهَ وَٱحْفَظْ وَصَايَاهُ، لِأَنَّ هَذَا هُوَ ٱلْإِنْسَانُ كُلُّهُ.

This is the end of the matter, all has been heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole of man.

١٤ 14 لِأَنَّ ٱللهَ يُحْضِرُ كُلَّ عَمَلٍ إِلَى ٱلدَّيْنُونَةِ، عَلَى كُلِّ خَفِيٍّ، إِنْ كَانَ خَيْرًا أَوْ شَرًّا.

For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.