اَلْجَامِعَةِ 12

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

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the time of affliction arrives and the years draw near, about which you will say, “These do not please me.”

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.

when the guardians of the house will tremble, and the strongest men will waver, and those who grind grain will be idle, except for a small number, and those who look through the keyholes will be darkened.

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

And they will close the doors to the street, when the voice of he who grinds the grain will be humbled, and they will be disturbed at the sound of a flying thing, and all the daughters of song shall become deaf.

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.

Likewise, they will fear the things above them, and they will dread the way. The almond tree will flourish; the locust will be fattened; and the caper plant will be scattered, because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall wander around in the street.

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 broken, and the golden band pulls away, and the pitcher is crushed over the fountain, and the wheel is broken above the cistern,

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

and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted it.

٨ 8 بَاطِلُ ٱلْأَبَاطِيلِ، قَالَ ٱلْجَامِعَةُ: ٱلْكُلُّ بَاطِلٌ.

Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all is vanity!

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

And since Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and he described what he had accomplished. And while searching, he composed many parables.

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

He sought useful words, and he wrote most righteous words, which were full of truth.

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

The words of the wise are like a goad, and like nails deeply fastened, which, through the counsel of teachers, are set forth by one pastor.

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

You should require no more than this, my son. For there is no end to the making of many books. And excessive study is an affliction to the flesh.

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

Let us all listen together to the end of the discourse. Fear God, and observe his commandments. This is everything for man.

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

And so, for all that is done and for each error, God will bring judgment: whether it was good or evil.