< اَلْجَامِعَةِ 7 >
اَلصِّيتُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلدُّهْنِ ٱلطَّيِّبِ، وَيَوْمُ ٱلْمَمَاتِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ يَوْمِ ٱلْوِلَادَةِ. | ١ 1 |
A good reputation is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you were born.
اَلذَّهَابُ إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلنَّوْحِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَابِ إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱلْوَلِيمَةِ، لِأَنَّ ذَاكَ نِهَايَةُ كُلِّ إِنْسَانٍ، وَٱلْحَيُّ يَضَعُهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ. | ٢ 2 |
It's better to go to a funeral than to a party. In the end, everyone dies, and those who are still alive should think about it.
اَلْحُزْنُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلضَّحِكِ، لِأَنَّهُ بِكَآبَةِ ٱلْوَجْهِ يُصْلَحُ ٱلْقَلْبُ. | ٣ 3 |
Sorrow is better than laughter, for tragedy helps us by making us think.
قَلْبُ ٱلْحُكَمَاءِ فِي بَيْتِ ٱلنَّوْحِ، وَقَلْبُ ٱلْجُهَّالِ فِي بَيْتِ ٱلْفَرَحِ. | ٤ 4 |
Wise people think about the impact of death, while those who are fools only think about having a good time.
سَمْعُ ٱلِٱنْتِهَارِ مِنَ ٱلْحَكِيمِ خَيْرٌ لِلْإِنْسَانِ مِنْ سَمْعِ غِنَاءِ ٱلْجُهَّالِ، | ٥ 5 |
It's better to listen to criticism from a wise person than to hear the song of fools.
لِأَنَّهُ كَصَوْتِ ٱلشَّوْكِ تَحْتَ ٱلْقِدْرِ هَكَذَا ضَحِكُ ٱلْجُهَّالِ. هَذَا أَيْضًا بَاطِلٌ. | ٦ 6 |
The laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorn twigs burning under a pot—without sense and quickly over.
لِأَنَّ ٱلظُّلْمَ يُحَمِّقُ ٱلْحَكِيمَ، وَٱلْعَطِيَّةَ تُفْسِدُ ٱلْقَلْبَ. | ٧ 7 |
Extorting money from others makes wise people into fools, and accepting bribes corrupts the mind.
نِهَايَةُ أَمْرٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ بَدَايَتِهِ. طُولُ ٱلرُّوحِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ تَكَبُّرِ ٱلرُّوحِ. | ٨ 8 |
Completing something is better than starting it. Being patient is better than being proud.
لَا تُسْرِعْ بِرُوحِكَ إِلَى ٱلْغَضَبِ، لِأَنَّ ٱلْغَضَبَ يَسْتَقِرُّ فِي حِضْنِ ٱلْجُهَّالِ. | ٩ 9 |
Don't be quick to get angry, for anger controls the minds of fools.
لَا تَقُلْ: «لِمَاذَا كَانَتِ ٱلْأَيَّامُ ٱلْأُولَى خَيْرًا مِنْ هَذِهِ؟» لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ عَنْ حِكْمَةٍ تَسْأَلُ عَنْ هَذَا. | ١٠ 10 |
Don't ask, “Why were the good old days better than now?” Asking such questions shows you are not wise.
اَلْحِكْمَةُ صَالِحَةٌ مِثْلُ ٱلْمِيرَاثِ، بَلْ أَفْضَلُ لِنَاظِرِي ٱلشَّمْسِ. | ١١ 11 |
Wisdom is good—it's like receiving an inheritance. It benefits everyone in life.
لِأَنَّ ٱلَّذِي فِي ظِلِّ ٱلْحِكْمَةِ هُوَ فِي ظِلِّ ٱلْفِضَّةِ، وَفَضْلُ ٱلْمَعْرِفَةِ هُوَ إِنَّ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ تُحْيِي أَصْحَابَهَا. | ١٢ 12 |
For wisdom provides security, as does money, but the advantage for those who have wisdom is that they are kept safe and sound!
اُنْظُرْ عَمَلَ ٱللهِ: لِأَنَّهُ مَنْ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى تَقْوِيمِ مَا قَدْ عَوَّجَهُ؟ | ١٣ 13 |
Think about what God does. If he makes something bent, you can't straighten it!
فِي يَوْمِ ٱلْخَيْرِ كُنْ بِخَيْرٍ، وَفِي يَوْمِ ٱلشَّرِّ ٱعْتَبِرْ. إِنَّ ٱللهَ جَعَلَ هَذَا مَعَ ذَاكَ، لِكَيْلَا يَجِدَ ٱلْإِنْسَانُ شَيْئًا بَعْدَهُ. | ١٤ 14 |
On a good day, be happy. When a bad day comes, stop and think. God made each day, so you don't know what will happen to you next.
قَدْ رَأَيْتُ ٱلْكُلَّ فِي أَيَّامِ بُطْلِي: قَدْ يَكُونُ بَارٌّ يَبِيدُ فِي بِرِّهِ، وَقَدْ يَكُونُ شِرِّيرٌ يَطُولُ فِي شَرِّهِ. | ١٥ 15 |
Throughout my life I've seen so much that is hard to understand. Good people who die young despite doing what is right, and wicked people who live long evil lives.
لَا تَكُنْ بَارًّا كَثِيرًا، وَلَا تَكُنْ حَكِيمًا بِزِيَادَةٍ. لِمَاذَا تَخْرِبُ نَفْسَكَ؟ | ١٦ 16 |
Don't think you can make yourself right by a lot of religious observance, and don't pretend to be so wise. Do you want to destroy yourself?
لَا تَكُنْ شِرِّيرًا كَثِيرًا، وَلَا تَكُنْ جَاهِلًا. لِمَاذَا تَمُوتُ فِي غَيْرِ وَقْتِكَ؟ | ١٧ 17 |
On the other hand, don't decide to live an evil life—don't be a fool! Why die before your time?
حَسَنٌ أَنْ تَتَمَسَّكَ بِهَذَا، وَأَيْضًا أَنْ لَا تَرْخِيَ يَدَكَ عَنْ ذَاكَ، لِأَنَّ مُتَّقِيَ ٱللهِ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا كِلَيْهِمَا. | ١٨ 18 |
You ought to keep in mind these warnings. Those who follow God will be sure to avoid both.
اَلْحِكْمَةُ تُقَوِّي ٱلْحَكِيمَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ عَشَرَةِ مُسَلَّطِينَ، ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي ٱلْمَدِينَةِ. | ١٩ 19 |
Wisdom gives a wise person greater power than ten town councilors.
لِأَنَّهُ لَا إِنْسَانٌ صِدِّيقٌ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ يَعْمَلُ صَلَاحًا وَلَا يُخْطِئُ. | ٢٠ 20 |
There's not one good person in all the world who always does what is right and never sins.
أَيْضًا لَا تَضَعْ قَلْبَكَ عَلَى كُلِّ ٱلْكَلَامِ ٱلَّذِي يُقَالُ، لِئَلَّا تَسْمَعَ عَبْدَكَ يَسِبُّكَ. | ٢١ 21 |
Don't take to heart everything that people say, otherwise you may hear your servant talking badly about you,
لِأَنَّ قَلْبَكَ أَيْضًا يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ كَذَلِكَ مِرَارًا كَثِيرَةً سَبَبْتَ آخَرِينَ. | ٢٢ 22 |
for you know how many times you yourself have talked badly about others!
كُلُّ هَذَا ٱمْتَحَنْتُهُ بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ. قُلْتُ: «أَكُونُ حَكِيمًا». أَمَّا هِيَ فَبَعِيدَةٌ عَنِّي. | ٢٣ 23 |
I have examined all this using the principles of wisdom. I told myself, “I will think wisely.” But wisdom eluded me.
بَعِيدٌ مَا كَانَ بَعِيدًا، وَٱلْعَمِيقُ ٱلْعَمِيقُ مَنْ يَجِدُهُ؟ | ٢٤ 24 |
Everything that exists is beyond our grasp—too deep for our understanding. Who can comprehend it?
دُرْتُ أَنَا وَقَلْبِي لِأَعْلَمَ وَلِأَبْحَثَ وَلِأَطْلُبَ حِكْمَةً وَعَقْلًا، وَلِأَعْرِفَ ٱلشَّرَّ أَنَّهُ جَهَالَةٌ، وَٱلْحَمَاقَةَ أَنَّهَا جُنُونٌ. | ٢٥ 25 |
I turned my thoughts to discover, investigate, and to find out more about wisdom and what makes sense. I wanted to know more about how stupid evil really is, and how ridiculous it is to be a fool.
فَوَجَدْتُ أَمَرَّ مِنَ ٱلْمَوْتِ: ٱلْمَرْأَةَ ٱلَّتِي هِيَ شِبَاكٌ، وَقَلْبُهَا أَشْرَاكٌ، وَيَدَاهَا قُيُودٌ. ٱلصَّالِحُ قُدَّامَ ٱللهِ يَنْجُو مِنْهَا. أَمَّا ٱلْخَاطِئُ فَيُؤْخَذُ بِهَا. | ٢٦ 26 |
I discovered something more horrible than death: foolishness like a woman who tries to entrap you, who wants to use her mind and hands to catch you and tie you up. Those who follow God will not be caught, but sinners will fall into her trap.
اُنْظُرْ. هَذَا وَجَدْتُهُ، قَالَ ٱلْجَامِعَةُ: وَاحِدَةً فَوَاحِدَةً لِأَجِدَ ٱلنَّتِيجَةَ | ٢٧ 27 |
This is what I discovered after putting two and two together to try and find out what it all meant, says the Teacher.
ٱلَّتِي لَمْ تَزَلْ نَفْسِي تَطْلُبُهَا فَلَمْ أَجِدْهَا. رَجُلًا وَاحِدًا بَيْنَ أَلْفٍ وَجَدْتُ، أَمَّا ٱمْرَأَةً فَبَيْنَ كُلِّ أُولَئِكَ لَمْ أَجِدْ! | ٢٨ 28 |
Although I really searched, I didn't find what I was looking for. People say, “I found one man among a thousand, but not one woman.”
اُنْظُرْ. هَذَا وَجَدْتُ فَقَطْ: أَنَّ ٱللهَ صَنَعَ ٱلْإِنْسَانَ مُسْتَقِيمًا، أَمَّا هُمْ فَطَلَبُوا ٱخْتِرَاعَاتٍ كَثِيرَةً. | ٢٩ 29 |
But I did find this one thing: God made people to do what's right, but they have followed their own ideas.