أَمْثَالٌ 13

١ 1 اَلِٱبْنُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ يَقْبَلُ تَأْدِيبَ أَبِيهِ، وَٱلْمُسْتَهْزِئُ لَا يَسْمَعُ ٱنْتِهَارًا.

A wise son—the instruction of a father, And a scorner—he has not heard rebuke.

٢ 2 مِنْ ثَمَرَةِ فَمِهِ يَأْكُلُ ٱلْإِنْسَانُ خَيْرًا، وَمَرَامُ ٱلْغَادِرِينَ ظُلْمٌ.

A man eats good from the fruit of the mouth, And the soul of the treacherous—violence.

٣ 3 مَنْ يَحْفَظُ فَمَهُ يَحْفَظُ نَفْسَهُ. مَنْ يَشْحَرْ شَفَتَيْهِ فَلَهُ هَلَاكٌ.

Whoever is keeping his mouth, is keeping his soul, Whoever is opening wide his lips—ruin to him!

٤ 4 نَفْسُ ٱلْكَسْلَانِ تَشْتَهِي وَلَا شَيْءَ لَهَا، وَنَفْسُ ٱلْمُجْتَهِدِينَ تَسْمَنُ.

The soul of the slothful is desiring, and does not have. And the soul of the diligent is made fat.

٥ 5 اَلصِّدِّيقُ يُبْغِضُ كَلَامَ كَذِبٍ، وَٱلشِّرِّيرُ يُخْزِي وَيُخْجِلُ.

The righteous hates a false word, And the wicked causes abhorrence, and is confounded.

٦ 6 اَلْبِرُّ يَحْفَظُ ٱلْكَامِلَ طَرِيقَهُ، وَٱلشَّرُّ يَقْلِبُ ٱلْخَاطِئَ.

Righteousness keeps him who is perfect in the way, And wickedness overthrows a sin offering.

٧ 7 يُوجَدُ مَنْ يَتَغَانَى وَلَا شَيْءَ عِنْدَهُ، وَمَنْ يَتَفَاقَرُ وَعِنْدَهُ غِنًى جَزِيلٌ.

There is [he] who is making himself rich, and has nothing, Who is making himself poor, and wealth [is] abundant.

٨ 8 فِدْيَةُ نَفْسِ رَجُلٍ غِنَاهُ، أَمَّا ٱلْفَقِيرُ فَلَا يَسْمَعُ ٱنْتِهَارًا.

The ransom of a man’s life [are] his riches, And the poor has not heard rebuke.

٩ 9 نُورُ ٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ يُفَرِّحُ، وَسِرَاجُ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ يَنْطَفِئُ.

The light of the righteous rejoices, And the lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

١٠ 10 اَلْخِصَامُ إِنَّمَا يَصِيرُ بِٱلْكِبْرِيَاءِ، وَمَعَ ٱلْمُتَشَاوِرِينَ حِكْمَةٌ.

A vain man causes debate through pride, And wisdom [is] with the counseled.

١١ 11 غِنَى ٱلْبُطْلِ يَقِلُّ، وَٱلْجَامِعُ بِيَدِهِ يَزْدَادُ.

Wealth from vanity becomes little, And whoever is gathering by the hand becomes great.

١٢ 12 ٱلرَّجَاءُ ٱلْمُمَاطَلُ يُمْرِضُ ٱلْقَلْبَ، وَٱلشَّهْوَةُ ٱلْمُتَمَّمَةُ شَجَرَةُ حَيَاةٍ.

Hope prolonged is making the heart sick, And a tree of life [is] the coming desire.

١٣ 13 مَنِ ٱزْدَرَى بِٱلْكَلِمَةِ يُخْرِبُ نَفْسَهُ، وَمَنْ خَشِيَ ٱلْوَصِيَّةَ يُكَافَأُ.

Whoever is despising the word is destroyed for it, And whoever is fearing the command is repaid.

١٤ 14 شَرِيعَةُ ٱلْحَكِيمِ يَنْبُوعُ حَيَاةٍ لِلْحَيَدَانِ عَنْ أَشْرَاكِ ٱلْمَوْتِ.

The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.

١٥ 15 اَلْفِطْنَةُ ٱلْجَيِّدَةُ تَمْنَحُ نِعْمَةً، أَمَّا طَرِيقُ ٱلْغَادِرِينَ فَأَوْعَرُ.

Good understanding gives grace, And the way of the treacherous [is] hard.

١٦ 16 كُلُّ ذَكِيٍّ يَعْمَلُ بِٱلْمَعْرِفَةِ، وَٱلْجَاهِلُ يَنْشُرُ حُمْقًا.

Every prudent one deals with knowledge, And a fool spreads out folly.

١٧ 17 اَلرَّسُولُ ٱلشِّرِّيرُ يَقَعُ فِي ٱلشَّرِّ، وَٱلسَّفِيرُ ٱلْأَمِينُ شِفَاءٌ.

A wicked messenger falls into evil, And a faithful ambassador is healing.

١٨ 18 فَقْرٌ وَهَوَانٌ لِمَنْ يَرْفُضُ ٱلتَّأْدِيبَ، وَمَنْ يُلَاحِظ ٱلتَّوْبِيخَ يُكْرَمْ.

Whoever is refusing instruction—poverty and shame, And whoever is observing reproof is honored.

١٩ 19 اَلشَّهْوَةُ ٱلْحَاصِلَةُ تَلُذُّ ٱلنَّفْسَ، أَمَّا كَرَاهَةُ ٱلْجُهَّالِ فَهِيَ ٱلْحَيَدَانُ عَنِ ٱلشَّرِّ.

A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, And an abomination to fools [Is] to turn from evil.

٢٠ 20 اَلْمُسَايِرُ ٱلْحُكَمَاءَ يَصِيرُ حَكِيمًا، وَرَفِيقُ ٱلْجُهَّالِ يُضَرُّ.

Whoever is walking with wise men is wise, And a companion of fools suffers evil.

٢١ 21 اَلشَّرُّ يَتْبَعُ ٱلْخَاطِئِينَ، وَٱلصِّدِّيقُونَ يُجَازَوْنَ خَيْرًا.

Evil pursues sinners, And good repays the righteous.

٢٢ 22 اَلصَّالِحُ يُورِثُ بَنِي ٱلْبَنِينَ، وَثَرْوَةُ ٱلْخَاطِئِ تُذْخَرُ لِلصِّدِّيقِ.

A good man causes sons’ sons to inherit, And the sinner’s wealth [is] laid up for the righteous.

٢٣ 23 فِي حَرْثِ ٱلْفُقَرَاءِ طَعَامٌ كَثِيرٌ، وَيُوجَدُ هَالِكٌ مِنْ عَدَمِ ٱلْحَقِّ.

Abundance of food—the tillage of the poor, And substance is consumed without judgment.

٢٤ 24 مَنْ يَمْنَعُ عَصَاهُ يَمْقُتِ ٱبْنَهُ، وَمَنْ أَحَبَّهُ يَطْلُبُ لَهُ ٱلتَّأْدِيبَ.

Whoever is sparing his rod is hating his son, And whoever is loving him has hurried his discipline.

٢٥ 25 اَلصِّدِّيقُ يَأْكُلُ لِشَبَعِ نَفْسِهِ، أَمَّا بَطْنُ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ فَيَحْتَاجُ.

The righteous is eating to the satiety of his soul, And the belly of the wicked lacks!