أَمْثَالٌ 15

١ 1 اَلْجَوَابُ ٱللَّيِّنُ يَصْرِفُ ٱلْغَضَبَ، وَٱلْكَلَامُ ٱلْمُوجِعُ يُهَيِّجُ ٱلسَّخَطَ.

When people are angry with you, reply to them gently, and it will calm them; but if you reply harshly to them, it causes them to become more angry.

٢ 2 لِسَانُ ٱلْحُكَمَاءِ يُحَسِّنُ ٱلْمَعْرِفَةَ، وَفَمُ ٱلْجُهَّالِ يُنْبِعُ حَمَاقَةً.

When wise [people] speak [MTY], it causes those who hear what they say to want to know more; foolish people continually say [MTY] what is foolish.

٣ 3 فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ عَيْنَا ٱلرَّبِّ مُرَاقِبَتَانِ ٱلطَّالِحِينَ وَٱلصَّالِحِينَ.

Yahweh sees [MTY] [what is happening] everywhere; he observes what bad [people do] as well as what good [people do].

٤ 4 هُدُوءُ ٱللِّسَانِ شَجَرَةُ حَيَاةٍ، وَٱعْوِجَاجُهُ سَحْقٌ فِي ٱلرُّوحِ.

Those who speak [MTY] kindly to people are [like] [MET] trees [whose fruit gives] life; speaking what is false causes people to (despair/feel very discouraged).

٥ 5 اَلْأَحْمَقُ يَسْتَهِينُ بِتَأْدِيبِ أَبِيهِ، أَمَّا مُرَاعِي ٱلتَّوْبِيخِ فَيَذْكَى.

Foolish children despise their parents when their parents correct/discipline them; wise children accept it.

٦ 6 فِي بَيْتِ ٱلصِّدِّيقِ كَنْزٌ عَظِيمٌ، وَفِي دَخْلِ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ كَدَرٌ.

There are many valuable things in the houses of righteous [people]; the wealth of wicked [people] causes them to have troubles/difficulties.

٧ 7 شِفَاهُ ٱلْحُكَمَاءِ تَذُرُّ مَعْرِفَةً، أَمَّا قَلْبُ ٱلْجُهَّالِ فَلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ.

What wise [people] teach [MTY] causes others to know much more, [but] foolish people cannot teach others what is useful.

٨ 8 ذَبِيحَةُ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ مَكْرَهَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ، وَصَلَاةُ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ مَرْضَاتُهُ.

Yahweh detests the sacrifices that are offered by wicked [people]; what delights/pleases him very much are the prayers of righteous/good [people].

٩ 9 مَكْرَهَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ طَرِيقُ ٱلشِّرِّيرِ، وَتَابِعُ ٱلْبِرِّ يُحِبُّهُ.

Yahweh hates/detests the behavior of wicked [people], but he loves those who always do what is righteous/just/fair.

١٠ 10 تَأْدِيبُ شَرٍّ لِتَارِكِ ٱلطَّرِيقِ. مُبْغِضُ ٱلتَّوْبِيخِ يَمُوتُ.

Those who do what is wrong will be severely punished; those who do not want to be corrected will die.

١١ 11 اَلْهَاوِيَةُ وَٱلْهَلَاكُ أَمَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ. كَمْ بِٱلْحَرِيِّ قُلُوبُ بَنِي آدَمَ! (Sheol h7585)

Yahweh knows [what is happening in] the place where dead people [DOU] are, so he certainly knows [RHQ] what people are thinking. (Sheol h7585)

١٢ 12 اَلْمُسْتَهْزِئُ لَا يُحِبُّ مُوَبِّخَهُ. إِلَى ٱلْحُكَمَاءِ لَا يَذْهَبُ.

Some people do not want to be corrected; they never go to wise [people to seek good advice from them].

١٣ 13 اَلْقَلْبُ ٱلْفَرْحَانُ يَجْعَلُ ٱلْوَجْهَ طَلِقًا، وَبِحُزْنِ ٱلْقَلْبِ تَنْسَحِقُ ٱلرُّوحُ.

When people are happy, they have smiles on their faces; but when they are sad, [by looking at their faces we can see that] they are sad.

١٤ 14 قَلْبُ ٱلْفَهِيمِ يَطْلُبُ مَعْرِفَةً، وَفَمُ ٱلْجُهَّالِ يَرْعَى حَمَاقَةً.

Those who have good sense want to learn more; foolish people [MTY] are very satisfied with being foolish/ignorant.

١٥ 15 كُلُّ أَيَّامِ ٱلْحَزِينِ شَقِيَّةٌ، أَمَّا طَيِّبُ ٱلْقَلْبِ فَوَلِيمَةٌ دَائِمَةٌ.

Those who are oppressed constantly have difficulties, but those who (OR, if they) are happy, [it is as though] [MET] they are having a big feast every day.

١٦ 16 اَلْقَلِيلُ مَعَ مَخَافَةِ ٱلرَّبِّ، خَيْرٌ مِنْ كَنْزٍ عَظِيمٍ مَعَ هَمٍّ.

Being poor and revering Yahweh is better than being rich and having a lot of troubles.

١٧ 17 أَكْلَةٌ مِنَ ٱلْبُقُولِ حَيْثُ تَكُونُ ٱلْمَحَبَّةُ، خَيْرٌ مِنْ ثَوْرٍ مَعْلُوفٍ وَمَعَهُ بُغْضَةٌ.

Eating meals with [people whom you] love and having only vegetables to eat is better than eating with [people who] hate [each other and] having lots of good meat [to eat].

١٨ 18 اَلرَّجُلُ ٱلْغَضُوبُ يُهَيِّجُ ٱلْخُصُومَةَ، وَبَطِيءُ ٱلْغَضَبِ يُسَكِّنُ ٱلْخِصَامَ.

Those who quickly become angry cause arguments/quarreling, but those who do not quickly become angry cause people to act peacefully.

١٩ 19 طَرِيقُ ٱلْكَسْلَانِ كَسِيَاجٍ مِنْ شَوْكٍ، وَطَرِيقُ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ مَنْهَجٌ.

Lazy people constantly [have difficulties] [MET]; [it is as though they are] walking through thorns; but those who are honest and hard-working [will have few difficulties; it is as though they are walking] on a level highway [MET].

٢٠ 20 اَلِٱبْنُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ يَسُرُّ أَبَاهُ، وَٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلْجَاهِلُ يَحْتَقِرُ أُمَّهُ.

Children who are wise cause their parents to be happy; it is foolish children who despise their parents.

٢١ 21 ٱلْحَمَاقَةُ فَرَحٌ لِنَاقِصِ ٱلْفَهْمِ، أَمَّا ذُو ٱلْفَهْمِ فَيُقَوِّمُ سُلُوكَهُ.

Foolish people are happy to [continually] act foolishly; those who have good sense do what is right.

٢٢ 22 مَقَاصِدُ بِغَيْرِ مَشُورَةٍ تَبْطُلُ، وَبِكَثْرَةِ ٱلْمُشِيرِينَ تَقُومُ.

If there is no one to give us good advice, we will not accomplish what we are planning to do; but when we have many [good] advisors, we will succeed.

٢٣ 23 لِلْإِنْسَانِ فَرَحٌ بِجَوَابِ فَمِهِ، وَٱلْكَلِمَةُ فِي وَقْتِهَا مَا أَحْسَنَهَا!

People rejoice when they are able to reply well to what others have asked them; [truly], it is very delightful to be able to say the right thing at the right time.

٢٤ 24 طَرِيقُ ٱلْحَيَاةِ لِلْفَطِنِ إِلَى فَوْقُ، لِلْحَيَدَانِ عَنِ ٱلْهَاوِيَةِ مِنْ تَحْتُ. (Sheol h7585)

Wise people walk on a road that leads up to a long life; they do not walk on a road that leads down to the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)

٢٥ 25 اَلرَّبُّ يَقْلَعُ بَيْتَ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ، وَيُوَطِّدُ تُخْمَ ٱلْأَرْمَلَةِ.

Yahweh tears down the houses of proud [people], but he protects the property of widows.

٢٦ 26 مَكْرَهَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ أَفْكَارُ ٱلشِّرِّيرِ، وَلِلْأَطْهَارِ كَلَامٌ حَسَنٌ.

Yahweh detests what wicked [people] are thinking [about doing]; [but] when people say what is kind, he considers those words to be pure.

٢٧ 27 اَلْمُولَعُ بِٱلْكَسْبِ يُكَدِّرُ بَيْتَهُ، وَٱلْكَارِهُ ٱلْهَدَايَا يَعِيشُ.

Those who try hard to get money by acting dishonestly cause trouble for their family; those who refuse to accept bribes will live [for a long time].

٢٨ 28 قَلْبُ ٱلصِّدِّيقِ يَتَفَكَّرُ بِٱلْجَوَابِ، وَفَمُ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ يُنْبِعُ شُرُورًا.

Righteous/Good [people] think carefully before they answer [what others ask them]; wicked [people] very quickly say what is evil.

٢٩ 29 اَلرَّبُّ بَعِيدٌ عَنِ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ، وَيَسْمَعُ صَلَاةَ ٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ.

Yahweh does not listen [MTY] to what wicked [people request him to do]; he listens to righteous [people] when they pray.

٣٠ 30 نُورُ ٱلْعَيْنَيْنِ يُفَرِّحُ ٱلْقَلْبَ. اَلْخَبَرُ ٱلطَّيِّبُ يُسَمِّنُ ٱلْعِظَامَ.

If people have a smile on their faces, it makes them/others happy, and [when people hear] good news, it refreshes their spirits [MTY].

٣١ 31 اَلْأُذُنُ ٱلسَّامِعَةُ تَوْبِيخَ ٱلْحَيَاةِ تَسْتَقِرُّ بَيْنَ ٱلْحُكَمَاءِ.

If people pay attention when [people] correct/warn them, they will become wise.

٣٢ 32 مَنْ يَرْفُضُ ٱلتَّأْدِيبَ يُرْذِلُ نَفْسَهُ، وَمَنْ يَسْمَعُ لِلتَّوْبِيخِ يَقْتَنِي فَهْمًا.

If people refuse to listen [when others try] to correct them, they are despising/hurting themselves; those who (pay attention/heed) when [others] warn them (become wiser/acquire good sense).

٣٣ 33 مَخَافَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ أَدَبُ حِكْمَةٍ، وَقَبْلَ ٱلْكَرَامَةِ ٱلتَّوَاضُعُ.

If you revere Yahweh, you will learn how to become wise, but [only] after you become humble will [people] honor you.