أَمْثَالٌ 18
| ٱلْمُعْتَزِلُ يَطْلُبُ شَهْوَتَهُ. بِكُلِّ مَشُورَةٍ يَغْتَاظُ. | ١ 1 |
An unfriendly man pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.
| اَلْجَاهِلُ لَا يُسَرُّ بِٱلْفَهْمِ، بَلْ بِكَشْفِ قَلْبِهِ. | ٢ 2 |
A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.
| إِذَا جَاءَ ٱلشِّرِّيرُ جَاءَ ٱلِٱحْتِقَارُ أَيْضًا، وَمَعَ ٱلْهَوَانِ عَارٌ. | ٣ 3 |
When wickedness comes, contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace.
| كَلِمَاتُ فَمِ ٱلْإِنْسَانِ مِيَاهٌ عَمِيقَةٌ. نَبْعُ ٱلْحِكْمَةِ نَهْرٌ مُنْدَفِقٌ. | ٤ 4 |
The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
| رَفْعُ وَجْهِ ٱلشِّرِّيرِ لَيْسَ حَسَنًا لِإِخْطَاءِ ٱلصِّدِّيقِ فِي ٱلْقَضَاءِ. | ٥ 5 |
To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of mishpat ·justice·.
| شَفَتَا ٱلْجَاهِلِ تُدَاخِلَانِ فِي ٱلْخُصُومَةِ، وَفَمُهُ يَدْعُو بِضَرَبَاتٍ. | ٦ 6 |
A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings.
| فَمُ ٱلْجَاهِلِ مَهْلَكَةٌ لَهُ، وَشَفَتَاهُ شَرَكٌ لِنَفْسِهِ. | ٧ 7 |
A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
| كَلَامُ ٱلنَّمَّامِ مِثْلُ لُقَمٍ حُلْوَةٍ وَهُوَ يَنْزِلُ إِلَى مَخَادِعِ ٱلْبَطْنِ. | ٨ 8 |
The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts.
| أَيْضًا ٱلْمُتَرَاخِي فِي عَمَلِهِ هُوَ أَخُو ٱلْمُسْرِفِ. | ٩ 9 |
One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.
| اِسْمُ ٱلرَّبِّ بُرْجٌ حَصِينٌ، يَرْكُضُ إِلَيْهِ ٱلصِّدِّيقُ وَيَتَمَنَّعُ. | ١٠ 10 |
Adonai’s name is a strong tower: the upright run to him, and are safe.
| ثَرْوَةُ ٱلْغَنِيِّ مَدِينَتُهُ ٱلْحَصِينَةُ، وَمِثْلُ سُورٍ عَالٍ فِي تَصَوُّرِهِ. | ١١ 11 |
The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination.
| قَبْلَ ٱلْكَسْرِ يَتَكَبَّرُ قَلْبُ ٱلْإِنْسَانِ، وَقَبْلَ ٱلْكَرَامَةِ ٱلتَّوَاضُعُ. | ١٢ 12 |
Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before kavod ·weighty glory· is humility.
| مَنْ يُجِيبُ عَنْ أَمْرٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْمَعَهُ، فَلَهُ حَمَاقَةٌ وَعَارٌ. | ١٣ 13 |
He who gives answer before he sh'ma ·hears obeys·, that is folly and shame to him.
| رُوحُ ٱلْإِنْسَانِ تَحْتَمِلُ مَرَضَهُ، أَمَّا ٱلرُّوحُ ٱلْمَكْسُورَةُ فَمَنْ يَحْمِلُهَا؟ | ١٤ 14 |
A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear?
| قَلْبُ ٱلْفَهِيمِ يَقْتَنِي مَعْرِفَةً، وَأُذُنُ ٱلْحُكَمَاءِ تَطْلُبُ عِلْمًا. | ١٥ 15 |
The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
| هَدِيَّةُ ٱلْإِنْسَانِ تُرَحِّبُ لَهُ وَتَهْدِيهِ إِلَى أَمَامِ ٱلْعُظَمَاءِ. | ١٦ 16 |
A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
| اَلْأَوَّلُ فِي دَعْوَاهُ مُحِقٌّ، فَيَأْتِي رَفِيقُهُ وَيَفْحَصُهُ. | ١٧ 17 |
He who pleads his cause first seems right; until another comes and questions him.
| اَلْقُرْعَةُ تُبَطِّلُ ٱلْخُصُومَاتِ وَتَفْصِلُ بَيْنَ ٱلْأَقْوِيَاءِ. | ١٨ 18 |
The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart.
| اَلْأَخُ أَمْنَعُ مِنْ مَدِينَةٍ حَصِينَةٍ، وَٱلْمُخَاصَمَاتُ كَعَارِضَةِ قَلْعَةٍ. | ١٩ 19 |
A brother rebelled against to break away from authority thus breaking relationship is more difficult than a fortified city; and disputes are like the bars of a fortress.
| مِنْ ثَمَرِ فَمِ ٱلْإِنْسَانِ يَشْبَعُ بَطْنُهُ، مِنْ غَلَّةِ شَفَتَيْهِ يَشْبَعُ. | ٢٠ 20 |
A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
| اَلْمَوْتُ وَٱلْحَيَاةُ فِي يَدِ ٱللِّسَانِ، وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ يَأْكُلُونَ ثَمَرَهُ. | ٢١ 21 |
Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who 'ahav ·affectionately love· it will eat its fruit.
| مَنْ يَجِدُ زَوْجَةً يَجِدُ خَيْرًا وَيَنَالُ رِضًى مِنَ ٱلرَّبِّ. | ٢٢ 22 |
Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of Adonai.
| بِتَضَرُّعَاتٍ يَتَكَلَّمُ ٱلْفَقِيرُ، وَٱلْغَنِيُّ يُجَاوِبُ بِخُشُونَةٍ. | ٢٣ 23 |
The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.
| اَلْمُكْثِرُ ٱلْأَصْحَابِ يُخْرِبُ نَفْسَهُ، وَلَكِنْ يُوجَدُ مُحِبٌّ أَلْزَقُ مِنَ ٱلْأَخِ. | ٢٤ 24 |
A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a 'ahav ·affectionate lover, friend· who sticks closer than a brother.
