أَمْثَالٌ 24
| لَا تَحْسِدْ أَهْلَ ٱلشَّرِّ، وَلَا تَشْتَهِ أَنْ تَكُونَ مَعَهُمْ، | ١ 1 |
[My] son, envy not bad men, nor desire to be with them.
| لِأَنَّ قَلْبَهُمْ يَلْهَجُ بِٱلِٱغْتِصَابِ، وَشِفَاهَهُمْ تَتَكَلَّمُ بِٱلْمَشَقَّةِ. | ٢ 2 |
For their heart meditates falsehoods, and their lips speak mischiefs.
| بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ يُبْنَى ٱلْبَيْتُ وَبِالْفَهْمِ يُثَبَّتُ، | ٣ 3 |
A house is built by wisdom, and is set up by understanding.
| وَبِالْمَعْرِفَةِ تَمْتَلِئُ ٱلْمَخَادِعُ مِنْ كُلِّ ثَرْوَةٍ كَرِيمَةٍ وَنَفِيسَةٍ. | ٤ 4 |
By discretion the chambers are filled with all precious and excellent wealth.
| اَلرَّجُلُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ فِي عِزٍّ، وَذُو ٱلْمَعْرِفَةِ مُتَشَدِّدُ ٱلْقُوَّةِ. | ٥ 5 |
A wise man is better than a strong man; and a man who has prudence than a large estate.
| لِأَنَّكَ بِٱلتَّدَابِيرِ تَعْمَلُ حَرْبَكَ، وَٱلْخَلَاصُ بِكَثْرَةِ ٱلْمُشِيرِينَ. | ٦ 6 |
War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.
| اَلْحِكَمُ عَالِيَةٌ عَنِ ٱلْأَحْمَقِ. لَا يَفْتَحْ فَمَهُ فِي ٱلْبَابِ. | ٧ 7 |
Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,
| اَلْمُتَفَكِّرُ فِي عَمَلِ ٱلشَّرِّ يُدْعَى مُفْسِدًا. | ٨ 8 |
but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed [men].
| فِكْرُ ٱلْحَمَاقَةِ خَطِيَّةٌ، وَمَكْرَهَةُ ٱلنَّاسِ ٱلْمُسْتَهْزِئُ. | ٩ 9 |
The fools also dies in sins; and uncleanness [attaches] to a pestilent man.
| إِنِ ٱرْتَخَيْتَ فِي يَوْمِ ٱلضِّيقِ ضَاقَتْ قُوَّتُكَ. | ١٠ 10 |
He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.
| أَنْقِذِ ٱلْمُنْقَادِينَ إِلَى ٱلْمَوْتِ، وَٱلْمَمْدُودِينَ لِلْقَتْلِ. لَا تَمْتَنِعْ. | ١١ 11 |
Deliver them that are led away to death, and redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not [thy help].
| إِنْ قُلْتَ: «هُوَذَا لَمْ نَعْرِفْ هَذَا»، أَفَلَا يَفْهَمُ وَازِنُ ٱلْقُلُوبِ؟ وَحَافِظُ نَفْسِكَ أَلَا يَعْلَمُ؟ فَيَرُدُّ عَلَى ٱلْإِنْسَانِ مِثْلَ عَمَلِهِ. | ١٢ 12 |
But if thou shouldest say, I know not this man; know that the Lord knows the hearts of all; and he that formed breath for all, he knows all things, who renders to every man according to his works.
| يَا ٱبْنِي، كُلْ عَسَلًا لِأَنَّهُ طَيِّبٌ، وَقَطْرَ ٱلْعَسَلِ حُلْوٌ فِي حَنَكِكَ. | ١٣ 13 |
[My] son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, that thy throat may be sweetened.
| كَذَلِكَ مَعْرِفَةُ ٱلْحِكْمَةِ لِنَفْسِكَ. إِذَا وَجَدْتَهَا فَلَا بُدَّ مِنْ ثَوَابٍ، وَرَجَاؤُكَ لَا يَخِيبُ. | ١٤ 14 |
Thus shalt thou perceive wisdom in thy soul: for if thou find it, thine end shall be good, and hope shall not fail thee.
| لَا تَكْمُنْ أَيُّهَا ٱلشِّرِّيرُ لِمَسْكَنِ ٱلصِّدِّيقِ. لَا تُخْرِبْ رَبْعَهُ. | ١٥ 15 |
Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.
| لِأَنَّ ٱلصِّدِّيقَ يَسْقُطُ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ وَيَقُومُ، أَمَّا ٱلْأَشْرَارُ فَيَعْثُرُونَ بِٱلشَّرِّ. | ١٦ 16 |
For a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise [again]: but the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.
| لَا تَفْرَحْ بِسُقُوطِ عَدُوِّكَ، وَلَا يَبْتَهِجْ قَلْبُكَ إِذَا عَثَرَ، | ١٧ 17 |
If thine enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.
| لِئَلَّا يَرَى ٱلرَّبُّ وَيَسُوءَ ذَلِكَ فِي عَيْنَيْهِ، فَيَرُدَّ عَنْهُ غَضَبَهُ. | ١٨ 18 |
For the Lord will see [it], and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.
| لَا تَغَرْ مِنَ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ وَلَا تَحْسِدِ ٱلْأَثَمَةَ، | ١٩ 19 |
Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.
| لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَكُونُ ثَوَابٌ لِلْأَشْرَارِ. سِرَاجُ ٱلْأَثَمَةِ يَنْطَفِئُ. | ٢٠ 20 |
For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light of the wicked shall be put out.
| يَا ٱبْنِي، ٱخْشَ ٱلرَّبَّ وَٱلْمَلِكَ. لَا تُخَالِطِ ٱلْمُتَقَلِّبِينَ، | ٢١ 21 |
[My] son, fear God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.
| لِأَنَّ بَلِيَّتَهُمْ تَقُومُ بَغْتَةً، وَمَنْ يَعْلَمُ بَلَاءَهُمَا كِلَيْهِمَا. | ٢٢ 22 |
For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance [inflicted] by both?
| هَذِهِ أَيْضًا لِلْحُكَمَاءِ: مُحَابَاةُ ٱلْوُجُوهِ فِي ٱلْحُكْمِ لَيْسَتْ صَالِحَةً. | ٢٣ 23 |
And this thing I say to you that are wise [for you] to learn: It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
| مَنْ يَقُولُ لِلشِّرِّيرِ: «أَنْتَ صِدِّيقٌ» تَسُبُّهُ ٱلْعَامَّةُ. تَلْعَنُهُ ٱلشُّعُوبُ. | ٢٤ 24 |
He that says of the ungodly, He is righteous, shall be cursed by peoples, and hateful among the nations.
| أَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤَدِّبُونَ فَيَنْعَمُونَ، وَبَرَكَةُ خَيْرٍ تَأْتِي عَلَيْهِمْ. | ٢٥ 25 |
But they that reprove [him] shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;
| تُقَبَّلُ شَفَتَا مَنْ يُجَاوِبُ بِكَلَامٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ. | ٢٦ 26 |
and [men] will kiss lips that answer well.
| هَيِّئْ عَمَلَكَ فِي ٱلْخَارِجِ وَأَعِدَّهُ فِي حَقْلِكَ، بَعْدُ تَبْنِي بَيْتَكَ. | ٢٧ 27 |
Prepare thy works for [thy] going forth, and prepare thyself for the field; and come after me, and thou shalt rebuild thine house.
| لَا تَكُنْ شَاهِدًا عَلَى قَرِيبِكَ بِلَا سَبَبٍ، فَهَلْ تُخَادِعُ بِشَفَتَيْكَ؟ | ٢٨ 28 |
Be not a false witness against thy [fellow] citizen, neither exaggerate with thy lips.
| لَا تَقُلْ: «كَمَا فَعَلَ بِي هَكَذَا أَفْعَلُ بِهِ. أَرُدُّ عَلَى ٱلْإِنْسَانِ مِثْلَ عَمَلِهِ». | ٢٩ 29 |
Say not, As he has treated me, so will I treat him, and I will avenge myself on him for that wherein he has injured me.
| عَبَرْتُ بِحَقْلِ ٱلْكَسْلَانِ وَبِكَرْمِ ٱلرَّجُلِ ٱلنَّاقِصِ ٱلْفَهْمِ، | ٣٠ 30 |
A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.
| فَإِذَا هُوَ قَدْ عَلَاهُ كُلَّهُ ٱلْقَرِيصُ، وَقَدْ غَطَّى ٱلْعَوْسَجُ وَجْهَهُ، وَجِدَارُ حِجَارَتِهِ ٱنْهَدَمَ. | ٣١ 31 |
If thou let him alone, he will altogether remain barren and covered with weeds; and he becomes destitute, and his stone walls are broken down.
| ثُمَّ نَظَرْتُ وَوَجَّهْتُ قَلْبِي. رَأَيْتُ وَقَبِلْتُ تَعْلِيمًا: | ٣٢ 32 |
Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.
| نَوْمٌ قَلِيلٌ بَعْدُ نُعَاسٌ قَلِيلٌ، وَطَيُّ ٱلْيَدَيْنِ قَلِيلًا لِلرُّقُودِ، | ٣٣ 33 |
[The sluggard says, ]I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, and for a little while I fold my arms across [my] breast.
| فَيَأْتِي فَقْرُكَ كَعَدَّاءٍ وَعَوَزُكَ كَغَازٍ. | ٣٤ 34 |
But if thou do this, thy poverty will come speedily; and thy want like a swift courier.
