< أَمْثَالٌ 26 >
كَٱلثَّلْجِ فِي ٱلصَّيْفِ وَكَالْمَطَرِ فِي ٱلْحَصَادِ، هَكَذَا ٱلْكَرَامَةُ غَيْرُ لَائِقَةٍ بِٱلْجَاهِلِ. | ١ 1 |
Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor does not befit a fool.
كَٱلْعُصْفُورِ لِلْفَرَارِ وَكَالسُّنُونَةِ لِلطَّيَرَانِ، كَذَلِكَ لَعْنَةٌ بِلَا سَبَبٍ لَا تَأْتِي. | ٢ 2 |
Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
اَلسَّوْطُ لِلْفَرَسِ وَٱللِّجَامُ لِلْحِمَارِ، وَٱلْعَصَا لِظَهْرِ ٱلْجُهَّالِ. | ٣ 3 |
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!
لَا تُجَاوِبِ ٱلْجَاهِلَ حَسَبَ حَمَاقَتِهِ لِئَلَّا تَعْدِلَهُ أَنْتَ. | ٤ 4 |
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him.
جَاوِبِ ٱلْجَاهِلَ حَسَبَ حَمَاقَتِهِ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ حَكِيمًا فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِهِ. | ٥ 5 |
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.
يَقْطَعُ ٱلرِّجْلَيْنِ، يَشْرَبُ ظُلْمًا، مَنْ يُرْسِلُ كَلَامًا عَنْ يَدِ جَاهِلٍ. | ٦ 6 |
Like cutting off one’s own feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.
سَاقَا ٱلْأَعْرَجِ مُتَدَلْدِلَتَانِ، وَكَذَا ٱلْمَثَلُ فِي فَمِ ٱلْجُهَّالِ. | ٧ 7 |
Like lame legs hanging limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
كَصُرَّةِ حِجَارَةٍ كَرِيمَةٍ فِي رُجْمَةٍ، هَكَذَا ٱلْمُعْطِي كَرَامَةً لِلْجَاهِلِ. | ٨ 8 |
Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
شَوْكٌ مُرْتَفِعٌ بِيَدِ سَكْرَانٍ، مِثْلُ ٱلْمَثَلِ فِي فَمِ ٱلْجُهَّالِ. | ٩ 9 |
Like a thorn that falls into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
رَامٍ يَطْعَنُ ٱلْكُلَّ، هَكَذَا مَنْ يَسْتَأْجِرُ ٱلْجَاهِلَ أَوْ يَسْتَأْجِرُ ٱلْمُحْتَالِينَ. | ١٠ 10 |
Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby.
كَمَا يَعُودُ ٱلْكَلْبُ إِلَى قَيْئِهِ، هَكَذَا ٱلْجَاهِلُ يُعِيدُ حَمَاقَتَهُ. | ١١ 11 |
As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلًا حَكِيمًا فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِهِ؟ ٱلرَّجَاءُ بِٱلْجَاهِلِ أَكْثَرُ مِنَ ٱلرَّجَاءِ بِهِ. | ١٢ 12 |
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
قَالَ ٱلْكَسْلَانُ: «ٱلْأَسَدُ فِي ٱلطَّرِيقِ، ٱلشِّبْلُ فِي ٱلشَّوَارِعِ!». | ١٣ 13 |
The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!”
اَلْبَابُ يَدُورُ عَلَى صَائِرِهِ، وَٱلْكَسْلَانُ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ. | ١٤ 14 |
As a door turns on its hinges, so the slacker turns on his bed.
اَلْكَسْلَانُ يُخْفِي يَدَهُ فِي ٱلصَّحْفَةِ، وَيَشُقُّ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّهَا إِلَى فَمِهِ. | ١٥ 15 |
The slacker buries his hand in the dish; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
اَلْكَسْلَانُ أَوْفَرُ حِكْمَةً فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِهِ مِنَ ٱلسَّبْعَةِ ٱلْمُجِيبِينَ بِعَقْلٍ. | ١٦ 16 |
The slacker is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.
كَمُمْسِكٍ أُذُنَيْ كَلْبٍ، هَكَذَا مَنْ يَعْبُرُ وَيَتَعَرَّضُ لِمُشَاجَرَةٍ لَا تَعْنِيهِ. | ١٧ 17 |
Like one who grabs a dog by the ears is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own.
مِثْلُ ٱلْمَجْنُونِ ٱلَّذِي يَرْمِي نَارًا وَسِهَامًا وَمَوْتًا، | ١٨ 18 |
Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,
هَكَذَا ٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلْخَادِعُ قَرِيبَهُ وَيَقُولُ: «أَلَمْ أَلْعَبْ أَنَا!». | ١٩ 19 |
so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
بِعَدَمِ ٱلْحَطَبِ تَنْطَفِئُ ٱلنَّارُ، وَحَيْثُ لَا نَمَّامَ يَهْدَأُ ٱلْخِصَامُ. | ٢٠ 20 |
Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, a conflict ceases.
فَحْمٌ لِلْجَمْرِ وَحَطَبٌ لِلنَّارِ، هَكَذَا ٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلْمُخَاصِمُ لِتَهْيِيجِ ٱلنِّزَاعِ. | ٢١ 21 |
Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
كَلَامُ ٱلنَّمَّامِ مِثْلُ لُقَمٍ حُلْوَةٍ فَيَنْزِلُ إِلَى مَخَادِعِ ٱلْبَطْنِ. | ٢٢ 22 |
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.
فِضَّةُ زَغَلٍ تُغَشِّي شَقْفَةً، هَكَذَا ٱلشَّفَتَانِ ٱلْمُتَوَقِّدَتَانِ وَٱلْقَلْبُ ٱلشِّرِّيرُ. | ٢٣ 23 |
Like glaze covering an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart.
بِشَفَتَيْهِ يَتَنَكَّرُ ٱلْمُبْغِضُ، وَفِي جَوْفِهِ يَضَعُ غِشًّا. | ٢٤ 24 |
A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.
إِذَا حَسَّنَ صَوْتَهُ فَلَا تَأْتَمِنْهُ، لِأَنَّ فِي قَلْبِهِ سَبْعَ رَجَاسَاتٍ. | ٢٥ 25 |
When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.
مَنْ يُغَطِّي بُغْضَةً بِمَكْرٍ، يَكْشِفُ خُبْثَهُ بَيْنَ ٱلْجَمَاعَةِ. | ٢٦ 26 |
Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
مَنْ يَحْفِرُ حُفْرَةً يَسْقُطُ فِيهَا، وَمَنْ يُدَحْرِجُ حَجَرًا يَرْجِعُ عَلَيْهِ. | ٢٧ 27 |
He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
اَللِّسَانُ ٱلْكَاذِبُ يُبْغِضُ مُنْسَحِقِيهِ، وَٱلْفَمُ ٱلْمَلِقُ يُعِدُّ خَرَابًا. | ٢٨ 28 |
A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.