أَمْثَالٌ 31
| كَلَامُ لَمُوئِيلَ مَلِكِ مَسَّا، عَلَّمَتْهُ إِيَّاهُ أُمُّهُ: | ١ 1 |
These are sayings/messages that [God gave to] King Lemuel’s mother, and which his mother taught him:
| مَاذَا يَا ٱبْنِي؟ ثُمَّ مَاذَا يَا ٱبْنَ رَحِمِي؟ ثُمَّ مَاذَا يَا ٱبْنَ نُذُورِي؟ | ٢ 2 |
You are my son; I gave birth to you [RHQ]; you are the son that [God gave me] in answer to my prayers.
| لَا تُعْطِ حَيْلَكَ لِلنِّسَاءِ، وَلَا طُرُقَكَ لِمُهْلِكَاتِ ٱلْمُلُوكِ. | ٣ 3 |
Do not exhaust your energy [having sex] [EUP] with women [to whom you are not married], with women who ruin kings [by having sex with them].
| لَيْسَ لِلْمُلُوكِ يَا لَمُوئِيلُ، لَيْسَ لِلْمُلُوكِ أَنْ يَشْرَبُوا خَمْرًا، وَلَا لِلْعُظَمَاءِ ٱلْمُسْكِرُ. | ٤ 4 |
Lemuel, kings should not be [constantly] drinking wine or [greatly] desire [to drink other] strong/alcoholic drinks.
| لِئَلَّا يَشْرَبُوا وَيَنْسَوْا ٱلْمَفْرُوضَ، وَيُغَيِّرُوا حُجَّةَ كُلِّ بَنِي ٱلْمَذَلَّةِ. | ٥ 5 |
If they do that, they forget the laws [that they have made], and they do not do what is right for poor/afflicted [people].
| أَعْطُوا مُسْكِرًا لِهَالِكٍ، وَخَمْرًا لِمُرِّي ٱلنَّفْسِ. | ٦ 6 |
Give strong/alcoholic drinks to those who are dying and to those who are (greatly distressed/suffering very much).
| يَشْرَبُ وَيَنْسَى فَقْرَهُ، وَلَا يَذْكُرُ تَعَبَهُ بَعْدُ. | ٧ 7 |
If they drink, they will forget that they are poor, and they will not think about their distress/troubles any more.
| اِفْتَحْ فَمَكَ لِأَجْلِ ٱلْأَخْرَسِ فِي دَعْوَى كُلِّ يَتِيمٍ. | ٨ 8 |
Speak [MTY] to defend people who are unable to defend themselves; speak to encourage others to do what is right for those who are helpless.
| اِفْتَحْ فَمَكَ. ٱقْضِ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَحَامِ عَنِ ٱلْفَقِيرِ وَٱلْمِسْكِينِ. | ٩ 9 |
Speak [MTY] (on their behalf/to help them) and try to cause judges to decide matters fairly/justly; try to cause others to do for poor and needy [people] what should be done for them.
| اِمْرَأَةٌ فَاضِلَةٌ مَنْ يَجِدُهَا؟ لِأَنَّ ثَمَنَهَا يَفُوقُ ٱللَّآلِئَ. | ١٠ 10 |
It is very difficult [for a man] to [RHQ] find a wife who is good and who is capable [of doing many things]. [Any woman who is like that] is worth more than jewels.
| بِهَا يَثِقُ قَلْبُ زَوْجِهَا فَلَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى غَنِيمَةٍ. | ١١ 11 |
Her husband completely trusts her, and [because of her], he has everything that he needs [LIT].
| تَصْنَعُ لَهُ خَيْرًا لَا شَرًّا كُلَّ أَيَّامِ حَيَاتِهَا. | ١٢ 12 |
She never does anything that would harm him; she does good things for him all the days of her life.
| تَطْلُبُ صُوفًا وَكَتَّانًا وَتَشْتَغِلُ بِيَدَيْنِ رَاضِيَتَيْنِ. | ١٣ 13 |
She finds wool and flax [in the market], and she enjoys spinning it [to make yarn].
| هِيَ كَسُفُنِ ٱلتَّاجِرِ. تَجْلِبُ طَعَامَهَا مِنْ بَعِيدٍ. | ١٤ 14 |
She is like [SIM] a ship that brings from far away goods/merchandise to sell, [because] she buys food that comes from far away.
| وَتَقُومُ إِذِ ٱللَّيْلُ بَعْدُ وَتُعْطِي أَكْلًا لِأَهْلِ بَيْتِهَا وَفَرِيضَةً لِفَتَيَاتِهَا. | ١٥ 15 |
She gets up before dawn to prepare food for her family. [Then] she plans the work that her servant girls will do on that day.
| تَتَأَمَّلُ حَقْلًا فَتَأْخُذُهُ، وَبِثَمَرِ يَدَيْهَا تَغْرِسُ كَرْمًا. | ١٦ 16 |
She [goes out and] looks at a field [that someone wants to sell]; and [if it is a good field], she buys it. She [buys] grapevines [MTY] with the money that she has earned, [and then] she plants them.
| تُنَطِّقُ حَقَوَيْهَا بِٱلْقُوَّةِ وَتُشَدِّدُ ذِرَاعَيْهَا. | ١٧ 17 |
She works very hard [IDM]; she makes her arms strong [by the work she does].
| تَشْعُرُ أَنَّ تِجَارَتَهَا جَيِّدَةٌ. سِرَاجُهَا لَا يَنْطَفِئُ فِي ٱللَّيْلِ. | ١٨ 18 |
She knows when she is getting a good profit from her business. [When it is necessary], she works [MTY] until it is late at night.
| تَمُدُّ يَدَيْهَا إِلَى ٱلْمِغْزَلِ، وَتُمْسِكُ كَفَّاهَا بِٱلْفَلْكَةِ. | ١٩ 19 |
She holds the (spindle/rod which twists the thread that she is making), and [then] she spins the thread [MTY] [that she will use].
| تَبْسُطُ كَفَّيْهَا لِلْفَقِيرِ، وَتَمُدُّ يَدَيْهَا إِلَى ٱلْمِسْكِينِ. | ٢٠ 20 |
She generously helps [MTY] those who are poor and needy [DOU].
| لَا تَخْشَى عَلَى بَيْتِهَا مِنَ ٱلثَّلْجِ، لِأَنَّ كُلَّ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهَا لَابِسُونَ حُلَلًا. | ٢١ 21 |
She is not worried that [the people in her house will be cold in] the winter, because [she has made] warm clothes for all of them.
| تَعْمَلُ لِنَفْسِهَا مُوَشَّيَاتٍ. لِبْسُهَا بُوصٌ وَأُرْجُوانٌ. | ٢٢ 22 |
She makes bedspreads/quilts for the beds. She wears fine linen clothes that are dyed purple, [like queens wear].
| زَوْجُهَا مَعْرُوفٌ فِي ٱلْأَبْوَابِ حِينَ يَجْلِسُ بَيْنَ مَشَايخِ ٱلْأَرْضِ. | ٢٣ 23 |
Her husband is [well] known by the important people of the town; he sits with the [other] town leaders in the meetings of the town council.
| تَصْنَعُ قُمْصَانًا وَتَبِيعُهَا، وَتَعْرِضُ مَنَاطِقَ عَلَى ٱلْكَنْعَانِيِّ. | ٢٤ 24 |
She makes clothes from linen cloth and sells them. She sells sashes to shop owners.
| اَلْعِزُّ وَٱلْبَهَاءُ لِبَاسُهَا، وَتَضْحَكُ عَلَى ٱلزَّمَنِ ٱلْآتِي. | ٢٥ 25 |
She is strong in her character and respected/dignified, and she (laughs at/is not afraid of) [what will happen in] the future.
| تَفْتَحُ فَمَهَا بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ، وَفِي لِسَانِهَا سُنَّةُ ٱلْمَعْرُوفِ. | ٢٦ 26 |
When she speaks, she says what is wise. When she gives instructions, she speaks [MTY] kindly (OR, faithfully).
| تُرَاقِبُ طُرُقَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهَا، وَلَا تَأْكُلُ خُبْزَ ٱلْكَسَلِ. | ٢٧ 27 |
She watches over everything that is done in her household, and she [IDM] is never lazy.
| يَقُومُ أَوْلَادُهَا وَيُطَوِّبُونَهَا. زَوْجُهَا أَيْضًا فَيَمْدَحُهَا: | ٢٨ 28 |
Her children all together speak highly of her, and her husband also praises her.
| «بَنَاتٌ كَثِيرَاتٌ عَمِلْنَ فَضْلًا، أَمَّا أَنْتِ فَفُقْتِ عَلَيْهِنَّ جَمِيعًا». | ٢٩ 29 |
[He says to her], “There are many women who do admirable things, but you surpass them all!”
| اَلْحُسْنُ غِشٌّ وَٱلْجَمَالُ بَاطِلٌ، أَمَّا ٱلْمَرْأَةُ ٱلْمُتَّقِيَةُ ٱلرَّبَّ فَهِيَ تُمْدَحُ. | ٣٠ 30 |
Some women who are attractive [are not really good women], [but] they can deceive us [regarding what they are really like]. Furthermore, women’s beauty does not last; but women who revere Yahweh should be honored.
| أَعْطُوهَا مِنْ ثَمَرِ يَدَيْهَا، وَلْتَمْدَحْهَا أَعْمَالُهَا فِي ٱلْأَبْوَابِ. | ٣١ 31 |
Reward women who are like that, and praise them in public [MTY] for what they have done.
