أَمْثَالٌ 4

١ 1 اِسْمَعُوا أَيُّهَا ٱلْبَنُونَ تَأْدِيبَ ٱلْأَبِ، وَٱصْغُوا لِأَجْلِ مَعْرِفَةِ ٱلْفَهْمِ،

Listen, sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and discover what makes sense,

٢ 2 لِأَنِّي أُعْطِيكُمْ تَعْلِيمًا صَالِحًا، فَلَا تَتْرُكُوا شَرِيعَتِي.

for what I am passing on to you is reliable. Don't reject my teachings.

٣ 3 فَإِنِّي كُنْتُ ٱبْنًا لِأَبِي، غَضًّا وَوَحِيدًا عِنْدَ أُمِّي،

When I was a son with my father—a tender young boy, my mother's only child—

٤ 4 وَكَانَ يُرِينِي وَيَقُولُ لِي: «لِيَضْبِطْ قَلْبُكَ كَلَامِي. ٱحْفَظْ وَصَايَايَ فَتَحْيَا.

he was the one who taught me. He told me, “Pay attention to the words I say and keep them in mind; do what I tell you and you will live.

٥ 5 اِقْتَنِ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ. ٱقْتَنِ ٱلْفَهْمَ. لَا تَنْسَ وَلَا تُعْرِضْ عَنْ كَلِمَاتِ فَمِي.

Get wisdom, find out what makes sense. Don't forget my words or reject them.

٦ 6 لَا تَتْرُكْهَا فَتَحْفَظَكَ. أَحْبِبْهَا فَتَصُونَكَ.

Don't give up on wisdom for she will keep you safe. Love wisdom and she will protect you.

٧ 7 ٱلْحِكْمَةُ هِيَ ٱلرَّأْسُ. فَٱقْتَنِ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ، وَبِكُلِّ مُقْتَنَاكَ ٱقْتَنِ ٱلْفَهْمَ.

The first thing in becoming wise is to get wisdom! Whatever else you gain, gain insight.

٨ 8 ٱرْفَعْهَا فَتُعَلِّيَكَ. تُمَجِّدُكَ إِذَا ٱعْتَنَقْتَهَا.

Treasure wisdom, and she will praise you; embrace her, and she will honor you.

٩ 9 تُعْطِي رَأْسَكَ إِكْلِيلَ نِعْمَةٍ. تَاجَ جَمَالٍ تَمْنَحُكَ».

She will place on your head a wreath of grace; she will present to you a crown of glory.”

١٠ 10 اِسْمَعْ يَا ٱبْنِي وَٱقْبَلْ أَقْوَالِي، فَتَكْثُرَ سِنُو حَيَاتِكَ.

Listen, my son, if you accept what I tell you, then you will live a long life.

١١ 11 أَرَيْتُكَ طَرِيقَ ٱلْحِكْمَةِ. هَدَيْتُكَ سُبُلَ ٱلِٱسْتِقَامَةِ.

I have explained to you the way of wisdom; I have guided you along the right paths.

١٢ 12 إِذَا سِرْتَ فَلَا تَضِيقُ خَطَوَاتُكَ، وَإِذَا سَعَيْتَ فَلَا تَعْثُرُ.

Nothing will block your way when you walk, you won't stumble when you run.

١٣ 13 تَمَسَّكْ بِٱلْأَدَبِ، لَا تَرْخِهِ. ٱحْفَظْهُ فَإِنَّهُ هُوَ حَيَاتُكَ.

Hold on to these instructions—don't let them go. Protect them, for they are life's foundation.

١٤ 14 لَا تَدْخُلْ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ، وَلَا تَسِرْ فِي طَرِيقِ ٱلْأَثَمَةِ.

Don't go the way of the wicked or follow the example of those who do evil.

١٥ 15 تَنَكَّبْ عَنْهُ. لَا تَمُرَّ بِهِ. حِدْ عَنْهُ وَٱعْبُرْ،

Avoid that way completely. Don't go there! Turn away, and walk on.

١٦ 16 لِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَنَامُونَ إِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا سُوءًا، وَيُنْزَعُ نَوْمُهُمْ إِنْ لَمْ يُسْقِطُوا أَحَدًا.

Evil people won't rest until they've done something wrong; they can't sleep unless they've tripped someone up.

١٧ 17 لِأَنَّهُمْ يَطْعَمُونَ خُبْزَ ٱلشَّرِّ، وَيَشْرَبُونَ خَمْرَ ٱلظُّلْمِ.

For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

١٨ 18 أَمَّا سَبِيلُ ٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ فَكَنُورٍ مُشْرِقٍ، يَتَزَايَدُ وَيُنِيرُ إِلَى ٱلنَّهَارِ ٱلْكَامِلِ.

The way of life of the good is like the light of the sunrise, glowing brighter and brighter until the full light of day shines out.

١٩ 19 أَمَّا طَرِيقُ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ فَكَالظَّلَامِ. لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مَا يَعْثُرُونَ بِهِ.

But the way of life of the wicked is like complete darkness; they don't even know what they're tripping over.

٢٠ 20 يَا ٱبْنِي، أَصْغِ إِلَى كَلَامِي. أَمِلْ أُذُنَكَ إِلَى أَقْوَالِي.

My son, pay attention to what I tell you; listen to the words I'm saying.

٢١ 21 لَا تَبْرَحْ عَنْ عَيْنَيْكَ. اِحْفَظْهَا فِي وَسَطِ قَلْبِكَ.

Don't lose sight of them; think about them deeply,

٢٢ 22 لِأَنَّهَا هِيَ حَيَاةٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَجِدُونَهَا، وَدَوَاءٌ لِكُلِّ ٱلْجَسَدِ.

for they are life to anyone who finds them, and make the whole body healthy.

٢٣ 23 فَوْقَ كُلِّ تَحَفُّظٍ ٱحْفَظْ قَلْبَكَ، لِأَنَّ مِنْهُ مَخَارِجَ ٱلْحَيَاةِ.

Most of all, protect your mind, for everything in life flows from it.

٢٤ 24 ٱنْزِعْ عَنْكَ ٱلْتِوَاءَ ٱلْفَمِ، وَأَبْعِدْ عَنْكَ ٱنْحِرَافَ ٱلشَّفَتَيْنِ.

Don't ever lie, and don't say anything dishonest.

٢٥ 25 لِتَنْظُرْ عَيْنَاكَ إِلَى قُدَّامِكَ، وَأَجْفَانُكَ إِلَى أَمَامِكَ مُسْتَقِيمًا.

Focus on what's ahead of you; look at what's in front of you.

٢٦ 26 مَهِّدْ سَبِيلَ رِجْلِكَ، فَتَثْبُتَ كُلُّ طُرُقِكَ.

Pay attention to the path you decide to follow, and you'll be safe wherever you go.

٢٧ 27 لَا تَمِلْ يَمْنَةً وَلَا يَسْرَةً. بَاعِدْ رِجْلَكَ عَنِ ٱلشَّرِّ.

Don't deviate to the right or the left, and turn away from evil.