أَمْثَالٌ 5

١ 1 يَا ٱبْنِي، أَصْغِ إِلَى حِكْمَتِي. أَمِلْ أُذُنَكَ إِلَى فَهْمِي،

[My] son, attend to my wisdom, and apply thine ear to my words;

٢ 2 لِحِفْظِ ٱلتَّدَابِيرِ، وَلْتَحْفَظَ شَفَتَاكَ مَعْرِفَةً.

that thou mayest keep good understanding, and the discretion of my lips gives thee a charge. Give no heed to a worthless woman;

٣ 3 لِأَنَّ شَفَتَيِ ٱلْمَرْأَةِ ٱلْأَجْنَبِيَّةِ تَقْطُرَانِ عَسَلًا، وَحَنَكُهَا أَنْعَمُ مِنَ ٱلزَّيْتِ،

for honey drops from the lips of a harlot, who for a season pleases thy palate:

٤ 4 لَكِنَّ عَاقِبَتَهَا مُرَّةٌ كَٱلْأَفْسَنْتِينِ، حَادَّةٌ كَسَيْفٍ ذِي حَدَّيْنِ.

but afterwards thou wilt find her more bitter than gall, and sharper than a two-edged sword.

٥ 5 قَدَمَاهَا تَنْحَدِرَانِ إِلَى ٱلْمَوْتِ. خَطَوَاتُهَا تَتَمَسَّكُ بِٱلْهَاوِيَةِ. (Sheol h7585)

For the feet of folly lead those who deal with her down to the grave with death; and her steps are not established. (Sheol h7585)

٦ 6 لِئَلَّا تَتَأَمَّلَ طَرِيقَ ٱلْحَيَاةِ، تَمَايَلَتْ خَطَوَاتُهَا وَلَا تَشْعُرُ.

For she goes not upon the paths of life; but her ways are slippery, and not easily known.

٧ 7 وَٱلْآنَ أَيُّهَا ٱلْبَنُونَ ٱسْمَعُوا لِي، وَلَا تَرْتَدُّوا عَنْ كَلِمَاتِ فَمِي.

Now then, [my] son, hear me, and make not my words of none effect.

٨ 8 أَبْعِدْ طَرِيقَكَ عَنْهَا، وَلَا تَقْرَبْ إِلَى بَابِ بَيْتِهَا،

Remove thy way far from her; draw not near to the doors of her house:

٩ 9 لِئَلَّا تُعْطِيَ زَهْرَكَ لِآخَرِينَ، وَسِنِينَكَ لِلْقَاسِي.

lest thou give away thy life to others, and thy substance to the merciless:

١٠ 10 لِئَلَّا تَشْبَعَ ٱلْأَجَانِبُ مِنْ قُوَّتِكَ، وَتَكُونَ أَتْعَابُكَ فِي بَيْتِ غَرِيبٍ.

lest strangers be filled with thy strength, and thy labours come into the houses of strangers;

١١ 11 فَتَنُوحَ فِي أَوَاخِرِكَ، عِنْدَ فَنَاءِ لَحْمِكَ وَجِسْمِكَ،

And thou repent at last, when the flesh of thy body is consumed,

١٢ 12 فَتَقُولَ: «كَيْفَ أَنِّي أَبْغَضْتُ ٱلْأَدَبَ، وَرَذَلَ قَلْبِي ٱلتَّوْبِيخَ!

and thou shalt say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart avoided reproofs!

١٣ 13 وَلَمْ أَسْمَعْ لِصَوْتِ مُرْشِدِيَّ، وَلَمْ أَمِلْ أُذُنِي إِلَى مُعَلِّمِيَّ.

I heard not the voice of him that instructed me, and taught me, neither did I apply mine ear.

١٤ 14 لَوْلَا قَلِيلٌ لَكُنْتُ فِي كُلِّ شَرٍّ، فِي وَسَطِ ٱلزُّمْرَةِ وَٱلْجَمَاعَةِ».

I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

١٥ 15 اِشْرَبْ مِيَاهًا مِنْ جُبِّكَ، وَمِيَاهًا جَارِيَةً مِنْ بِئْرِكَ.

Drink waters out of thine own vessels, and out of thine own springing wells.

١٦ 16 لَا تَفِضْ يَنَابِيعُكَ إِلَى ٱلْخَارِجِ، سَوَاقِيَ مِيَاهٍ فِي ٱلشَّوَارِعِ.

Let not waters out of thy fountain be spilt by thee, but let thy waters go into thy streets.

١٧ 17 لِتَكُنْ لَكَ وَحْدَكَ، وَلَيْسَ لِأَجَانِبَ مَعَكَ.

Let them be only thine own, and let no stranger partake with thee.

١٨ 18 لِيَكُنْ يَنْبُوعُكَ مُبَارَكًا، وَٱفْرَحْ بِٱمْرَأَةِ شَبَابِكَ،

Let thy fountain of water be [truly] thine own; and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

١٩ 19 ٱلظَّبْيَةِ ٱلْمَحْبُوبَةِ وَٱلْوَعْلَةِ ٱلزَّهِيَّةِ. لِيُرْوِكَ ثَدْيَاهَا فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ، وَبِمَحَبَّتِهَا ٱسْكَرْ دَائِمًا.

Let [thy] loving hart and thy graceful colt company with thee, and let her be considered thine own, and be with thee at all times; for ravished with her love thou shalt be greatly increased.

٢٠ 20 فَلِمَ تُفْتَنُ يَا ٱبْنِي بِأَجْنَبِيَّةٍ، وَتَحْتَضِنُ غَرِيبَةً؟

Be not intimate with a strange woman, neither fold thyself in the arms of a woman not thine own.

٢١ 21 لِأَنَّ طُرُقَ ٱلْإِنْسَانِ أَمَامَ عَيْنَيِ ٱلرَّبِّ، وَهُوَ يَزِنُ كُلَّ سُبُلِهِ.

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of God, and he looks on all his paths.

٢٢ 22 ٱلشِّرِّيرُ تَأْخُذُهُ آثَامُهُ وَبِحِبَالِ خَطِيَّتِهِ يُمْسَكُ.

Iniquities ensnare a man, and every one is bound in the chains of his own sins.

٢٣ 23 إِنَّهُ يَمُوتُ مِنْ عَدَمِ ٱلْأَدَبِ، وَبِفَرْطِ حُمْقِهِ يَتَهَوَّرُ.

Such a man dies with the uninstructed; and he is cast forth from the abundance of his own substance, and has perished through folly.