أَمْثَالٌ 5

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

My son, attend unto my wisdom; incline thine ear to my understanding;

٢ 2 لِحِفْظِ ٱلتَّدَابِيرِ، وَلْتَحْفَظَ شَفَتَاكَ مَعْرِفَةً.

That thou mayest preserve discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

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

For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil;

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

But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

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

Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on the nether-world; (Sheol h7585)

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

Lest she should walk the even path of life, her ways wander, but she knoweth it not.

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

Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

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

Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house;

٩ 9 لِئَلَّا تُعْطِيَ زَهْرَكَ لِآخَرِينَ، وَسِنِينَكَ لِلْقَاسِي.

Lest thou give thy vigour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel;

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

Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, and thy labours be in the house of an alien;

١١ 11 فَتَنُوحَ فِي أَوَاخِرِكَ، عِنْدَ فَنَاءِ لَحْمِكَ وَجِسْمِكَ،

And thou moan, when thine end cometh, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

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

And say: 'How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

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

Neither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

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

I was well nigh 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 cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

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

Let thy springs be dispersed abroad, and courses of water in the streets.

١٧ 17 لِتَكُنْ لَكَ وَحْدَكَ، وَلَيْسَ لِأَجَانِبَ مَعَكَ.

Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

١٨ 18 لِيَكُنْ يَنْبُوعُكَ مُبَارَكًا، وَٱفْرَحْ بِٱمْرَأَةِ شَبَابِكَ،

Let thy fountain be blessed; and have joy of the wife of thy youth.

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

A lovely hind and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; with her love be thou ravished always.

٢٠ 20 فَلِمَ تُفْتَنُ يَا ٱبْنِي بِأَجْنَبِيَّةٍ، وَتَحْتَضِنُ غَرِيبَةً؟

Why then wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of an alien?

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

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He maketh even all his paths.

٢٢ 22 ٱلشِّرِّيرُ تَأْخُذُهُ آثَامُهُ وَبِحِبَالِ خَطِيَّتِهِ يُمْسَكُ.

His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.

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

He shall die for lack of instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall reel.