أَمْثَالٌ 6

١ 1 يَا ٱبْنِي، إِنْ ضَمِنْتَ صَاحِبَكَ، إِنْ صَفَّقْتَ كَفَّكَ لِغَرِيبٍ،

My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger —

٢ 2 إِنْ عَلِقْتَ فِي كَلَامِ فَمِكَ، إِنْ أُخِذْتَ بِكَلَامِ فِيكَ،

Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, thou art caught by the words of thy mouth —

٣ 3 إِذًا فَٱفْعَلْ هَذَا يَا ٱبْنِي، وَنَجِّ نَفْسَكَ إِذَا صِرْتَ فِي يَدِ صَاحِبِكَ، ٱذْهَبْ تَرَامَ وَأَلِحَّ عَلَى صَاحِبِكَ.

Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour; go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbour.

٤ 4 لَا تُعْطِ عَيْنَيْكَ نَوْمًا، وَلَا أَجْفَانَكَ نُعَاسًا.

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

٥ 5 نَجِّ نَفْسَكَ كَٱلظَّبْيِ مِنَ ٱلْيَدِ، كَٱلْعُصْفُورِ مِنْ يَدِ ٱلصَّيَّادِ.

Deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

٦ 6 اِذْهَبْ إِلَى ٱلنَّمْلَةِ أَيُّهَا ٱلْكَسْلَانُ. تَأَمَّلْ طُرُقَهَا وَكُنْ حَكِيمًا.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise;

٧ 7 ٱلَّتِي لَيْسَ لَهَا قَائِدٌ أَوْ عَرِيفٌ أَوْ مُتَسَلِّطٌ،

Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

٨ 8 وَتُعِدُّ فِي ٱلصَّيْفِ طَعَامَهَا، وَتَجْمَعُ فِي ٱلْحَصَادِ أُكْلَهَا.

Provideth her bread in the summer, and gatherest her food in the harvest.

٩ 9 إِلَى مَتَى تَنَامُ أَيُّهَا ٱلْكَسْلَانُ؟ مَتَى تَنْهَضُ مِنْ نَوْمِكَ؟

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

١٠ 10 قَلِيلُ نَوْمٍ بَعْدُ قَلِيلُ نُعَاسٍ، وَطَيُّ ٱلْيَدَيْنِ قَلِيلًا لِلرُّقُودِ،

'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep' —

١١ 11 فَيَأْتِي فَقْرُكَ كَسَاعٍ وَعَوَزُكَ كَغَازٍ.

So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.

١٢ 12 اَلرَّجُلُ ٱللَّئِيمُ، ٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلْأَثِيمُ يَسْعَى بِٱعْوِجَاجِ ٱلْفَمِ.

A base person, a man of iniquity, is he that walketh with a froward mouth;

١٣ 13 يَغْمِزُ بِعَيْنَيْهِ. يَقُولُ بِرِجْلِهِ. يُشِيرُ بِأَصَابِعِهِ.

That winketh with his eyes, that scrapeth with his feet, that pointeth with his fingers;

١٤ 14 فِي قَلْبِهِ أَكَاذِيبُ. يَخْتَرِعُ ٱلشَّرَّ فِي كُلِّ حِينٍ. يَزْرَعُ خُصُومَاتٍ.

Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil continually; he soweth discord.

١٥ 15 لِأَجْلِ ذَلِكَ بَغْتَةً تُفَاجِئُهُ بَلِيَّتُهُ. فِي لَحْظَةٍ يَنْكَسِرُ وَلَا شِفَاءَ.

Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; on a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

١٦ 16 هَذِهِ ٱلسِّتَّةُ يُبْغِضُهَا ٱلرَّبُّ، وَسَبْعَةٌ هِيَ مَكْرَهَةُ نَفْسِهِ:

There are six things which the LORD hateth, yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him:

١٧ 17 عُيُونٌ مُتَعَالِيَةٌ، لِسَانٌ كَاذِبٌ، أَيْدٍ سَافِكَةٌ دَمًا بَرِيئًا،

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;

١٨ 18 قَلْبٌ يُنْشِئُ أَفْكَارًا رَدِيئَةً، أَرْجُلٌ سَرِيعَةُ ٱلْجَرَيَانِ إِلَى ٱلسُّوءِ،

A heart that deviseth wicked thoughts, feet that are swift in running to evil;

١٩ 19 شَاهِدُ زُورٍ يَفُوهُ بِٱلْأَكَاذِيبِ، وَزَارِعُ خُصُومَاتٍ بَيْنَ إِخْوَةٍ.

A false witness that breatheth out lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

٢٠ 20 يَا ٱبْنِي، ٱحْفَظْ وَصَايَا أَبِيكَ وَلَا تَتْرُكْ شَرِيعَةَ أُمِّكَ.

My son, keep the commandment of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;

٢١ 21 اُرْبُطْهَا عَلَى قَلْبِكَ دَائِمًا. قَلِّدْ بِهَا عُنُقَكَ.

Bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck.

٢٢ 22 إِذَا ذَهَبْتَ تَهْدِيكَ. إِذَا نِمْتَ تَحْرُسُكَ، وَإِذَا ٱسْتَيْقَظْتَ فَهِيَ تُحَدِّثُكَ.

When thou walkest, it shall lead thee, when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

٢٣ 23 لِأَنَّ ٱلْوَصِيَّةَ مِصْبَاحٌ، وَٱلشَّرِيعَةَ نُورٌ، وَتَوْبِيخَاتِ ٱلْأَدَبِ طَرِيقُ ٱلْحَيَاةِ.

For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life;

٢٤ 24 لِحِفْظِكَ مِنَ ٱلْمَرْأَةِ ٱلشِّرِّيرَةِ، مِنْ مَلَقِ لِسَانِ ٱلْأَجْنَبِيَّةِ.

To keep thee from the evil woman, from the smoothness of the alien tongue.

٢٥ 25 لَا تَشْتَهِيَنَّ جَمَالَهَا بِقَلْبِكَ، وَلَا تَأْخُذْكَ بِهُدُبِهَا.

Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her captivate thee with her eyelids.

٢٦ 26 لِأَنَّهُ بِسَبَبِ ٱمْرَأَةٍ زَانِيَةٍ يَفْتَقِرُ ٱلْمَرْءُ إِلَى رَغِيفِ خُبْزٍ، وَٱمْرَأَةُ رَجُلٍ آخَرَ تَقْتَنِصُ ٱلنَّفْسَ ٱلْكَرِيمَةَ.

For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a loaf of bread, but the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.

٢٧ 27 أَيَأْخُذُ إِنْسَانٌ نَارًا فِي حِضْنِهِ وَلَا تَحْتَرِقُ ثِيَابُهُ؟

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

٢٨ 28 أَوَ يَمْشِي إِنْسَانٌ عَلَى ٱلْجَمْرِ وَلَا تَكْتَوِي رِجْلَاهُ؟

Or can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

٢٩ 29 هَكَذَا مَنْ يَدْخُلُ عَلَى ٱمْرَأَةِ صَاحِبِهِ. كُلُّ مَنْ يَمَسُّهَا لَا يَكُونُ بَرِيئًا.

So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.

٣٠ 30 لَا يَسْتَخِفُّونَ بِٱلسَّارِقِ وَلَوْ سَرِقَ لِيُشْبِعَ نَفْسَهُ وَهُوَ جَوْعَانٌ.

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

٣١ 31 إِنْ وُجِدَ يَرُدُّ سَبْعَةَ أَضْعَافٍ، وَيُعْطِي كُلَّ قِنْيَةِ بَيْتِهِ.

But if he be found, he must restore sevenfold, he must give all the substance of his house.

٣٢ 32 أَمَّا ٱلزَّانِي بِٱمْرَأَةٍ فَعَدِيمُ ٱلْعَقْلِ. ٱلْمُهْلِكُ نَفْسَهُ هُوَ يَفْعَلُهُ.

He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he doeth it that would destroy his own soul.

٣٣ 33 ضَرْبًا وَخِزْيًا يَجِدُ، وَعَارُهُ لَا يُمْحَى.

Wounds and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

٣٤ 34 لِأَنَّ ٱلْغَيْرَةَ هِيَ حَمِيَّةُ ٱلرَّجُلِ، فَلَا يُشْفِقُ فِي يَوْمِ ٱلِٱنْتِقَامِ.

For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

٣٥ 35 لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى فِدْيَةٍ مَّا، وَلَا يَرْضَى وَلَوْ أَكْثَرْتَ ٱلرَّشْوَةَ.

He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.