الأمثال 15

١ 1 الْجَوَابُ اللَّيِّنُ يُبَدِّدُ الْغَضَبَ، وَالْكَلِمَةُ الْقَارِصَةُ تُهَيِّجُ السَّخَطَ.

When people are angry with you, reply to them gently, and it will calm them; but if you reply harshly to them, it causes them to become more angry.

٢ 2 لِسَانُ الْحَكِيمِ يُتْقِنُ الْمَعْرِفَةَ، وَأَقْوَالُ الْجُهَّالِ تَفِيضُ حَمَاقَةً.

When wise [people] speak [MTY], it causes those who hear what they say to want to know more; foolish people continually say [MTY] what is foolish.

٣ 3 عَيْنَا الرَّبِّ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ تُرَاقِبَانِ الأَشْرَارَ وَالأَخْيَارَ.

Yahweh sees [MTY] [what is happening] everywhere; he observes what bad [people do] as well as what good [people do].

٤ 4 اللِّسَانُ السَّلِيمُ يُنْعِشُ كَشَجَرَةِ حَيَاةٍ، وَاعْوِجَاجُهُ يُؤَدِّي إِلَى انْكِسَارِ الرُّوحِ.

Those who speak [MTY] kindly to people are [like] [MET] trees [whose fruit gives] life; speaking what is false causes people to (despair/feel very discouraged).

٥ 5 الْجَاهِلُ يَسْتَخِفُّ بِتَأْدِيبِ أَبِيهِ، أَمَّا الْعَاقِلُ فَيَقْبَلُ التَّأْدِيبَ.

Foolish children despise their parents when their parents correct/discipline them; wise children accept it.

٦ 6 فِي بَيْتِ الصِّدِّيقِ كَنْزٌ نَفِيسٌ، وَفِي دَخْلِ الأَشْرَارِ بَلِيَّةٌ.

There are many valuable things in the houses of righteous [people]; the wealth of wicked [people] causes them to have troubles/difficulties.

٧ 7 أَقْوَالُ شِفَاهِ الْحُكَمَاءِ تَنْشُرُ الْمَعْرِفَةَ، أَمَّا قُلُوبُ الْجُهَّالِ فَتَنْبُعُ حَمَاقَةً.

What wise [people] teach [MTY] causes others to know much more, [but] foolish people cannot teach others what is useful.

٨ 8 قُرْبَانُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ مَكْرَهَةُ الرَّبِّ، وَمَسَرَّتُهُ صَلاةُ الْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ.

Yahweh detests the sacrifices that are offered by wicked [people]; what delights/pleases him very much are the prayers of righteous/good [people].

٩ 9 سُلُوكُ الشِّرِّيرِ رِجْسٌ لَدَى الرَّبِّ، وَمَحَبَّتُهُ لِمَنْ يَتْبَعُ الْبِرَّ.

Yahweh hates/detests the behavior of wicked [people], but he loves those who always do what is righteous/just/fair.

١٠ 10 الْمُنْحَرِفُ عَنْ طَرِيقِ الرَّبِّ يُجَازَى بِالتَّأْدِيبِ الْقَاسِي، وَمَنْ يَمْقُتُ التَّقْوِيمَ يَمُوتُ.

Those who do what is wrong will be severely punished; those who do not want to be corrected will die.

١١ 11 أَعْمَاقُ الْهَاوِيَةِ وَالْهَلاكِ مَكْشُوفَةٌ أَمَامَ الرَّبِّ، فَكَمْ بِالْحَرِيِّ قُلُوبُ أَبْنَاءِ الْبَشَرِ. (Sheol h7585)

Yahweh knows [what is happening in] the place where dead people [DOU] are, so he certainly knows [RHQ] what people are thinking. (Sheol h7585)

١٢ 12 الْمُسْتَهْزِئُ يَكْرَهُ التَّوْبِيخَ، وَلا يَلْجَأُ إِلَى الْحُكَمَاءِ.

Some people do not want to be corrected; they never go to wise [people to seek good advice from them].

١٣ 13 الْقَلْبُ الْفَرِحُ يَجْعَلُ الْوَجْهَ طَلِقاً، وَبِكَآبَةِ الْقَلْبِ تَنْسَحِقُ الرُّوحُ.

When people are happy, they have smiles on their faces; but when they are sad, [by looking at their faces we can see that] they are sad.

١٤ 14 قَلْبُ الْحَكِيمِ يَلْتَمِسُ الْمَعْرِفَةَ، وَفَمُ الْجَاهِلِ يَرْعَى حَمَاقَةً.

Those who have good sense want to learn more; foolish people [MTY] are very satisfied with being foolish/ignorant.

١٥ 15 جَمِيعُ أَيَّامِ الْبَائِسِ شَقِيَّةٌ، أَمَّا طَيِّبُ الْقَلْبِ فَالتَّوْفِيقُ الدَّائِمُ حَلِيفُهُ.

Those who are oppressed constantly have difficulties, but those who (OR, if they) are happy, [it is as though] [MET] they are having a big feast every day.

١٦ 16 قَلِيلٌ مِنَ الْمَالِ مَعْ تَقْوَى الرَّبِّ خَيْرٌ مِنْ كَنْزٍ عَظِيمٍ يُخَالِطُهُ هَمٌّ.

Being poor and revering Yahweh is better than being rich and having a lot of troubles.

١٧ 17 أَكْلَةٌ مِنَ الْبُقُولِ فِي جَوٍّ مُشَبَّعٍ بِالْمَحَبَّةِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَكْلِ وَجْبَةٍ مِنْ لَحْمِ عِجْلٍ مَعْلُوفٍ فِي جَوٍّ مِنَ الْبَغْضَاءِ.

Eating meals with [people whom you] love and having only vegetables to eat is better than eating with [people who] hate [each other and] having lots of good meat [to eat].

١٨ 18 الرَّجُلُ الْغَضُوبُ يُثِيرُ الْخُصُومَةَ، وَالطَّويِلُ الأَنَاةِ يُسَكِّنُ النِّزَاعَ.

Those who quickly become angry cause arguments/quarreling, but those who do not quickly become angry cause people to act peacefully.

١٩ 19 طَرِيقُ الْكَسُولِ مَمْلُوءٌ بِالْمَتَاعِبِ، أَمَّا سَبِيلُ الْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ فَمُمَهَّدٌ.

Lazy people constantly [have difficulties] [MET]; [it is as though they are] walking through thorns; but those who are honest and hard-working [will have few difficulties; it is as though they are walking] on a level highway [MET].

٢٠ 20 الابْنُ الْحَكِيمُ يَسُرُّ أَبَاهُ وَالْجَاهِلُ يَحْتَقِرُ أُمَّهُ.

Children who are wise cause their parents to be happy; it is foolish children who despise their parents.

٢١ 21 الْحَمَاقَةُ مَصْدَرُ فَرَحٍ لِلْغَبِيِّ، أَمَّا الْفَهِيمُ فَيَسْلُكُ بِاسْتِقَامَةٍ.

Foolish people are happy to [continually] act foolishly; those who have good sense do what is right.

٢٢ 22 تُخْفِقُ الْمَقَاصِدُ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَشُورَةٍ، وَتُفْلِحُ بِكَثْرَةِ الْمُشِيرِينَ.

If there is no one to give us good advice, we will not accomplish what we are planning to do; but when we have many [good] advisors, we will succeed.

٢٣ 23 الْجَوَابُ الْمُلائِمُ يُفَرِّحُ الإِنْسَانَ، وَمَا أَحْسَنَ الْكَلِمَةَ فِي حِينِهَا.

People rejoice when they are able to reply well to what others have asked them; [truly], it is very delightful to be able to say the right thing at the right time.

٢٤ 24 طَرِيقُ الإِنْسَانِ الْحَكِيمِ تَرْتَقِي بِهِ صُعُوداً نَحْوَ الْحَيَاةِ، لِكَيْ يَتَفَادَى الْهَاوِيَةَ مِنْ تَحْتُ. (Sheol h7585)

Wise people walk on a road that leads up to a long life; they do not walk on a road that leads down to the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)

٢٥ 25 يَسْتَأْصِلُ الرَّبُّ بَيْتَ الْمُتَغَطْرِسِينَ، وَيُوَطِّدُ تُخْمَ الأَرْمَلَةِ.

Yahweh tears down the houses of proud [people], but he protects the property of widows.

٢٦ 26 نَوَايَا الأَشْرَارِ رِجْسٌ لَدَى الرَّبِّ، وَفِي أَقْوَالِ الأَطْهَارِ مَسَرَّتُهُ.

Yahweh detests what wicked [people] are thinking [about doing]; [but] when people say what is kind, he considers those words to be pure.

٢٧ 27 الْحَرِيصُ عَلَى الْكَسْبِ يَجْلِبُ الْمَتَاعِبَ لِبَيْتِهِ، وَمَنْ يَكْرَهُ الرِّشْوَةَ يَحْيَا.

Those who try hard to get money by acting dishonestly cause trouble for their family; those who refuse to accept bribes will live [for a long time].

٢٨ 28 قَلْبُ الصِّدِّيقِ يَتَمَعَّنُ فِي الْجَوَابِ، أَمَّا أَفْوَاهُ الأَشْرَارِ فَتَتَدَفَّقُ بِالْخَبَائِثِ.

Righteous/Good [people] think carefully before they answer [what others ask them]; wicked [people] very quickly say what is evil.

٢٩ 29 الرَّبُّ بَعِيدٌ عَنِ الأَشْرَارِ، إِنَّمَا يَسْمَعُ صَلاةَ الأَبْرَارِ.

Yahweh does not listen [MTY] to what wicked [people request him to do]; he listens to righteous [people] when they pray.

٣٠ 30 الْبَهْجَةُ الْمُتَأَلِّقَةُ فِي الْعَيْنَيْنِ تُفْرِحُ قَلْبَ الصِّدِّيقِ، وَالْخَبَرُ الطَّيِّبُ يُنْعِشُ النَّفْسَ.

If people have a smile on their faces, it makes them/others happy, and [when people hear] good news, it refreshes their spirits [MTY].

٣١ 31 ذُو الأُذُنِ الْمُسْتَمِعَةِ إِلَى التَّوْبِيخِ الْمُحْيِي يَمْكُثُ بَيْنَ الْحُكَمَاءِ.

If people pay attention when [people] correct/warn them, they will become wise.

٣٢ 32 مَنْ يَتَجَاهَلُ التَّأْدِيبَ يَحْتَقِرُ نَفْسَهُ، وَمَنْ يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ يَقْتَنِي فَهْماً.

If people refuse to listen [when others try] to correct them, they are despising/hurting themselves; those who (pay attention/heed) when [others] warn them (become wiser/acquire good sense).

٣٣ 33 تَقْوَى الرَّبِّ تَأْدِيبُ حِكْمَةٍ، وَقَبْلَ الْحُظْوَةِ بِالْكَرَامَةِ يَكُونُ التَّوَاضُعُ.

If you revere Yahweh, you will learn how to become wise, but [only] after you become humble will [people] honor you.