الأمثال 16

١ 1 يَسْعَى الإِنْسَانُ بِالتَّفْكِيرِ وَالتَّدْبِيرِ، إِنَّمَا الرَّبُّ يُعْطِي الْجَوَابَ الْفَاصِلَ.

It is the part of man to prepare the soul: and of the Lord to govern the tongue.

٢ 2 جَمِيعُ تَصَرُّفَاتِ الإِنْسَانِ تَبْدُو نَقِيَّةً فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِهِ، وَلَكِنَّ الرَّبَّ مُطَّلِعٌ عَلَى حَوَافِزِ الأَرْوَاحِ.

All the ways of a man are open to his eyes: the Lord is the weigher of spirits.

٣ 3 اطْرَحْ عَلَى الرَّبِّ أَعْمَالَكَ فَتَثْبُتَ مَقَاصِدُكَ.

Lay open thy works to the Lord: and thy thoughts shall be directed.

٤ 4 لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ صَنَعَهُ الرَّبُّ غَرَضٌ فِي ذَاتِهِ، حَتَّى الشِّرِّيرِ لِيَوْمِ الضِّيقِ.

The Lord hath made all things for himself: the wicked also for the evil day.

٥ 5 كُلُّ مُتَكَبِّرِ الْقَلْبِ رِجْسٌ عِنْدَ الرَّبِّ، وَلَنْ يُفْلِتَ حَتْماً مِنَ الْعِقَابِ.

Every proud man is an abomination to the Lord: though hand should be joined to hand, he is not innocent. The beginning of a good way is to do justice; and this is more acceptable with God, than to offer sacrifices.

٦ 6 بِالرَّحْمَةِ وَالْحَقِّ يُسْتَرُ الإِثْمُ، وَبِتَقْوَى الرَّبِّ يَتَفَادَى الإِنْسَانُ الْوُقُوعَ فِي الشَّرِّ.

By mercy and truth iniquity is redeemed: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

٧ 7 إِذَا رَضِيَ الرَّبُّ عَنْ تَصَرُّفَاتِ الإِنْسَانِ، جَعَلَ أَعْدَاءَهُ أَيْضاً يُسَالِمُونَهُ.

When the ways of man shall please the Lord, he will convert even his enemies to peace.

٨ 8 الْمَالُ الْقَلِيلُ مَعَ الْعَدْلِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ دَخْلٍ وَفِيرٍ حَرَامٍ.

Better is a little with justice, than great revenues with iniquity.

٩ 9 عَقْلُ الإِنْسَانِ يَسْعَى فِي تَخْطِيطِ طَرِيقِهِ، وَالرَّبُّ يُوَجِّهُ خَطْوَاتِهِ.

The heart of man disposeth his way: but the Lord must direct his steps.

١٠ 10 تَنْطِقُ شَفَتَا الْمَلِكِ بِالْوَحْيِ، وَفَمُهُ لَا يَخُونُ فِي الْقَضَاءِ.

Divination is in the lips of the king, his mouth shall not err in judgment.

١١ 11 لِلرَّبِّ مِيزَانُ الْعَدْلِ وَقِسْطَاسُهُ، وَجَمِيعُ مَعَايِيرِ كِيسِ التَّاجِرِ مِنْ صُنْعِهِ.

Weight and balance are judgments of the Lord: and his work all the weights of the bag.

١٢ 12 مِنَ الرِّجْسِ أَنْ يَرْتَكِبَ الْمَلِكُ الشَّرَّ، لأَنَّ الْعَرْشَ يَقُومُ عَلَى الْبِرِّ.

They that act wickedly are abominable to the king: for the throne is established by justice.

١٣ 13 الشِّفَاهُ النَّاطِقَةُ بِالْعَدْلِ مَسَرَّةُ الْمُلُوكِ، وَهُمْ يُحِبُّونَ الْمُتَكَلِّمَ بِالْحَقِّ.

Just lips are the delight of kings: he that speaketh right things shall be loved.

١٤ 14 غَضَبُ الْمَلِكِ رَسُولُ الْمَوْتِ، وَعَلَى الْحَكِيمِ اسْتِرْضَاؤُهُ.

The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: and the wise man will pacify it.

١٥ 15 فِي بَشَاشَةِ وَجْهِ الْمَلِكِ حَيَاةٌ، وَرِضَاهُ كَسَحَابِ الْمَطَرِ الْمُتَأَخِّرِ.

In the cheerfulness of the king’s countenance is life: and his clemency is like the latter rain.

١٦ 16 اقْتِنَاءُ الْحِكْمَةِ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ، وَإِحْرَازُ الْفِطْنَةِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْفِضَّةِ.

Get wisdom, because it is better than gold: and purchase prudence, for it is more precious than silver.

١٧ 17 مَنْهَجُ الْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ تَفَادِيهِمْ سَبِيلَ الشَّرِّ، وَمَنْ يَصُونُ مَسْلَكَهُ يَصُونُ نَفْسَهُ.

The path of the just departeth from evils: he that keepeth his soul keepeth his way.

١٨ 18 قَبْلَ الانْكِسَارِ الْكِبْرِيَاءُ، وَقَبْلَ السُّقُوطِ غَطْرَسَةُ الرُّوحِ.

Pride goeth before destruction: and the spirit is lifted up before a fall.

١٩ 19 اتِّضَاعُ الرُّوحِ مَعَ الْوُدَعَاءِ خَيْرٌ مِنِ اقْتِسَامِ الْغَنِيمَةِ مَعَ الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ.

It is better to be humbled with the meek, than to divide spoils with the proud.

٢٠ 20 مَنْ يَتَعَقَّلُ بِكَلِمَةِ اللهِ يُحَالِفُهُ التَّوْفِيقُ، وَطُوبَى لِمَنْ يَتَّكِلُ عَلَى الرَّبِّ.

The learned in word shall find good things: and he that trusteth in the Lord is blessed.

٢١ 21 الْحَكِيمُ الْقَلْبِ يُدْعَى فَهِيماً، وَعُذُوبَةُ الْمَنْطِقِ تَزِيدُ مِنْ قُوَّةِ الإِقْنَاعِ.

The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and he that is sweet in words shall attain to greater things.

٢٢ 22 الْفِطْنَةُ يَنْبُوعُ حَيَاةٍ لِصَاحِبِهَا، وَعِقَابُ الْجَاهِلِ فِي حَمَاقَتِهِ.

Knowledge is a fountain of life to him that possesseth it: the instruction of fools is foolishness.

٢٣ 23 عَقْلُ الْحَكِيمِ يُرْشِدُ فَمَهُ، وَيَزِيدُ مَنْطِقَهُ قُوَّةَ إِقْنَاعٍ.

The heart of the wise shall instruct his mouth: and shall add grace to his lips.

٢٤ 24 عُذُوبَةُ الْكَلامِ شَهْدُ عَسَلٍ، حُلْوةٌ لِلنَّفْسِ وَعَافِيَةٌ لِلْجَسَدِ.

Well ordered words are as a honeycomb: sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

٢٥ 25 رُبَّ طَرِيقٍ تَبْدُو لِلإِنْسَانِ قَوِيمَةً وَلَكِنَّ عَاقِبَتَهَا تُفْضِي إِلَى دُرُوبِ الْمَوْتِ.

There is a way that seemeth to a man right: and the ends thereof lead to death.

٢٦ 26 شَهِيَّةُ الْعَامِلِ حَافِزُ عَمَلِهِ، لأَنَّ فَمَهُ الْجَائِعَ يَحُثُّهُ عَلَيْهِ.

The soul of him that laboureth, laboureth for himself, because his mouth hath obliged him to it.

٢٧ 27 الرَّجُلُ اللَّئِيمُ يَنْبِشُ الشَّرَّ، وَعَلَى شَفَتَيْهِ تَتَوَهَّجُ نَارٌ مُتَّقِدَةٌ.

The wicked man diggeth evil, and in his lips is a burning fire.

٢٨ 28 الْمُنَافِقُ يُثِيرُ الْخُصُومَاتِ، وَالنَّمَّامُ يُفَرِّقُ الأَصْدِقَاءَ.

A perverse man stirreth up quarrels: and one full of words separateth princes.

٢٩ 29 الرَّجُلُ الظَّالِمُ يَسْتَغْوِي قَرِيبَهُ، وَيَجْعَلُهُ يَتَنَكَّبُ عَنْ سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِ.

An unjust man allureth his friend: and leadeth him into a way that is not good.

٣٠ 30 مَنْ يَغْمِزُ بِعَيْنَيْهِ هُوَ مُتَآمِرٌ بِالْمَكَائِدِ، وَمَنْ يَعُضُّ عَلَى شَفَتَيْهِ فَقَدْ أَتَمَّ خُطَّةَ الشَّرِّ.

He that with fixed eyes deviseth wicked things, biting his lips, bringeth: evil to pass.

٣١ 31 الشَّيْبَةُ إِكْلِيلُ بَهَاءٍ، وَلاسِيَّمَا فِي طَرِيقِ الْبِرِّ.

Old age is a crown of dignity, when it is found in the ways of justice.

٣٢ 32 الْبَطِيءُ الْغَضَبِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمُحَارِبِ الْعَاتِي، وَالضَّابِطُ أَهْوَاءَ رُوحِهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ قَاهِرِ الْمُدُنِ.

The patient man is better than the valiant: and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh cities.

٣٣ 33 تُلْقَى الْقُرْعَةُ فِي الْحِضْنِ، وَلَكِنَّ الْقَرَارَ مَرْهُونٌ كُلُّهُ لأَمْرِ الرَّبِّ.

Lots are cast into the lap, but they are disposed of by the Lord.