الأمثال 18
| الْمُعْتَزِلُ (عَنِ اللهِ وَالنَّاسِ) يَنْشُدُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَيَتَنَكَّرُ لِكُلِّ مَشُورَةٍ صَائِبَةٍ. | ١ 1 |
An unfriendly man pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.
| لَا يَعْبَأُ الْجَاهِلُ بِالْفِطْنَةِ، بَلْ هَمُّهُ الإِعْرَابُ عَمَّا فِي نَفْسِهِ. | ٢ 2 |
A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.
| إِذَا أَقْبَلَ الشِّرِّيرُ أَقْبَلَ مَعَهُ الاحْتِقَارُ، وَالْعَارُ يُلازِمُ الْهَوَانَ. | ٣ 3 |
When wickedness comes, contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace.
| كَلِمَاتُ الإِنْسَانِ مِيَاهٌ عَمِيقَةٌ يَتَعَذَّرُ سَبْرُ غَوْرِهَا، وَيَنْبُوعُ الْحِكْمَةِ نَهْرٌ مُتَدَفِّقٌ. | ٤ 4 |
The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
| مِنَ السُّوءِ مُحَابَاةُ الشِّرِّيرِ، أَوْ حِرْمَانُ الْبَرِيءِ مِنَ الْقَضَاءِ الْحَقِّ. | ٥ 5 |
To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of mishpat ·justice·.
| أَقْوَالُ الْجَاهِلِ تُوْقِعُهُ فِي الْمَتَاعِبِ، وَكَلِمَاتُهُ تُسَبِّبُ لَهُ الضَّرْبَ. | ٦ 6 |
A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings.
| كَلِمَاتُ الْجَاهِلِ مَهْلَكَةٌ لَهُ، وَأَقْوَالُهُ فَخٌّ لِنَفْسِهِ. | ٧ 7 |
A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
| هَمْسَاتُ النَّمَّامِ كَلُقَمٍ سَائِغَةٍ تَنْزَلِقُ إِلَى بَوَاطِنِ الْجَوْفِ. | ٨ 8 |
The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts.
| الْمُتَقَاعِسُ عَنْ عَمَلِهِ هُوَ أَخُو الهَادِمِ. | ٩ 9 |
One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.
| اسْمُ الرَّبِّ بُرْجٌ مَنِيعٌ يُهْرَعُ إِلَيْهِ الصِّدِّيقُ وَيَنْجُو مِنَ الْخَطَرِ. | ١٠ 10 |
Adonai’s name is a strong tower: the upright run to him, and are safe.
| ثَرْوَةُ الْغَنِيِّ مَدِينَتُهُ الْحَصِينَةُ، وَهِيَ فِي وَهْمِهِ سُورٌ شَامِخٌ. | ١١ 11 |
The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination.
| قَبْلَ الانْكِسَارِ تَشَامُخُ الْقَلْبِ، وَقَبْلَ الْكَرَامَةِ التَّواضُعُ. | ١٢ 12 |
Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before kavod ·weighty glory· is humility.
| مَنْ أَجَابَ عَنْ أَمْرٍ مَازَالَ يَجْهَلُهُ، فَذَاكَ حَمَاقَةٌ مِنْهُ وَعَارٌ لَهُ. | ١٣ 13 |
He who gives answer before he sh'ma ·hears obeys·, that is folly and shame to him.
| رُوحُ الإِنْسَانِ الْقَوِيَّةُ تَحْتَمِلُ مَرَضَهُ، أَمَّا الرُّوحُ الْمُنْسَحِقَةُ فَمَنْ يَتَحَمَّلُهَا؟ | ١٤ 14 |
A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who can bear?
| عَقْلُ الْفَهِيمِ يَقْتَنِي مَعْرِفَةً، وَأُذُنُ الْحُكَمَاءِ تَنْشُدُ عِلْماً. | ١٥ 15 |
The heart of the discerning gets knowledge. The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
| هَدِيَّةُ الإِنْسَانِ تُمَهِّدُ لَهُ السَّبِيلَ، وَتَجْعَلُهُ يَمْثُلُ أَمَامَ الْعُظَمَاءِ. | ١٦ 16 |
A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
| مَنْ يَعْرِضُ قَضِيَّتَهُ أَوَّلاً يَبْدُو مُحِقّاً إِلَى أَنْ يَأْتِيَ آخَرُ وَيَسْتَجْوِبَهُ. | ١٧ 17 |
He who pleads his cause first seems right; until another comes and questions him.
| تَفْصِلُ الْقُرْعَةُ فِي الْخُصُومَاتِ وَتَحْسِمُ الأَمْرَ بَيْنَ الْمُتَنَازِعِينَ الأَقْوِيَاءِ. | ١٨ 18 |
The lot settles disputes, and keeps strong ones apart.
| إِرْضَاءُ الأَخِ الْمُتَأَذِّي أَصْعَبُ مِنْ قَهْرِ مَدِينَةٍ حَصِينَةٍ، وَالْمُخَاصَمَاتُ كَعَارِضَةِ قَلْعَةٍ. | ١٩ 19 |
A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city; and disputes are like the bars of a fortress.
| مِنْ ثَمَرِ أَقْوَالِ الإِنْسَانِ تَشْبَعُ ذَاتُهُ، وَمِنْ غَلَّةِ كَلِمَاتِهِ يَلْقَى جَزَاءَهُ | ٢٠ 20 |
A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth. With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
| فِي اللِّسَانِ حَيَاةٌ أَوْ مَوْتٌ، وَالْمُوْلَعُونَ بِاسْتِخْدَامِهِ يَتَحَمَّلُونَ الْعَوَاقِبَ. | ٢١ 21 |
Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who 'ahav ·affectionately love· it will eat its fruit.
| مَنْ عَثَرَ عَلَى زَوْجَةٍ صَالِحَةٍ نَالَ خَيْراً وَحَظِيَ بِمَرْضَاةِ اللهِ. | ٢٢ 22 |
Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of Adonai.
| يَتَوَسَّلُ الْفَقِيرُ بِتَضَرُّعَاتٍ، أَمَّا الْغَنِيُّ فَيُجَاوِبُ بِخُشُونَةٍ. | ٢٣ 23 |
The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.
| مَنْ يُكْثِرِ الأَصْحَابَ يُخْرِبْ نَفْسَهُ، وَرُبَّ صَدِيقٍ أَلْزَقُ مِنَ الأَخِ. | ٢٤ 24 |
A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a 'ahav ·affectionate lover, friend· who sticks closer than a brother.
