< الأمثال 18 >
الْمُعْتَزِلُ (عَنِ اللهِ وَالنَّاسِ) يَنْشُدُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَيَتَنَكَّرُ لِكُلِّ مَشُورَةٍ صَائِبَةٍ. | ١ 1 |
Those who separate themselves [from other people] think [only] about those things that they are interested in; [if they would continually associate with] those who have good judgment/sense, they would constantly disagree/quarrel with them.
لَا يَعْبَأُ الْجَاهِلُ بِالْفِطْنَةِ، بَلْ هَمُّهُ الإِعْرَابُ عَمَّا فِي نَفْسِهِ. | ٢ 2 |
Foolish people do not want to understand [anything]; they only want to (express their [own] opinions/say what they think) [IDM].
إِذَا أَقْبَلَ الشِّرِّيرُ أَقْبَلَ مَعَهُ الاحْتِقَارُ، وَالْعَارُ يُلازِمُ الْهَوَانَ. | ٣ 3 |
Whenever people do wicked things, others will despise them; when people do things that cause themselves to no [longer] be honored, they will be disgraced [also].
كَلِمَاتُ الإِنْسَانِ مِيَاهٌ عَمِيقَةٌ يَتَعَذَّرُ سَبْرُ غَوْرِهَا، وَيَنْبُوعُ الْحِكْمَةِ نَهْرٌ مُتَدَفِّقٌ. | ٤ 4 |
What wise people say is [like] a deep ocean [that you can never get to the bottom of] [MET], and it [refreshes us like water from] a rapidly flowing stream.
مِنَ السُّوءِ مُحَابَاةُ الشِّرِّيرِ، أَوْ حِرْمَانُ الْبَرِيءِ مِنَ الْقَضَاءِ الْحَقِّ. | ٥ 5 |
It is not good [for a judge] to decide matters in favor of those who (are guilty/have done wicked things) and to not do what is just for those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
أَقْوَالُ الْجَاهِلِ تُوْقِعُهُ فِي الْمَتَاعِبِ، وَكَلِمَاتُهُ تُسَبِّبُ لَهُ الضَّرْبَ. | ٦ 6 |
When foolish people [SYN] start arguments, [it is as though] they [SYN] are requesting/inviting someone to flog/whip them.
كَلِمَاتُ الْجَاهِلِ مَهْلَكَةٌ لَهُ، وَأَقْوَالُهُ فَخٌّ لِنَفْسِهِ. | ٧ 7 |
What foolish people [MTY] say causes them to be ruined; their [own] words are [like] a trap [MET] [that catches/seizes] them.
هَمْسَاتُ النَّمَّامِ كَلُقَمٍ سَائِغَةٍ تَنْزَلِقُ إِلَى بَوَاطِنِ الْجَوْفِ. | ٨ 8 |
[People enjoy listening to] what gossips say like [SIM] [they enjoy] tasty food; they [accept what gossips tell them like] [MET] they swallow tasty food.
الْمُتَقَاعِسُ عَنْ عَمَلِهِ هُوَ أَخُو الهَادِمِ. | ٩ 9 |
People who are lazy while they work are [just as bad] as [IDM] those who destroy things.
اسْمُ الرَّبِّ بُرْجٌ مَنِيعٌ يُهْرَعُ إِلَيْهِ الصِّدِّيقُ وَيَنْجُو مِنَ الْخَطَرِ. | ١٠ 10 |
Yahweh [MTY] is [like] a strong tower [MET]; righteous people [can] go to him and be safe [like they can run to a tower to be safe].
ثَرْوَةُ الْغَنِيِّ مَدِينَتُهُ الْحَصِينَةُ، وَهِيَ فِي وَهْمِهِ سُورٌ شَامِخٌ. | ١١ 11 |
Rich people [are protected because they have] a lot of money [PRS] like a city is protected because it has a high wall surrounding it [SIM].
قَبْلَ الانْكِسَارِ تَشَامُخُ الْقَلْبِ، وَقَبْلَ الْكَرَامَةِ التَّواضُعُ. | ١٢ 12 |
Proud people are on the road to being ruined, but being humble leads to being honored.
مَنْ أَجَابَ عَنْ أَمْرٍ مَازَالَ يَجْهَلُهُ، فَذَاكَ حَمَاقَةٌ مِنْهُ وَعَارٌ لَهُ. | ١٣ 13 |
Those who reply to someone before that person has finished speaking are foolish; doing that is disgraceful.
رُوحُ الإِنْسَانِ الْقَوِيَّةُ تَحْتَمِلُ مَرَضَهُ، أَمَّا الرُّوحُ الْمُنْسَحِقَةُ فَمَنْ يَتَحَمَّلُهَا؟ | ١٤ 14 |
A desire to [continue to] live can sustain someone when he is sick; if he loses that desire, he (cannot endure it/will become very discouraged) when he is sick [RHQ].
عَقْلُ الْفَهِيمِ يَقْتَنِي مَعْرِفَةً، وَأُذُنُ الْحُكَمَاءِ تَنْشُدُ عِلْماً. | ١٥ 15 |
Intelligent people [are always wanting to] learn more; wise people [SYN] are not content with what they already know.
هَدِيَّةُ الإِنْسَانِ تُمَهِّدُ لَهُ السَّبِيلَ، وَتَجْعَلُهُ يَمْثُلُ أَمَامَ الْعُظَمَاءِ. | ١٦ 16 |
If you take a gift to an important person, that will open the way to allow you to talk to him.
مَنْ يَعْرِضُ قَضِيَّتَهُ أَوَّلاً يَبْدُو مُحِقّاً إِلَى أَنْ يَأْتِيَ آخَرُ وَيَسْتَجْوِبَهُ. | ١٧ 17 |
The first person to present his case in court seems right, but when (someone else/his opponent) begins to ask him questions, [it may become clear that what he said was not true].
تَفْصِلُ الْقُرْعَةُ فِي الْخُصُومَاتِ وَتَحْسِمُ الأَمْرَ بَيْنَ الْمُتَنَازِعِينَ الأَقْوِيَاءِ. | ١٨ 18 |
If two influential/important people are arguing, [someone can] settle the matter by (casting lots/throwing marked stones to decide who is right).
إِرْضَاءُ الأَخِ الْمُتَأَذِّي أَصْعَبُ مِنْ قَهْرِ مَدِينَةٍ حَصِينَةٍ، وَالْمُخَاصَمَاتُ كَعَارِضَةِ قَلْعَةٍ. | ١٩ 19 |
If you help relatives, they will [protect you] like [SIM] a strong wall [protects a city], but if you quarrel with them, [that will separate you from them] like bars on a city gate [separate the city from those who want to enter it] [MET].
مِنْ ثَمَرِ أَقْوَالِ الإِنْسَانِ تَشْبَعُ ذَاتُهُ، وَمِنْ غَلَّةِ كَلِمَاتِهِ يَلْقَى جَزَاءَهُ | ٢٠ 20 |
People are happy when they hear others say [MTY] something that is good, [like] they are happy when they eat food that is good [MET].
فِي اللِّسَانِ حَيَاةٌ أَوْ مَوْتٌ، وَالْمُوْلَعُونَ بِاسْتِخْدَامِهِ يَتَحَمَّلُونَ الْعَوَاقِبَ. | ٢١ 21 |
What you say can cause others to be killed or it can cause them to [continue to] live; [so] those who like [to talk a lot] must (accept the consequences/realize that what they say can cause much harm).
مَنْ عَثَرَ عَلَى زَوْجَةٍ صَالِحَةٍ نَالَ خَيْراً وَحَظِيَ بِمَرْضَاةِ اللهِ. | ٢٢ 22 |
If you marry a [good] woman, that is [like] finding a wonderful thing; [it shows that] Yahweh is pleased with you.
يَتَوَسَّلُ الْفَقِيرُ بِتَضَرُّعَاتٍ، أَمَّا الْغَنِيُّ فَيُجَاوِبُ بِخُشُونَةٍ. | ٢٣ 23 |
[It is necessary for] poor [people] to speak politely when they request [rich people to do something for them], but rich [people] reply very impolitely when poor people speak to them.
مَنْ يُكْثِرِ الأَصْحَابَ يُخْرِبْ نَفْسَهُ، وَرُبَّ صَدِيقٍ أَلْزَقُ مِنَ الأَخِ. | ٢٤ 24 |
There are [some] people who [only] pretend to be friends [with us], but there are [some] friends who are more loyal than members of our families.