الأمثال 2

١ 1 يَا ابْنِي إِنْ قَبِلْتَ كَلامِي، وَادَّخَرْتَ وَصَايَايَ فِي قَلْبِكَ،

My sonne, if thou wilt receiue my wordes, and hide my commandements within thee,

٢ 2 وَأَرْهَفْتَ أُذُنَكَ إِلَى الْحِكْمَةِ، وَأَمَلْتَ قَلْبَكَ نَحْوَ الْفَهْمِ،

And cause thine eares to hearken vnto wisdome, and encline thine heart to vnderstanding,

٣ 3 وَإِنْ نَشَدْتَ الْفِطْنَةَ، وَهَتَفْتَ دَاعِياً الْفَهْمَ.

(For if thou callest after knowledge, and cryest for vnderstanding:

٤ 4 إِنِ الْتَمَسْتَهُ كَمَا تُلْتَمَسُ الْفِضَّةُ، وَبَحَثْتَ عَنْهُ كَمَا يُبْحَثُ عَنِ الْكُنُوزِ الدَّفِينَةِ،

If thou seekest her as siluer, and searchest for her as for treasures,

٥ 5 عِنْدَئِذٍ تُدْرِكُ مَخَافَةَ الرَّبِّ وَتَعْثُرُ عَلَى مَعْرِفَةِ اللهِ،

Then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord, and finde the knowledge of God.

٦ 6 لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ يَهَبُ الْحِكْمَةَ، وَمِنْ فَمِهِ تَتَدَفَّقُ الْمَعْرِفَةُ وَالْفَهْمُ.

For the Lord giueth wisdome, out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding.

٧ 7 يَذْخَرُ لِلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ فِطْنَةً، وَهُوَ تُرْسٌ لِلسَّالِكِينَ بِالْكَمَالِ.

He preserueth the state of the righteous: he is a shielde to them that walke vprightly,

٨ 8 يَرْعَى سُبُلَ الْعَدْلِ، وَيُحَافِظُ عَلَى طَرِيقِ أَتْقِيَائِهِ.

That they may keepe the wayes of iudgement: and he preserueth the way of his Saintes)

٩ 9 حِينَئِذٍ تُدْرِكُ الْعَدْلَ وَالْحَقَّ وَالاسْتِقَامَةَ، وَكُلَّ سَبِيلٍ صَالِحٍ.

Then shalt thou vnderstand righteousnes, and iudgement, and equitie, and euery good path.

١٠ 10 إِنِ اسْتَقَرَّتِ الْحِكْمَةُ فِي قَلْبِكَ وَاسْتَلَذَّتْ نَفْسُكَ الْمَعْرِفَةَ،

When wisdome entreth into thine heart, and knowledge deliteth thy soule,

١١ 11 يَرْعَاكَ التَّعَقُّلُ، وَيَحْرُسُكَ الْفَهْمُ.

Then shall counsell preserue thee, and vnderstanding shall keepe thee,

١٢ 12 إِنْقَاذاً لَكَ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الشَّرِّ وَمِنَ النَّاطِقِينَ بِالأَكَاذِيبِ.

And deliuer thee from the euill way, and from the man that speaketh froward things,

١٣ 13 مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَبْتَعِدُونَ عَنْ سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِ وَيَسْلُكُونَ فِي طُرُقِ الظُّلْمَةِ،

And from them that leaue the wayes of righteousnes to walke in the wayes of darkenes:

١٤ 14 الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِارْتِكَابِ الْمَسَاوِئِ، وَيَبْتَهِجُونَ بِنِفَاقِ الشَّرِّ،

Which reioyce in doing euill, and delite in the frowardnesse of the wicked,

١٥ 15 مِنْ ذَوِي الْمَسَالِكِ الْمُلْتَوِيَةِ وَالسُّبُلِ الْمُعْوَجَّةِ.

Whose wayes are crooked and they are lewde in their paths.

١٦ 16 وَإِنْقَاذاً لَكَ مِنَ الْمَرْأَةِ الْغَرِيبَةِ الْمُخَاتِلَةِ الَّتِي تَتَمَلَّقُكَ بِكَلامِهَا،

And it shall deliuer thee from the strange woman, euen from the stranger, which flattereth with her wordes.

١٧ 17 الَّتِي نَبَذَتْ شَرِيكَ صِبَاهَا وَتَنَاسَتْ عَهْدَ إِلَهِهَا.

Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the couenant of her God.

١٨ 18 لأَنَّ بَيْتَهَا يَغُوصُ عَمِيقاً إِلَى الْمَوْتِ، وَسُبُلَهَا تُفْضِي إِلَى عَالَمِ الأَرْوَاحِ.

Surely her house tendeth to death, and her paths vnto the dead.

١٩ 19 كُلُّ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ إِلَيْهَا لَا يَرْجِعُ وَلا يَبْلُغُ سُبُلَ الْحَيَاةِ.

All they that goe vnto her, returne not againe, neither take they holde of the wayes of life.

٢٠ 20 لِهَذَا سِرْ فِي طَرِيقِ الأَخْيَارِ، وَاحْفَظْ سَبِيلَ الأَبْرَارِ،

Therefore walke thou in the way of good men, and keepe the wayes of the righteous.

٢١ 21 لأَنَّ الْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ يَسْكُنُونَ الأَرْضَ، وَالْكَامِلِينَ يَمْكُثُونَ دَائِماً فِيهَا.

For the iust shall dwell in the land, and the vpright men shall remaine in it.

٢٢ 22 أَمَّا الأَشْرَارُ فَيَنْقَرِضُونَ مِنَ الأَرْضِ، وَالْغَادِرُونَ يُسْتَأْصَلُونَ مِنْهَا.

But the wicked shalbe cut off from ye earth, and the transgressours shalbe rooted out of it.