الأمثال 2
| يَا ابْنِي إِنْ قَبِلْتَ كَلامِي، وَادَّخَرْتَ وَصَايَايَ فِي قَلْبِكَ، | ١ 1 |
My son, listen to what I say, and [consider my instructions to be as valuable as] [MET] a treasure.
| وَأَرْهَفْتَ أُذُنَكَ إِلَى الْحِكْمَةِ، وَأَمَلْتَ قَلْبَكَ نَحْوَ الْفَهْمِ، | ٢ 2 |
Pay attention to wisdom and try hard to understand it.
| وَإِنْ نَشَدْتَ الْفِطْنَةَ، وَهَتَفْتَ دَاعِياً الْفَهْمَ. | ٣ 3 |
Call out [to God] to get insight; plead with him to help you to understand more [of what he wants you to know].
| إِنِ الْتَمَسْتَهُ كَمَا تُلْتَمَسُ الْفِضَّةُ، وَبَحَثْتَ عَنْهُ كَمَا يُبْحَثُ عَنِ الْكُنُوزِ الدَّفِينَةِ، | ٤ 4 |
Search [eagerly] for wisdom, like you would search for silver, like you would search for a treasure that someone has hidden.
| عِنْدَئِذٍ تُدْرِكُ مَخَافَةَ الرَّبِّ وَتَعْثُرُ عَلَى مَعْرِفَةِ اللهِ، | ٥ 5 |
If you do that, you will understand how to revere Yahweh, and you will succeed in knowing God.
| لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ يَهَبُ الْحِكْمَةَ، وَمِنْ فَمِهِ تَتَدَفَّقُ الْمَعْرِفَةُ وَالْفَهْمُ. | ٦ 6 |
Yahweh is the one who gives us wisdom. He is the one who tells us things that we need to know and understand.
| يَذْخَرُ لِلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ فِطْنَةً، وَهُوَ تُرْسٌ لِلسَّالِكِينَ بِالْكَمَالِ. | ٧ 7 |
He gives good advice to those who conduct their lives as they should. He protects [MET] those who do what is right.
| يَرْعَى سُبُلَ الْعَدْلِ، وَيُحَافِظُ عَلَى طَرِيقِ أَتْقِيَائِهِ. | ٨ 8 |
He guards those who act justly/fairly [toward others], and he watches over those who are faithful/loyal [to him].
| حِينَئِذٍ تُدْرِكُ الْعَدْلَ وَالْحَقَّ وَالاسْتِقَامَةَ، وَكُلَّ سَبِيلٍ صَالِحٍ. | ٩ 9 |
[If you ask God for wisdom], you will understand what is right and just [DOU] [to do], and [you will know] the right way to conduct your life,
| إِنِ اسْتَقَرَّتِ الْحِكْمَةُ فِي قَلْبِكَ وَاسْتَلَذَّتْ نَفْسُكَ الْمَعْرِفَةَ، | ١٠ 10 |
because you will be wise in your inner being; and knowing [what God wants you to know] will cause you to be joyful.
| يَرْعَاكَ التَّعَقُّلُ، وَيَحْرُسُكَ الْفَهْمُ. | ١١ 11 |
If you know [PRS] how to choose what is right to do and if you understand [what God wants] you to do, God will protect you and guard you and keep you safe.
| إِنْقَاذاً لَكَ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الشَّرِّ وَمِنَ النَّاطِقِينَ بِالأَكَاذِيبِ. | ١٢ 12 |
If you are wise [PRS], you will not do what evil people do, and you will not [believe what] deceitful people say.
| مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَبْتَعِدُونَ عَنْ سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِ وَيَسْلُكُونَ فِي طُرُقِ الظُّلْمَةِ، | ١٣ 13 |
Deceitful people have stopped acting fairly/justly [toward others] and (walk on dark and evil paths/do what evil people do) [MET].
| الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِارْتِكَابِ الْمَسَاوِئِ، وَيَبْتَهِجُونَ بِنِفَاقِ الشَّرِّ، | ١٤ 14 |
They enjoy doing what is wrong; they like to do what is evil and to deceive [people].
| مِنْ ذَوِي الْمَسَالِكِ الْمُلْتَوِيَةِ وَالسُّبُلِ الْمُعْوَجَّةِ. | ١٥ 15 |
They (walk on crooked paths/always deceive others) and are always dishonest.
| وَإِنْقَاذاً لَكَ مِنَ الْمَرْأَةِ الْغَرِيبَةِ الْمُخَاتِلَةِ الَّتِي تَتَمَلَّقُكَ بِكَلامِهَا، | ١٦ 16 |
If you are wise [PRS], you will [also] be saved from (immoral women/prostitutes); you will not pay attention when adulterous women try to (seduce/entice you by what they say.)
| الَّتِي نَبَذَتْ شَرِيكَ صِبَاهَا وَتَنَاسَتْ عَهْدَ إِلَهِهَا. | ١٧ 17 |
Those women have left the husbands whom they married when they were young; they have disregarded the solemn promise they made to God [not to commit adultery].
| لأَنَّ بَيْتَهَا يَغُوصُ عَمِيقاً إِلَى الْمَوْتِ، وَسُبُلَهَا تُفْضِي إِلَى عَالَمِ الأَرْوَاحِ. | ١٨ 18 |
If you go into houses of women who are like that, you will die [when you are still young]; the road [to their houses] leads to hell. (questioned)
| كُلُّ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ إِلَيْهَا لَا يَرْجِعُ وَلا يَبْلُغُ سُبُلَ الْحَيَاةِ. | ١٩ 19 |
No man who (visits/sleeps with) a woman like that will again [live harmoniously with his family]. He will never have a [happy] life again.
| لِهَذَا سِرْ فِي طَرِيقِ الأَخْيَارِ، وَاحْفَظْ سَبِيلَ الأَبْرَارِ، | ٢٠ 20 |
If [you are wise], you should behave like good men behave. You should (stay on the paths that righteous [people] walk on/do what godly people do) [MET],
| لأَنَّ الْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ يَسْكُنُونَ الأَرْضَ، وَالْكَامِلِينَ يَمْكُثُونَ دَائِماً فِيهَا. | ٢١ 21 |
because only godly people will live in this land [and receive God’s blessings]; [only] those who have not done wrong will stay here [for a long time].
| أَمَّا الأَشْرَارُ فَيَنْقَرِضُونَ مِنَ الأَرْضِ، وَالْغَادِرُونَ يُسْتَأْصَلُونَ مِنْهَا. | ٢٢ 22 |
Wicked [people] will be expelled from this land, and [people] who are not trustworthy will be thrown {God will throw them} out of it.
