الأمثال 21
| قَلْبُ الْمَلِكِ فِي يَدِ الرَّبِّ كَجَدَاوِلِ مِيَاهٍ يُمِيلُهُ حَيْثُمَا شَاءَ. | ١ 1 |
Yahweh controls what kings do [MTY] [like] he controls how streams flow; he causes kings to do just what he wants them to do.
| جَمِيعُ تَصَرُّفَاتِ الإِنْسَانِ تَبْدُو نَقِيَّةً فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِهِ، وَلَكِنَّ الرَّبَّ مُطَّلِعٌ عَلَى حَوَافِزِ الْقُلُوبِ. | ٢ 2 |
People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
| إِجْرَاءُ الْعَدْلِ وَالْحَقِّ أَكْثَرُ قُبُولاً عِنْدَ الرَّبِّ مِنَ الذَّبِيحَةِ. | ٣ 3 |
Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
| تَشَامُخُ الْعَيْنَيْنِ مِنْ غَطْرَسَةِ الْقَلْبِ، وَسِرَاجُ الأَشْرَارِ خَطِيئَةٌ. | ٤ 4 |
Being proud and arrogant [DOU] is [like] a lamp [MTY] [that guides] wicked people; being proud and arrogant characterizes (wicked people’s whole behavior/everything that wicked people do).
| خُطَطُ الْمُجْتَهِدِ تُفْضِي حَتْماً إِلَى الْخِصْبِ، وَالْعَجُولُ مَصِيرُهُ الْعَوَزُ. | ٥ 5 |
People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
| ادِّخَارُ الْكُنُوزِ بِلِسَانٍ مُنَافِقٍ، دُخَانٌ مَتَلاشٍ وَفَخٌّ مُمِيتٌ. | ٦ 6 |
Money that people acquire [by cheating others] by lying [MTY] to them will soon disappear [like] a mist, and doing that will [soon] lead to their death.
| جَوْرُ الأَشْرَارِ يَجْرُفُهُمْ لِرَفْضِهِمْ إِجْرَاءَ الْعَدْلِ. | ٧ 7 |
Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
| طَرِيقُ الْمُذْنِبِ مُعَوَّجَةٌ، أَمَّا تَصَرُّفُ الزَّكِيِّ فَقَوِيمٌ. | ٨ 8 |
Guilty [people continually do what is evil; it is as though] [MET] they are walking on a crooked road; but righteous/innocent people [always] do what is right.
| الإِقَامَةُ فِي رُكْنِ سَطْحٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشَاطَرَةِ بَيْتٍ مَعَ زَوْجَةٍ نَكِدَةٍ. | ٩ 9 |
It is better to live in the corner of an attic/housetop [by yourself] than to live inside the house with a wife who is always nagging.
| نَفْسُ الْمُنَافِقِ تَشْتَهِي الشَّرَّ، وَقَرِيبُهُ لَا يَحْظَى بِرِضَاهُ. | ١٠ 10 |
Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
| إِذَا عُوقِبَ الْمُسْتَهْزِئُ صَارَ الْجَاهِلُ حَكِيماً، وَإِنْ أُرْشِدَ الْحَكِيمُ اكْتَسَبَ مَعْرِفَةً. | ١١ 11 |
When those who ridicule [others] are punished, [even] those who do not have good sense [see that, and] they become wise, and when those who are wise are taught, they become wiser.
| يَتَأَمَّلُ الصِّدِّيقُ فِي بَيْتِ الشِّرِّيرِ، (فَيَرَاهُ) يُلْقَى بِهِ إِلَى الْبَلايَا. | ١٢ 12 |
[God], the one [who is completely] righteous, knows [what happens inside] the houses of wicked [people], and [he will cause] those people to be completely ruined/destroyed.
| مَنْ أَصَمَّ أُذُنَهُ عَنْ صُرَاخِ الْمِسْكِينِ، يَصْرُخُ هُوَ أَيْضاً وَلا مِنْ مُجِيبٍ. | ١٣ 13 |
There are people who refuse to listen when poor people cry out [for help]; [but some day] they themselves will cry out [for help], and no one will hear them.
| الْهَدِيَّةُ فِي الْخَفَاءِ تُخْمِدُ الْغَضَبَ، وَالرِّشْوَةُ فِي الْحِضْنِ تُسَكِّنُ السَّخَطَ. | ١٤ 14 |
When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
| الْحُكْمُ بِالْعَدْلِ فَرَحٌ لِلصِّدِّيقِ، وَرُعْبٌ لِفَاعِلِي الإِثْمِ. | ١٥ 15 |
Good/Righteous [people] are happy when they [see others do] what is just/fair, but those who do what is evil are terrified [when they think about what may happen to them].
| الرَّجُلُ الشَّارِدُ عَنْ طَرِيقِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ يَسْكُنُ بَيْنَ جَمَاعَةِ الْمَوْتَى. | ١٦ 16 |
Those who stop behaving like those who have good sense behave will [soon] discover that they have gone to the place where dead people are.
| عَاشِقُ اللَّذَّةِ فَقِيرٌ، وَالْمُوْلَعُ بِالْخَمْرِ وَالطِّيبِ لَا يَغْتَنِي. | ١٧ 17 |
Those who spend their money to buy (things that give them pleasure/things that cause them to feel happy) will become poor; those who love [to spend money to buy] wine and nice/fancy food [MTY] will never become rich.
| الشِّرِّيرُ فِدَاءٌ عَنِ الصِّدِّيقِ، وَالْغَادِرُ عَنِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ. | ١٨ 18 |
Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
| الإِقَامَةُ فِي أَرْضٍ مُقْفِرَةٍ خَيْرٌ مِنَ السُّكْنَى مَعَ امْرَأَةٍ مُشَاكِسَةٍ شَرِسَةٍ. | ١٩ 19 |
It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
| فِي بَيْتِ الْحَكِيمِ كُنُوزٌ وَزَيْتٌ مُدَّخَرَةٌ، أَمَّا الإِنْسَانُ الْجَاهِلُ فَيُتْلِفُ مَا لَدَيْهِ. | ٢٠ 20 |
Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
| مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْعَدْلَ وَالرَّحْمَةَ يَلْقَى الْحَيَاةَ وَالْحَقَّ وَالْمَجْدَ. | ٢١ 21 |
Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
| الْحَكِيمُ يَتَسَلَّقُ سُورَ مَدِينَةِ الْجَبَابِرَةِ وَيُدَمِّرُ مَعْقِلَ اعْتِمَادِهِمْ | ٢٢ 22 |
A wise army commander [helps his troops] climb over a wall [to attack] a city that is defended by a strong army, with the result that they are able to (get over/destroy) the high walls that their enemies trusted [would protect them].
| مَنْ يَصُونُ فَمَهُ وَلِسَانَهُ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ يَحْفَظُ نَفْسَهُ مِنَ الْمَتَاعِبِ. | ٢٣ 23 |
Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
| الْمُتَشَامِخُ الْمُنْتَفِخُ يُدْعَى الْمُسْتَهْزِئَ لأَنَّهُ يَتَصَرَّفُ بِغُرُورِ الْكِبْرِيَاءِ. | ٢٤ 24 |
Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
| أَوْهَامُ الْكَسُولِ تَقْتُلُهُ لأَنَّ يَدَيْهِ تَأْبَيَانِ الْعَمَلَ. | ٢٥ 25 |
Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
| يَظَلُّ طَوَالَ النَّهَارِ مُتَشَهِّياً مُتَمَنِّياً، أَمَّا الصِّدِّيقُ فَيَسْخُو وَلا يَضِنُّ | ٢٦ 26 |
All during the day [wicked people] desire to obtain things, but righteous [people] have plenty, [with the result that] they [are able to] give things generously to others.
| ذَبِيحَةُ الشِّرِّيرِ رِجْسٌ عِنْدَ الرَّبِّ، فَكَمْ بِالْحَرِيِّ إِنْ قَرَّبَهَا بِنِيَّةٍ أَثِيمَةٍ؟ | ٢٧ 27 |
[Yahweh] detests the sacrifices that wicked [people] offer [to him]; [but he] detests it even more when they [think that they will escape being punished for] their evil deeds because of the sacrifices that they bring.
| شَاهِدُ الزُّورِ يَهْلِكُ، أَمَّا أَقْوَالُ الرَّجُلِ الْحَرِيصِ عَلَى الاسْتِمَاعِ فَتَدُومُ. | ٢٨ 28 |
Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
| الرَّجُلُ الشِّرِّيرُ يُغْلِظُ وَجْهَهُ، أَمَّا الْمُسْتَقِيمُ فَيَعْمَلُ عَلَى تَقْوِيمِ طُرُقِهِ. | ٢٩ 29 |
Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
| لَيْسَ مِنْ حِكْمَةٍ، وَلا مِنْ مَشُورَةٍ، وَلا مِنْ فِطْنَةٍ بِقَادِرَةٍ عَلَى مُقَاوَمَةِ اللهِ. | ٣٠ 30 |
[Thinking that we are] wise, and that we understand many things, and that we have good insight, does not help us if Yahweh is (acting against/not pleased with) us.
| مَعَ أَنَّ الْفَرَسَ مُعَدٌّ لِيَوْمِ الْقِتَالِ، فَإِنَّ النَّصْرَ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ. | ٣١ 31 |
We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).
