الأمثال 25

١ 1 هَذِهِ أَيْضاً أَمْثَالُ سُلَيْمَانَ الَّتِي نَسَخَهَا رِجَالُ حَزَقِيَّا مَلِكِ يَهُوذَا:

These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the scribes of Hezekiah, king of Judah.

٢ 2 مِنْ مَظَاهِرِ مَجْدِ اللهِ كِتْمَانُ أَسْرَارِهِ، أَمَّا مَظَاهِرُ مَجْدِ الْمَلِكِ فَالْكَشْفُ عَنْ بَوَاطِنِ الأُمُورِ.

God's greatness is in doing things that can't be known, while the greatness of kings is in revealing things.

٣ 3 كَمَا أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ لِلْعُلُوِّ، وَالأَرْضَ لِلْعُمْقِ، فَإِنَّ قَلْبَ الْمَلِكِ لَا يُسْبَرُ غَوْرُهُ.

Just as the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth can't be known, the king's thinking can't be known.

٤ 4 نَقِّ الْفِضَّةَ مِنْ شَوَائِبِهَا، فَيَخْلُصَ لِلصَّائِغِ مَا يَصْنَعُ مِنْهُ إِنَاءً.

Remove the waste from the silver, and the silversmith has pure silver to work with.

٥ 5 أَبْعِدِ الشِّرِّيرَ مِنْ حَضْرَةِ الْمَلِكِ، يَتَثَبَّتُ عَرْشُهُ بِالْعَدْلِ.

Remove the wicked from the king's presence and the king will rule securely and justly.

٦ 6 لَا تَتَبَاهَ أَمَامَ الْمَلِكِ، وَلا تَقِفْ فِي مَوْضِعِ الْعُظَمَاءِ،

Don't try to make yourself look great before the king, and don't pretend to be among the important people,

٧ 7 لأَنَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَنْ يُقَالَ لَكَ: ارْتَفِعْ إِلَى هُنَا مِنْ أَنْ يُحَطَّ مَقَامُكَ فِي حَضْرَةِ الرَّئِيسِ، الَّذِي شَاهَدَتْهُ عَيْنَاكَ.

for it's better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be humiliated before a nobleman. Even though you've seen something with your own eyes,

٨ 8 لَا تَتَسَرَّعْ بِالذَّهَابِ إِلَى سَاحَةِ الْقَضَاءِ، إِذْ مَاذَا تَفْعَلُ فِي النِّهَايَةِ إِنْ أَخْزَاكَ قَرِيبُكَ؟

don't rush to take legal action, for what are you going to do in the end when your neighbor shows you're wrong and humiliates you?

٩ 9 قُمْ بِمُنَاقَشَةِ دَعْوَاكَ مَعَ قَرِيبِكَ، وَلا تُفْشِ سِرَّ غَيْرِكَ،

Discuss the case with your neighbor himself, and don't betray someone else's secret,

١٠ 10 لِئَلّا يُعَيِّرَكَ السَّامِعُ، وَلا تُمْحَى فَضِيحَتُكَ.

otherwise whoever hears it will make you ashamed and you'll never lose your bad reputation.

١١ 11 كَلِمَةٌ تُقَالُ فِي أَوَانِهَا مِثْلُ تُفَّاحٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ فِي مَصُوغٍ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ.

Advice given at the right time is like golden apples set in silver.

١٢ 12 الْمُوَبِّخُ الْحَكِيمُ لأُذُنٍ صَاغِيَةٍ مِثْلُ قُرْطٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَحَلِيٍّ مِنْ إِبْرِيزٍ.

Constructive criticism from the wise to someone who listens is like a gold ring and a necklace of fine gold.

١٣ 13 الرَّسُولُ الأَمِينُ لِمُرْسِلِيهِ مِثْلُ بُرُودَةِ الثَّلْجِ فِي يَوْمِ الْحَصَادِ، لأَنَّهُ يُنْعِشُ نُفُوسَ سَادَتِهِ.

Faithful messengers are as refreshing to their master as cold snow on a hot harvest day.

١٤ 14 الْمُتَفَاخِرُ بِإِغْدَاقِ هَدَايَا كَاذِبَةٍ هُوَ كَالسَّحَابِ وَالرِّيحِ بِلا مَطَرٍ.

Someone who boasts about a gift they never give is like cloud and wind without rain.

١٥ 15 بِالصَّبْرِ يَتِمُّ إِقْنَاعُ الْحَاكِمِ، وَاللِّسَانُ اللَّيِّنُ يَكْسِرُ الْعِظَامَ.

If you're patient you can persuade your superior, and soft words can break down opposition.

١٦ 16 إِنْ عَثَرْتَ عَلَى عَسَلٍ فَكُلْ مِنْهُ مَا يَكْفِيكَ، لِئَلّا تَتَّخِمَ فَتَتَقَيَّأَهُ،

If you find honey, eat just enough, for if you eat too much, you'll be sick.

١٧ 17 أَقْلِلْ مِنْ زِيَارَةِ قَرِيبِكَ لِئَلّا يَمَلَّ مِنْكَ وَيَمْقُتَكَ.

Don't set foot in your neighbors' homes too often, otherwise they'll get fed up with you and hate you.

١٨ 18 شَاهِدُ الزُّورِ ضِدَّ قَرِيبِهِ هُوَ مِثْلُ مِطْرَقَةٍ وَسَيْفٍ وَسَهْمٍ مَسْنُونٍ.

Telling lies in court against a friend is like attacking them with a mace, or a sword, or an arrow.

١٩ 19 الاعْتِمَادُ عَلَى الْغَادِرِ فِي وَقْتِ الضِّيقِ مِثْلُ سِنٍّ مَهْتُومَةٍ أَوْ رِجْلٍ مُخَلَّعَةٍ.

Trusting in unreliable people in times of trouble is like eating with a broken tooth or walking on a bad foot.

٢٠ 20 مَنْ يَشْدُو بِالأَغَانِي لِقَلْبٍ كَئِيبٍ يَكُونُ كَنَزْعِ الثَّوْبِ فِي يَوْمٍ قَارِسِ الْبُرُودَةِ، أَوْ كَخَلٍّ عَلَى نَطْرُونٍ.

Singing happy songs to someone who's broken-hearted is like taking off your coat on a cold day, or pouring vinegar onto an open wound.

٢١ 21 إِنْ جَاعَ عَدُوُّكَ فَأَطْعِمْهُ، وَإِنْ عَطِشَ فَاسْقِهِ،

If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat; if he's thirsty, give him a drink of water.

٢٢ 22 فَإِنْ فَعَلْتَ هَذَا تَجْمَعْ جَمْراً عَلَى رَأْسِهِ، وَالرَّبُّ يُكَافِئُكَ.

This will make him ashamed as if he had burning coals piled on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

٢٣ 23 رِيحُ الشِّمَالِ تَجْلِبُ الْمَطَرَ، وَاللِّسَانُ النَّمَّامُ يَسْتَأْثِرُ بِالنَّظَرَاتِ الْغَاضِبَةِ.

In the same way that the north wind brings rain, slandering people makes them angry.

٢٤ 24 الإِقَامَةُ فِي رُكْنِ سَطْحٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشَاطَرَةِ بَيْتٍ مَعَ زَوْجَةٍ نَكِدَةٍ.

It's better to live in a corner of a housetop than to share a whole house with an argumentative wife.

٢٥ 25 الْخَبَرُ الطَّيِّبُ مِنْ أَرْضٍ بَعِيدَةٍ مِثْلُ مَاءٍ بَارِدٍ لِلنَّفْسِ الظَّامِئَةِ.

Good news from a distant country is like cold water to an exhausted traveler.

٢٦ 26 الصِّدِّيقُ الْمُتَخَاذِلُ أَمَامَ الشِّرِّيرِ هُوَ عَيْنٌ عَكِرَةٌ وَيَنْبُوعٌ فَاسِدٌ.

Good people who give in to the wicked are like a muddied spring or a polluted well.

٢٧ 27 كَمَا أَنَّ الإِكْثَارَ مِنِ الْتِهَامِ الْعَسَلِ مُضِرٌّ، كَذَلِكَ الْتِمَاسُ الْمَجْدِ الذَّاتِيِّ مَدْعَاةٌ لِلْهَوَانِ.

It's not good to eat too much honey, or to want too much praise.

٢٨ 28 الرَّجُلُ الْمُفْتَقِرُ لِضَبْطِ النَّفْسِ مِثْلُ مَدِينَةٍ مُنْهَدِمَةٍ لَا سُورَ لَهَا.

Someone without control is as exposed as a town whose walls have been breached.