الأمثال 3

١ 1 يَا ابْنِي لَا تَنْسَ تَعَالِيمِي، وَلْيُرَاعِ قَلْبُكَ وَصَايَايَ.

My son, forget not my law; but let thy heart keep my commandments:

٢ 2 لأَنَّهَا تَمُدُّ فِي أَيَّامِ عُمْرِكَ، وَتَزِيدُكَ سِنِي حَيَاةٍ وَسَلاماً.

For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

٣ 3 لَا تَدَعِ الرَّحْمَةَ وَالأَمَانَةَ تَتَخَلَّيَانِ عَنْكَ، بَلْ تَقَلَّدْهُمَا فِي عُنُقِكَ، وَاكْتُبْهُمَا عَلَى صَفْحَةِ قَلْبِكَ،

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thy heart:

٤ 4 فَتَحْظَى بِالرِّضَى وَحُسْنِ السِّيرَةِ فِي عُيُونِ اللهِ وَالنَّاسِ.

So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

٥ 5 اتَّكِلْ عَلَى الرَّبِّ بِكُلِّ قَلْبِكَ، وَعَلَى فِطْنَتِكَ لَا تَعْتَمِدْ.

Trust in the LORD with all thy heart; and lean not to thy own understanding.

٦ 6 اعْرِفِ الرَّبَّ فِي كُلِّ طُرُقِكَ وَهُوَ يُقَوِّمُ سُبُلَكَ.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

٧ 7 لَا تَكُنْ حَكِيماً فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِكَ بَلِ اتَّقِ الرَّبَّ وَحِدْ عَنِ الشَّرِّ،

Be not wise in thy own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

٨ 8 فَيَتَمَتَّعَ جَسَدُكَ بِالصِّحَّةِ، وَتَتَمَتَّعَ عِظَامُكَ بِالارْتِوَاءِ.

It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

٩ 9 أَكْرِمِ الرَّبَّ مِنْ مَالِكَ، وَمِنْ أَوَائِلِ غَلَّاتِ مَحَاصِيلِكَ.

Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thy increase:

١٠ 10 فَتَمْتَلِئَ مَخَازِنُكَ وَفْرَةً، وَتَفِيضَ مَعَاصِرُكَ خَمْراً.

So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

١١ 11 يَا ابْنِي لَا تَحْتَقِرْ تَأْدِيبَ الرَّبِّ وَلا تَكْرَهْ تَوْبِيخَهُ،

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

١٢ 12 لأَنَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّهُ الرَّبُّ يُؤَدِّبُهُ، وَيُسَرُّ بِهِ كَمَا يُسَرُّ أَبٌ بِابْنِهِ.

For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

١٣ 13 طُوبَى لِلإِنْسَانِ الَّذِي عَثَرَ عَلَى الْحِكْمَةِ وَلِلرَّجُلِ الَّذِي أَحْرَزَ فَهْماً،

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

١٤ 14 لأَنَّ مَكَاسِبَهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ مَكَاسِبِ الْفِضَّةِ، وَأَرْبَاحَهَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَرْبَاحِ الذَّهَبِ الْخَالِصِ.

For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain of it than fine gold.

١٥ 15 هِيَ أَثْمَنُ مِنَ الْجَوَاهِرِ، وَكُلُّ نَفَائِسِكَ لَا تُعَادِلُهَا.

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her.

١٦ 16 فِي يَمِينِهَا حَيَاةٌ مَدِيدَةٌ وَفِي يَسَارِهَا غِنىً وَجَاهٌ.

Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

١٧ 17 طُرُقُهَا طُرُقُ نِعَمٍ، وَدُرُوبُهَا دُرُوبُ سَلامٍ.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

١٨ 18 هِيَ شَجَرَةُ حَيَاةٍ لِمَنْ يَتَشَبَّثُ بِها، وَهَنِيئاً لِمَنْ يَتَمَسَّكُ بِها.

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

١٩ 19 بِالْحِكْمَةِ أَسَّسَ الرَّبُّ الأَرْضَ، وَبِالْفِطْنَةِ ثَبَّتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ فِي مَوَاضِعِهَا.

The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

٢٠ 20 بِعِلْمِهِ تَفَجَّرَتِ اللُّجَجُ، وَقَطَرَ السَّحَابُ نَدىً.

By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

٢١ 21 فَلا تَبْرَحْ يَا ابْنِي هَذِهِ مِنْ أَمَامِ عَيْنَيْكَ وَاعْمَلْ بِالرَّأْيِ الصَّائِبِ وَالتَّدْبِيرِ.

My son, let not them depart from thy eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

٢٢ 22 فَيَكُونَ هَذَانِ حَيَاةً لِنَفْسِكَ وَقَلادَةً تُجَمِّلُ عُنُقَكَ.

So shall they be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

٢٣ 23 فَتَسْلُكُ آنَئِذٍ فِي طَرِيقِكَ آمِناً وَلا تَتَعَثَّرُ قَدَمُكَ.

Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

٢٤ 24 إِذَا اضْطَجَعْتَ لَا يَعْتَرِيكَ خَوْفٌ، بَلْ تَرْقُدُ مُتَمَتِّعاً بِالنَّوْمِ اللَّذِيذِ.

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: but, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

٢٥ 25 لَا تَفْزَعْ مِنْ بَلِيَّةٍ مُبَاغِتَةٍ، وَلا مِمَّا يَجْرِي عَلَى الأَشْرَارِ مِنْ خَرَابٍ إِذَا حَلَّ بِهِمْ.

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

٢٦ 26 لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ يَكُونُ مُعْتَمَدَكَ، وَيَصُونُ رِجْلَكَ مِنَ الشَّرَكِ.

For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

٢٧ 27 لَا تَحْجُبِ الإِحْسَانَ عَنْ أَهْلِهِ كُلَّمَا كَانَ فِي وُسْعِكَ أَنْ تَقُومَ بِهِ.

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

٢٨ 28 لَا تَقُلْ لِجَارِكَ: «اذْهَبِ الآنَ، ثُمَّ عُدْ ثَانِيَةً. غَداً أُعْطِيكَ مَا تَطْلُبُ»، طَالَمَا لَدَيْكَ مَا يَطْلُبُ.

Say not to thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

٢٩ 29 لَا تَتَآمَرْ بِالشَّرِّ عَلَى جَارِكَ الْمُقِيمِ مُطْمَئِنّاً إِلَى جُوَارِكَ.

Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

٣٠ 30 لَا تُخَاصِمْ أَحَداً مِنْ غَيْرِ عِلَّةٍ طَالَمَا لَمْ يُؤْذِكَ.

Strive not with a man without cause, if he hath done thee no harm.

٣١ 31 لَا تَغَرْ مِنَ الظَّالِمِ وَلا تَخْتَرْ طُرُقَهُ.

Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

٣٢ 32 لأَنَّ الْمُلْتَوِيَ رِجْسٌ لَدَى الرَّبِّ، أَمَّا الْمُسْتَقِيمُونَ فَهُمْ أَهْلُ ثِقَتِهِ.

For the perverse man is an abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

٣٣ 33 لَعْنَةُ الرَّبِّ تَنْصَبُّ عَلَى بَيْتِ الشِّرِّيرِ، لَكِنَّهُ يُبَارِكُ مَسْكَنَ الصِّدِّيقِ.

The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

٣٤ 34 يَسخَرُ مِنَ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ السَّاخِرِينَ، وَيُغْدِقُ رِضَاهُ عَلَى الْمُتَوَاضِعِينَ

Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace to the lowly.

٣٥ 35 يَرِثُ الْحُكَمَاءُ كَرَامَةً، أَمَّا الْحَمْقَى فَيَرْتَدُونَ الْعَارَ.

The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.