الأمثال 31

١ 1 هَذِهِ أَقْوَالُ لَمُوئِيلَ مَلِكِ مَسَّا الَّتِي تَلَقَّنَهَا عَنْ أُمِّهِ:

My words have been spoken by God—the oracular answer of a king, whom his mother instructed.

٢ 2 مَاذَا يَا ابْنِي يَا ابْنَ أَحْشَائِي، يَا ابْنَ نُذُورِي؟

What will you keep, my son, what? the words of God. My firstborn son, I speak to you: what? son of my womb? what? son of my vows?

٣ 3 لَا تُنْفِقْ قُوَّتَكَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ، وَلا تَسْتَسْلِمْ لِمَنْ يُهْلِكْنَ الْمُلُوكَ.

Give not your wealth to women, nor your mind and living to remorse. Do all things with counsel: drink wine with counsel.

٤ 4 لَيْسَ لِلْمُلُوكِ يَا لَمُوئِيلُ، لَيْسَ لِلْمُلُوكِ أَنْ يُدْمِنُوا الْخَمْرَ، وَلا لِلْعُظَمَاءِ أَنْ يَجْرَعُوا الْمُسْكِرَ.

Princes are prone to anger: let them then not drink wine:

٥ 5 لِئَلّا يَسْكَرُوا فَيَنْسَوْا الشَّرِيعَةَ، وَيَجُورُوا عَلَى حُقُوقِ الْبَائِسِينَ.

lest they drink, and forget wisdom, and be not able to judge the poor rightly.

٦ 6 أَعْطُوا الْمُسْكِرَ لِلْهَالِكِ، وَالْخَمْرَ لِذَوِي النُّفُوسِ التَّعِسَةِ،

Give strong drink to those that are in sorrow, and the wine to drink to those in pain:

٧ 7 فَيَثْمَلُوا وَيَنْسَوْا فَقْرَهُمْ، وَلا يَذْكُرُوا بُؤْسَهُمْ بَعْدُ.

that they may forget their poverty, and may not remember their troubles any more.

٨ 8 افْتَحْ فَمَكَ مُدَافِعاً عَنِ الأَخْرَسِ، وَفِي دَعْوَى كُلِّ مَنْبُوذٍ.

Open your mouth with the word of God, and judge all fairly.

٩ 9 افْتَحْ فَمَكَ قَاضِياً بِالْعَدْلِ، وَدَافِعْ عَنْ حُقُوقِ الْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمُحْتَاجِينَ.

Open your mouth and judge justly, and plead the cause of the poor and weak.

١٠ 10 مَنْ يَعْثُرُ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ الْفَاضِلَةِ؟ إِنَّ قِيمَتَهَا تَفُوقُ اللَّآلِئَ.

Who shall find a virtuous woman? for such a one is more valuable than precious stones.

١١ 11 بِها يَثِقُ قَلْبُ زَوْجِهَا فَلا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى مَا هُوَ نَفِيسٌ.

The heart of her husband trusts in her: such a one shall stand in no need of fine spoils.

١٢ 12 تُسْبِغُ عَلَيْهِ الْخَيْرَ دُونَ الشَّرِّ كُلَّ أَيَّامِ حَيَاتِهَا.

For she employs all her living for her husband's good.

١٣ 13 تَلْتَمِسُ صُوفاً وَكَتَّاناً وَتَشْتَغِلُ بِيَدَيْنِ رَاضِيَتَيْنِ،

Gathering wool and flax, she makes it serviceable with her hands.

١٤ 14 فَتَكُونُ كَسُفُنِ التَّاجِرِ الَّتِي تَجْلِبُ طَعَامَهَا مِنْ بِلادٍ نَائِيَةٍ.

She is like a ship trading from a distance: so she procures her livelihood.

١٥ 15 تَنْهَضُ وَاللَّيْلُ مَا بَرِحَ مُخَيِّماً، لِتُعِدَّ طَعَاماً لأَهْلِ بَيْتِهَا، وَتُدَبِّرَ أَعْمَالَ جَوَارِيهَا

And she rises by night, and gives food to her household, and [appointed] tasks to her maidens.

١٦ 16 تَتَفَحَّصُ حَقْلاً وَتَشْتَرِيهِ، وَمِنْ مَكْسَبِ يَدَيْهَا تَغْرِسُ كَرْماً

She views a farm, and buys it: and with the fruit of her hands she plants and a possession.

١٧ 17 تُنَطِّقُ حَقَوَيْهَا بِالْقُوَّةِ وَتُشَدِّدُ ذِرَاعَيْهَا.

She strongly girds her loins, and strengthens her arms for work.

١٨ 18 وَتُدْرِكُ أَنَّ تِجَارَتَهَا رَابِحَةٌ، وَلا يَنْطَفِئُ سِرَاجُهَا فِي اللَّيْلِ.

And she finds by experience that working is good; and her candle goes not out all night.

١٩ 19 تَقْبِضُ بِيَدَيْهَا عَلَى الْمِغْزَلِ وَتُمْسِكُ كَفَّاهَا بِالْفَلَكَةِ.

She reaches forth her arms to needful [works], and applies her hands to the spindle.

٢٠ 20 تَبْسُطُ كَفَّيْهَا لِلْفَقِيرِ وَتَمُدُّ يَدَيْهَا لإِغَاثَةِ الْبَائِسِ.

And she opens her hands to the needy, and reaches out fruit to the poor.

٢١ 21 لَا تَخْشَى عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهَا مِنَ الثَّلْجِ، لأَنَّ جَمِيعَهُمْ يَرْتَدُونَ الْحُلَلَ الْقِرْمِزِيَّةَ.

Her husband is not anxious about those at home when he tarries anywhere abroad: for all her household are clothed.

٢٢ 22 تَصْنَعُ لِنَفْسِهَا أَغْطِيَةً مُوَشَّاةً، وَثِيَابُهَا مُحَاكَةٌ مِنْ كَتَّانٍ وَأُرْجُوَانٍ.

She makes for her husband clothes of double texture, and garments for herself of fine linen and scarlet.

٢٣ 23 زَوْجُهَا مَعْرُوفٌ فِي مَجَالِسِ بَوَّابَاتِ الْمَدِينَةِ، حَيْثُ يَجْلِسُ بَيْنَ وُجَهَاءِ الْبِلادِ.

And her husband becomes a distinguished [person] in the gates, when he sits in council with the old inhabitants of the land.

٢٤ 24 تَصْنَعُ أَقْمِصَةً كَتَّانِيَّةً وَتَبِيعُهَا، وَتُزَوِّدُ التَّاجِرَ الْكَنْعَانِيَّ بِمَنَاطِقَ.

She makes fine linens, and sells girdles to the Chananites: she opens her mouth heedfully and with propriety, and controls her tongue.

٢٥ 25 كِسَاؤُهَا الْعِزَّةُ وَالشَّرَفُ، وَتَبْتَهِجُ بِالأَيَّامِ الْمُقْبِلَةِ.

She puts on strength and honor; and rejoices in the last days.

٢٦ 26 يَنْطِقُ فَمُهَا بِالْحِكْمَةِ، وَفِي لِسَانِهَا سُنَّةُ الْمَعْرُوفِ.

But she opens her mouth wisely, and according to law.

٢٧ 27 تَرْعَى بِعِنَايَةٍ شُؤُونَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهَا، وَلا تَأْكُلُ خُبْزَ الْكَسَلِ.

The ways of her household are careful, and she eats not the bread of idleness.

٢٨ 28 يَقُومُ أَبْنَاؤُهَا وَيَغْبِطُونَهَا، وَيُطْرِيهَا زَوْجُهَا أَيْضاً قَائِلاً:

And [her] kindness to them sets up her children for them, and they grow rich, and her husband praises her.

٢٩ 29 «نِسَاءٌ كَثِيرَاتٌ قُمْنَ بِأَعْمَالٍ جَلِيلَةٍ، وَلَكِنَّكِ تَفَوَّقْتِ عَلَيْهِنَّ جَمِيعاً».

Many daughters have obtained wealth, many have wrought valiantly; but you have exceeded, you have surpassed all.

٣٠ 30 الْحُسْنُ غِشٌّ وَالْجَمَالُ بَاطِلٌ، أَمَّا الْمَرْأَةُ الْمُتَّقِيَّةُ الرَّبَّ فَهِيَ الَّتِي تُمْدَحُ.

Charms are false, and woman's beauty is vain: for it is a wise woman that is blessed, and let her praise the fear the Lord.

٣١ 31 أَعْطُوهَا مِنْ ثَمَرِ يَدَيْهَا، وَلْتَكُنْ أَعْمَالُهَا مَصْدَرَ الثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْهَا.

Give her of the fruit of her lips; and let her husband be praised in the gates.