الأمثال 4

١ 1 اسْتَمِعُوا أَيُّهَا الْبَنُونَ إِلَى إِرْشَادِ الأَبِ، وَأَصْغُوا لِتَكْتَسِبُوا الْفِطْنَةَ،

Hear, all of you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

٢ 2 فَإِنِّي أُقَدِّمُ لَكُمْ تَعْلِيماً صَالِحاً، فَلا تُهْمِلُوا شَرِيعَتِي.

For I give you good doctrine, forsake all of you not my law.

٣ 3 عِنْدَمَا كُنْتُ ابْناً لأَبِي، غَضّاً وَحِيداً لأُمِّي،

For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

٤ 4 قَالَ لِي: «ادَّخِرْ فِي قَلْبِكَ كَلامِي، وَاحْفَظْ وَصَايَايَ فَتَحْيَا.

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let your heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

٥ 5 لَا تَنْسَ وَلا تُعْرِضْ عَنْ أَقْوَالِ فَمِي، بَلْ تَلَقَّنِ الْحِكْمَةَ وَاقْتَنِ الْفِطْنَةَ.

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

٦ 6 لَا تَنْبِذْهَا فَتَحْفَظَكَ. أَحْبِبْهَا فَتَصُونَكَ.

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve you: love her, and she shall keep you.

٧ 7 بِدَايَةُ الْحِكْمَةِ أَنْ تَكْسَبَ حِكْمَةً، وَاقْتَنِ الْفِطْنَةَ وَلَوْ بَذَلْتَ كُلَّ مَا تَمْلِكُ.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.

٨ 8 مَجِّدْهَا فَتُمَجِّدَكَ، اعْتَنِقْهَا فَتُكْرِمَكَ.

Exalt her, and she shall promote you: she shall bring you to honour, when you do embrace her.

٩ 9 تُتَوِّجُ رَأْسَكَ بِإِكْلِيلِ جَمَالٍ، وَتُنْعِمُ عَلَيْكَ بِتَاجِ بَهَاءٍ».

She shall give to your head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to you.

١٠ 10 اسْتَمِعْ يَا ابْنِي وَتَقَبَّلْ أَقْوَالِي، لِتَطُولَ سِنُو حَيَاتِكَ.

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of your life shall be many.

١١ 11 قَدْ أَرْشَدْتُكَ إِلَى طَرِيقِ الْحِكْمَةِ، وَهَدَيْتُكَ فِي مَنَاهِجِ الاسْتِقَامَةِ.

I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.

١٢ 12 عِنْدَمَا تَمْشِي لَا تَضِيقُ خَطْوَاتُكَ، وَحِينَ تَرْكُضُ لَا تَتَعَثَّرُ.

When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not stumble.

١٣ 13 تَمَسَّكْ بِالإِرْشَادِ وَلا تَطْرَحْهُ. صُنْهُ لأَنَّهُ حَيَاتُكَ.

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is your life.

١٤ 14 لَا تَدْخُلْ فِي سَبِيلِ الأَشْرَارِ وَلا تَنْهَجْ نَهْجَهُمْ.

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

١٥ 15 ابْتَعِدْ عَنْهُ وَلا تَعْبُرْ بِهِ. حِدْ عَنْهُ وَلا تَجْتَزْ فِيهِ.

Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

١٦ 16 فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يَرْكَنُونَ إِلَى النَّوْمِ مَا لَمْ يُسِيئُوا، وَيُفَارِقُهُمُ النُّعَاسُ مَا لَمْ يُعْثِرُوا أَحَداً.

For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

١٧ 17 لأَنَّهُمْ يَأْكُلُونَ خُبْزَ الشَّرِّ وَيَشْرَبُونَ خَمْرَ الظُّلْمِ.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

١٨ 18 أَمَّا سَبِيلُ الأَبْرَارِ فَكَنُورٍ مُتَلألِئٌ يَتَزَايَدُ إِشْرَاقُهُ إِلَى أَنْ يَكْتَمِلَ النَّهَارُ،

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.

١٩ 19 وَطَرِيقُ الأَشْرَارِ كَالظُّلْمَةِ الدَّاجِيَةِ لَا يُدْرِكُونَ مَا يَعْثُرُونَ بِهِ.

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

٢٠ 20 يَا ابْنِي أَصْغِ إِلَى كَلِمَاتِ حِكْمَتِي، وَأَرْهِفْ أُذُنَكَ إِلَى أَقْوَالِي.

My son, attend to my words; incline your ear unto my sayings.

٢١ 21 لِتَظَلَّ مَاثِلَةً أَمَامَ عَيْنَيْكَ وَاحْتَفِظْ بِها فِي دَاخِلِ قَلْبِكَ،

Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart.

٢٢ 22 لأَنَّهَا حَيَاةٌ لِمَنْ يَعْثُرُ عَلَيْهَا، وَعَافِيَةٌ لِكُلِّ جَسَدِهِ.

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

٢٣ 23 فَوْقَ كُلِّ حِرْصٍ احْفَظْ قَلْبَكَ لأَنَّ مِنْهُ تَنْبَثِقُ الْحَيَاةُ.

Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

٢٤ 24 انْزِعْ مِنْ فَمِكَ كُلَّ قَوْلٍ مُلْتَوٍ، وَأَبْعِدْ عَنْ شَفَتَيْكَ خَبِيثَ الْكَلامِ.

Put away from you a perverse mouth, and perverse lips put far from you.

٢٥ 25 حَدِّقْ بِاسْتِقَامَةٍ أَمَامَكَ، وَوَجِّهْ أَنْظَارَكَ إِلَى قُدَّامِكَ.

Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.

٢٦ 26 تَبَيَّنْ مَوْقِعَ قَدَمِكَ، فَتَضْحَى جَمِيعُ طُرُقِكَ ثَابِتَةً.

Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.

٢٧ 27 لَا تَحِدْ يَمِيناً أَوْ يَسَاراً، وَأَبْعِدْ رِجْلَكَ عَنْ مَسَالِكِ الشَّرِّ.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove your foot from evil.