الأمثال 8

١ 1 أَلا تُنَادِي الْحِكْمَةُ؟ أَلا يَرْتَفِعُ صَوْتُ الْفِطْنَةِ هَاتِفاً؟

Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?

٢ 2 إِنَّهَا تَقِفُ عَلَى الْمُرْتَفَعَاتِ، فِي مُحَاذَاةِ الطَّرِيقِ، وَعِنْدَ مُلْتَقَى الشَّوَارِعِ.

At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,

٣ 3 إِلَى جُوَارِ أَبْوَابِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَفِي مَدْخَلِ الثَّغْرِ، تَنْتَصِبُ مُجَاهِرَةً قَائِلَةً:

At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,

٤ 4 إِيَّاكُمْ أَدْعُو أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ وَأَرْفَعُ صَوْتِي بِالنِّدَاءِ إِلَى كُلِّ بَنِي الْبَشَرِ.

'Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] unto the sons of men.

٥ 5 أَيُّهَا الْحَمْقَى، تَعَلَّمُوا الْفِطْنَةَ، وَأَيُّهَا الأَغْبِيَاءُ اكْتَسِبُوا فَهْماً.

Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,

٦ 6 أَنْصِتُوا لأَنَّنِي سَأَنْطِقُ بِأَقْوَالٍ أَثِيرَةٍ، وَأَفْتَحُ شَفَتَيَّ بِكَلامٍ قَوِيمٍ.

Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.

٧ 7 لأَنَّ فَمِي يَتَكَلَّمُ بِالصِّدْقِ، وَشَفَتَيَّ تَمْقُتَانِ الإِثْمَ.

For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.

٨ 8 كُلُّ أَقْوَالِ فَمِي عَادِلَةٌ خَالِيَةٌ مِنْ كُلِّ الْتِوَاءٍ وَاعْوِجَاجٍ.

In righteousness [are] all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.

٩ 9 قَوِيمَةٌ لَدَى الْفَهِيمِ، وَمُسْتَقِيمَةٌ لِلَّذِينَ أَدْرَكُوا الْمَعْرِفَةَ.

All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.

١٠ 10 اخْتَرْ إِرْشَادِي عِوَضَ الْفِضَّةِ، وَالْمَعْرِفَةَ بَدَلَ الذَّهَبِ الْخَالِصِ.

Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.

١١ 11 لأَنَّ الْحِكْمَةَ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ اللَّآلِئِ، وَكُلُّ مُشْتَهَيَاتِكَ لَا تُعَادِلُهَا.

For better [is] wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.

١٢ 12 أَنَا الْحِكْمَةُ أَسْكُنُ التَّعَقُّلَ، وَأَمْلِكُ الْمَعْرِفَةَ وَالتَّدْبِيرَ.

I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.

١٣ 13 مَخَافَةُ الرَّبِّ كَرَاهَةُ الشَّرِّ. أَنَا قَدْ أَبْغَضْتُ الْكِبْرِيَاءَ وَالْغَطْرَسَةَ وَطَرِيقَ السُّوءِ وَفَمَ الْمَكْرِ.

The fear of Jehovah [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.

١٤ 14 لِي الْمَشُورَةُ وَالرَّأْيُ الصَّائِبُ، لِي الْفِطْنَةُ وَالْقُوَّةُ.

Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.

١٥ 15 بِمَعُونَتِي يَحْكُمُ الْمُلُوكُ، وَيَشْتَرِعُ الْحُكَّامُ مَا هُوَ عَدْلٌ.

By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,

١٦ 16 بِمَعُونَتِي يَسُودُ الرُّؤَسَاءُ وَالْعُظَمَاءُ وَكُلُّ قُضَاةِ الأَرْضِ.

By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.

١٧ 17 أُحِبُّ مَنْ يُحِبُّونَنِي، وَمَنْ يَجِدُّ فِي الْبَحْثِ عَنِّي يَعْثُرُ علَيَّ.

I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.

١٨ 18 لَدَيَّ الثَّرَاءُ وَالْمَجْدُ وَالْغِنَى الدَّائِمُ وَالصَّلاحُ.

Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.

١٩ 19 ثَمَرِي أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ الْخَالِصِ، وَغَلَّتِي خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْفِضَّةِ الْمُنْتَقَاةِ.

Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.

٢٠ 20 أَمْشِي فِي طَرِيقِ الْبِرِّ، وَفِي سُبُلِ الْعَدْلِ أَسِيرُ.

In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,

٢١ 21 لِكَيْ أَوَرِّثَ مُحِبِّيَّ غِنىً، وَأَمْلأَ خَزَائِنَهُمْ كُنُوزاً.

To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.

٢٢ 22 اقْتَنَانِي الرَّبُّ مُنْذُ بَدْءِ خَلْقِهِ، مِنْ قَبْلِ الشُّرُوعِ فِي أَعْمَالِهِ الْقَدِيمَةِ.

Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.

٢٣ 23 مُنْذُ الأَزَلِ أَنَا هُوَ، مُنْذُ الْبَدْءِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُوجَدَ الأَرْضُ.

From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.

٢٤ 24 وُلِدْتُ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَتَكَوَّنَ اللُّجَجُ وَالْيَنَابِيعُ الْغَزِيرَةُ الْمِيَاهِ.

In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,

٢٥ 25 وُلِدْتُ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْجِبَالِ وَالتِّلالِ.

Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.

٢٦ 26 إِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَدْ خَلَقَ الأَرْضَ بَعْدُ، وَلا الْبَرَارِيَ وَلا بِدَايَةَ أَتْرِبَةِ الْمَسْكُونَةِ.

While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.

٢٧ 27 وَعِنْدَمَا ثَبَّتَ الرَّبُّ السَّمَاءَ، وَحِينَ رَسَمَ دَائِرَةَ الأُفُقِ حَوْلَ وَجْهِ الْغَمْرِ، كُنْتُ هُنَاكَ.

In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,

٢٨ 28 عِنْدَمَا ثَبَّتَ السُّحُبَ فِي الْعَلاءِ، وَرَسَّخَ يَنَابِيعَ اللُّجَجِ.

In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,

٢٩ 29 عِنْدَمَا قَرَّرَ لِلْبَحْرِ تُخُوماً لَا تَتَجَاوَزُهَا مِيَاهُهُ مُتَعَدِّيَةً عَلَى أَمْرِ الرَّبِّ، وَحِينَ رَسَمَ أُسُسَ الأَرْضِ،

In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,

٣٠ 30 كُنْتُ عِنْدَهُ صَانِعاً مُبْدِعاً، وَكُنْتُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ لَذَّتَهُ، أَفِيضُ بَهْجَةً دَائِماً أَمَامَهُ.

Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight — day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,

٣١ 31 مُغْتَبِطَةً بِعَالَمِهِ الْمَسْكُونِ، وَمَسَرَّاتِي مَعَ بَنِي آدَمَ.

Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.

٣٢ 32 وَالآنَ أَصْغُوا إِلَيَّ أَيُّهَا الأَبْنَاءُ، إِذْ طُوبَى لِمَنْ يُمَارِسُونَ طُرُقِي.

And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.

٣٣ 33 اسْتَمِعُوا إِلَى إِرْشَادِي، وَكُونُوا حُكَمَاءَ وَلا تَتَجَاهَلُوهُ.

Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.

٣٤ 34 طُوبَى لِلإِنْسَانِ الَّذِي يَسْتَمِعُ إلَيَّ، الْحَرِيصِ عَلَى السَّهَرِ عِنْدَ أَبْوَابِي، حَارِساً قَوَائِمَ مَصَارِيعِي،

O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.

٣٥ 35 لأَنَّ مَنْ يَجِدُنِي يَجِدُ حَيَاةً، وَيَحُوزُ عَلَى مَرْضَاةِ الرَّبِّ.

For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

٣٦ 36 وَمَنْ يَضِلُّ عَنِّي يُؤْذِي نَفْسَهُ، وَمَنْ يُبْغِضُنِي يُحِبُّ الْمَوْتَ.

And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!