الأمثال 1
| هَذِهِ هِيَ أَمْثَالُ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ مَلِكِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، | ١ 1 |
These are the (proverbs/wise sayings) that come from Solomon, the King of Israel, who was the son of [King] David.
| لِتَعْلِيمِ الْحِكْمَةِ وَالْفَهْمِ، وَإِدْرَاكِ مَعَانِي الْأَقْوَالِ الْمَأْثُورَةِ. | ٢ 2 |
(These proverbs [PRS] can teach people/By studying these proverbs, people can learn) how to be wise and how to obey what these proverbs teach them. They will [also] help people to understand which teachings are wise.
| وَلِلْحَثِّ عَلَى تَقَبُّلِ التَّأْدِيبِ الْفَطِنِ، وَالْبِرِّ وَالْعَدْلِ وَالاسْتِقَامَةِ. | ٣ 3 |
These proverbs [PRS] will teach you how to discipline/control yourselves, how to conduct your lives, and how to do what is right and just [DOU].
| فَيُحْرِزُ الْبُسَطَاءُ فِطْنَةً، وَالأَحْدَاثُ عِلْماً وَبَصِيرَةً. | ٤ 4 |
They will show [people] who do not [yet] know much how to do things that are smart. They will show young people how to become wise and how to make good plans/decisions.
| يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْهَا الْحَكِيمُ فَيَزْدَادُ حِكْمَةً، وَيَكْتَسِبُ الْفَهِيمُ مَهَارَةً، | ٥ 5 |
Those who are wise should also pay attention [to these proverbs], in order to become more wise, and those who understand [these teachings] will receive good advice/guidance.
| فِي فَهْمِ الْمَثَلِ وَالْمَعْنَى الْبَلِيغِ وَأَقْوَالِ الْحُكَمَاءِ الْمَأْثُورَةِ وَأَحَاجِيهِمْ. | ٦ 6 |
Then they will be able to understand the meaning of proverbs and parables/metaphors, these wise sayings and (riddles/sayings that are difficult to understand).
| فَإِنَّ مَخَافَةَ الرَّبِّ هِيَ رَأْسُ الْمَعْرِفَةِ، أَمَّا الْحَمْقَى فَيَسْتَهِينُونَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالتَّأْدِيبِ. | ٧ 7 |
If [you want to be] wise, you must begin by revering Yahweh. [Only] foolish people despise wisdom and good advice/discipline.
| اسْتَمِعْ يَا ابْنِي إِلَى تَوْجِيهِ أَبِيكَ وَلا تَتَنَكَّرْ لِتَعْلِيمِ أُمِّكَ. | ٨ 8 |
My son, pay attention to what [I], your father, am teaching you. And do not reject what your mother teaches you.
| فَإِنَّهُمَا إِكْلِيلُ نِعْمَةٍ يُتَوِّجُ رَأْسَكَ، وَقَلائِدُ تُطَوِّقُ عُنُقَكَ. | ٩ 9 |
What we teach you [will make you respected like having] a lovely turban around your head and [like] a [beautiful] necklace to put around your neck.
| يَا ابْنِي إِنِ اسْتَغْوَاكَ الْخُطَاةُ فَلا تَقْبَلْ. | ١٠ 10 |
My son, if sinners tempt/entice you [to do what is wrong], say “No” to them.
| إِنْ قَالُوا: «تَعَالَ مَعَنَا لِنَتَرَبَّصَ بِالنَّاسِ حَتَّى نَسْفُكَ دِمَاءً أَوْ نَكْمُنَ لِلْبَرِيءِ وَنَقْتُلَهُ لِغَيْرِ عِلَّةٍ. | ١١ 11 |
They may say, “Come with us! Join us! We will hide and then kill [MTY] someone [who passes by]. We will ambush some helpless/innocent people.
| أَوْ قَالُوا لَكَ: تَعَالَ لِنَبْتَلِعَهُمْ أَحْيَاءَ كَمَا تَبْتَلِعُهُمُ الْهَاوِيَةُ وَأَصِحَّاءَ كَالْهَابِطِينَ فِي حُفْرَةِ الْمَوْتِ (Sheol h7585) | ١٢ 12 |
We will kill them [HYP] and get rid of them completely, [just] like [people who are buried in] graves are gone forever. While they are in good health, we will send them to the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
| فَنَغْنَمَ كُلَّ نَفِيسٍ وَنَمْلأَ بُيُوتَنَا بِالأَسْلابِ. | ١٣ 13 |
And we will seize all the things that they own. We will fill our houses with these things!
| ارْبِطْ مَصِيرَكَ بِمَصِيرِنَا، وَلْنَتَقَاسَمْ أَسْلابَنَا بِالتَّسَاوِي». | ١٤ 14 |
[So], come with us! Join our group! We will share with you the things that we steal.”
| إِنْ قَالُوا لَكَ هَكَذَا فَلا تَسْلُكْ يَا ابْنِي فِي طَرِيقِهِمْ، وَاكْفُفْ قَدَمَكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِمْ. | ١٥ 15 |
My son, do not accompany them! Do not walk on the roads with them!
| لأَنَّ أَرْجُلَهُمْ تَسْعَى حَثِيثاً إِلَى الشَّرِّ، وَتُسْرِعُ إِلَى سَفْكِ الدِّمَاءِ. | ١٦ 16 |
They rush to do evil deeds! They hurry to murder [MTY] people.
| فَإِنَّهُ عَبَثاً تُنْصَبُ الشَّبَكَةُ عَلَى مَرْأَى الطَّيْرِ. | ١٧ 17 |
It is useless to put out a (trap/net to catch a bird) because when a bird sees it, [it stays away from it].
| إِنَّمَا هُمْ يَتَرَبَّصُونَ لِسَفْكِ دَمِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ، وَيَكْمُنُونَ لإِهْدَارِ حَيَاتِهِمْ. | ١٨ 18 |
But those wicked people are not like the birds, [because they do not realize] that when they prepare to ambush someone to kill him, they will be killed themselves!
| هَذَا هُوَ مَصِيرُ كُلِّ مَنْ يَثْرَى ظُلْماً، فَإِنَّ الثَّرَاءَ الْحَرَامَ يَذْهَبُ بِحَيَاةِ قَانِيهِ. | ١٩ 19 |
That is what happens to people who eagerly try to get things [by violently attacking others]. They will only destroy themselves!
| تُنَادِي الْحِكْمَةُ فِي الْخَارِجِ؛ وَفِي الأَسْوَاقِ تَرْفَعُ صَوْتَهَا. | ٢٠ 20 |
Wisdom [PRS] shouts to people in the streets, and calls out to people in the (plazas/town squares).
| عِنْدَ مُفْتَرَقَاتِ الطُّرُقِ الْمُزْدَحِمَةِ تَهْتِفُ، وَفِي مَدَاخِلِ بَوَّابَاتِ الْمَدِينَةِ تُرَدِّدُ أَقْوَالَهَا: | ٢١ 21 |
Wisdom calls out in noisy places, and at the entrances to cities.
| «إِلَى مَتَى أَيُّهَا الْجُهَّالُ تَظَلُّونَ مُوْلَعِينَ بِالسَّذَاجَةِ، وَالسَّاخِرُونَ تُسَرُّونَ بِالسُّخْرِيَةِ، وَالْحَمْقَى بِكَرَاهِيَةِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ؟ | ٢٢ 22 |
[Wisdom says], “How long will you stupid people continue to enjoy doing foolish things [RHQ]? How long will you people who ridicule God enjoy doing that [RHQ]? How long will you foolish people refuse to know [what things are right] [RHQ]?
| إِنْ رَجَعْتُمْ عِنْدَ تَوْبِيخِي وَتُبْتُمْ، أَسْكُبْ عَلَيْكُمْ رُوحِي وَأُعَلِّمْكُمْ كَلِمَاتِي. | ٢٣ 23 |
If you pay attention to me when I rebuke you, I will tell you what I am thinking in my inner being; I will give you some good advice.
| وَلَكِنْ لأَنَّكُمْ أَبَيْتُمْ دَعْوَتِي، وَرَفَضْتُمْ يَدِي الْمَمْدُودَةَ إِلَيْكُمْ، | ٢٤ 24 |
But when I called to you, you refused to listen. I beckoned to you to come to me, but you ignored me.
| وَتَجَاهَلْتُمْ كُلَّ نَصَائِحِي وَلَمْ تَقْبَلُوا تَوْبِيخِي، | ٢٥ 25 |
I tried to advise you, but you refused to listen to me. I tried to correct you, but you rejected what I told you.
| فَأَنَا أَيْضاً أَسْخَرُ عِنْدَ مُصَابِكُمْ، وَأَشْمَتُ عِنْدَ حُلُولِ بَلِيَّتِكُمْ. | ٢٦ 26 |
So [now], when you are experiencing troubles/disasters, I will laugh at you. When things happen that cause you to be afraid, I will make fun of you.
| عِنْدَمَا تَجْتَاحُكُمُ الْبَلِيَّةُ كَالْعَاصِفَةِ، وَتَحُلُّ بِكُمُ الْكَارِثَةُ كَالزَّوْبَعَةِ، عِنْدَمَا يَعْتَرِيكُمْ ضِيقٌ وَشِدَّةٌ، | ٢٧ 27 |
When calamities strike you like a big storm, when disasters hit you like a violent wind, when [all kinds of things] distress you and give you trouble, [I will ridicule you!]
| حِينَئِذٍ يَسْتَغِيثُونَ بِي فَلا أَسْتَجِيبُ، وَيَلْتَمِسُونَنِي فَلا يَجِدُونَنِي. | ٢٨ 28 |
[Wisdom also says], “When foolish people call to me [to help them], I will not answer them. They will search for me diligently/everywhere, but they will not find me.
| لأَنَّهُمْ كَرِهُوا الْمَعْرِفَةَ وَلَمْ يُؤْثِرُوا مَخَافَةَ الرَّبِّ، | ٢٩ 29 |
They refused to know [what things are right], and they decided not to revere Yahweh.
| وَتَنَكَّرُوا لِكُلِّ مَشُورَتِي، وَاسْتَخَفُّوا بِتَوْبِيخِي. | ٣٠ 30 |
They would not accept my advice, and they did not pay attention when I tried to correct them.
| لِذَلِكَ يَأْكُلُونَ ثِمَارَ أَعْمَالِهِمِ الْمُرَّةَ، وَيَشْبَعُونَ مِنْ عَوَاقِبِ مُؤَامَرَاتِهِمْ | ٣١ 31 |
So they will endure what will result [MET, DOU] from the evil way they have lived/behaved and the evil things they have planned to do.
| لأَنَّ ضَلالَ الحَمْقَى يَقْتُلُهُمْ، وَتَرَفَ الجُهَّالِ يُهْلِكُهُمْ. | ٣٢ 32 |
Those who turn away from me are stupid/foolish; they will die because of doing that.
| أَمَّا الْمُسْتَمِعُ لِي فَيَسْكُنُ آمِناً مُطْمَئِنّاً لَا يُصِيبُهُ خَوْفٌ مِنَ الشَّرِّ». | ٣٣ 33 |
But those who pay attention to me will live peacefully and safely, and they will not be afraid that something will harm them.”
