< Proverbs 25 >

1 These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the scribes of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
هَذِهِ أَيْضاً أَمْثَالُ سُلَيْمَانَ الَّتِي نَسَخَهَا رِجَالُ حَزَقِيَّا مَلِكِ يَهُوذَا:١
2 God's greatness is in doing things that can't be known, while the greatness of kings is in revealing things.
مِنْ مَظَاهِرِ مَجْدِ اللهِ كِتْمَانُ أَسْرَارِهِ، أَمَّا مَظَاهِرُ مَجْدِ الْمَلِكِ فَالْكَشْفُ عَنْ بَوَاطِنِ الأُمُورِ.٢
3 Just as the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth can't be known, the king's thinking can't be known.
كَمَا أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ لِلْعُلُوِّ، وَالأَرْضَ لِلْعُمْقِ، فَإِنَّ قَلْبَ الْمَلِكِ لَا يُسْبَرُ غَوْرُهُ.٣
4 Remove the waste from the silver, and the silversmith has pure silver to work with.
نَقِّ الْفِضَّةَ مِنْ شَوَائِبِهَا، فَيَخْلُصَ لِلصَّائِغِ مَا يَصْنَعُ مِنْهُ إِنَاءً.٤
5 Remove the wicked from the king's presence and the king will rule securely and justly.
أَبْعِدِ الشِّرِّيرَ مِنْ حَضْرَةِ الْمَلِكِ، يَتَثَبَّتُ عَرْشُهُ بِالْعَدْلِ.٥
6 Don't try to make yourself look great before the king, and don't pretend to be among the important people,
لَا تَتَبَاهَ أَمَامَ الْمَلِكِ، وَلا تَقِفْ فِي مَوْضِعِ الْعُظَمَاءِ،٦
7 for it's better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be humiliated before a nobleman. Even though you've seen something with your own eyes,
لأَنَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَنْ يُقَالَ لَكَ: ارْتَفِعْ إِلَى هُنَا مِنْ أَنْ يُحَطَّ مَقَامُكَ فِي حَضْرَةِ الرَّئِيسِ، الَّذِي شَاهَدَتْهُ عَيْنَاكَ.٧
8 don't rush to take legal action, for what are you going to do in the end when your neighbor shows you're wrong and humiliates you?
لَا تَتَسَرَّعْ بِالذَّهَابِ إِلَى سَاحَةِ الْقَضَاءِ، إِذْ مَاذَا تَفْعَلُ فِي النِّهَايَةِ إِنْ أَخْزَاكَ قَرِيبُكَ؟٨
9 Discuss the case with your neighbor himself, and don't betray someone else's secret,
قُمْ بِمُنَاقَشَةِ دَعْوَاكَ مَعَ قَرِيبِكَ، وَلا تُفْشِ سِرَّ غَيْرِكَ،٩
10 otherwise whoever hears it will make you ashamed and you'll never lose your bad reputation.
لِئَلّا يُعَيِّرَكَ السَّامِعُ، وَلا تُمْحَى فَضِيحَتُكَ.١٠
11 Advice given at the right time is like golden apples set in silver.
كَلِمَةٌ تُقَالُ فِي أَوَانِهَا مِثْلُ تُفَّاحٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ فِي مَصُوغٍ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ.١١
12 Constructive criticism from the wise to someone who listens is like a gold ring and a necklace of fine gold.
الْمُوَبِّخُ الْحَكِيمُ لأُذُنٍ صَاغِيَةٍ مِثْلُ قُرْطٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَحَلِيٍّ مِنْ إِبْرِيزٍ.١٢
13 Faithful messengers are as refreshing to their master as cold snow on a hot harvest day.
الرَّسُولُ الأَمِينُ لِمُرْسِلِيهِ مِثْلُ بُرُودَةِ الثَّلْجِ فِي يَوْمِ الْحَصَادِ، لأَنَّهُ يُنْعِشُ نُفُوسَ سَادَتِهِ.١٣
14 Someone who boasts about a gift they never give is like cloud and wind without rain.
الْمُتَفَاخِرُ بِإِغْدَاقِ هَدَايَا كَاذِبَةٍ هُوَ كَالسَّحَابِ وَالرِّيحِ بِلا مَطَرٍ.١٤
15 If you're patient you can persuade your superior, and soft words can break down opposition.
بِالصَّبْرِ يَتِمُّ إِقْنَاعُ الْحَاكِمِ، وَاللِّسَانُ اللَّيِّنُ يَكْسِرُ الْعِظَامَ.١٥
16 If you find honey, eat just enough, for if you eat too much, you'll be sick.
إِنْ عَثَرْتَ عَلَى عَسَلٍ فَكُلْ مِنْهُ مَا يَكْفِيكَ، لِئَلّا تَتَّخِمَ فَتَتَقَيَّأَهُ،١٦
17 Don't set foot in your neighbors' homes too often, otherwise they'll get fed up with you and hate you.
أَقْلِلْ مِنْ زِيَارَةِ قَرِيبِكَ لِئَلّا يَمَلَّ مِنْكَ وَيَمْقُتَكَ.١٧
18 Telling lies in court against a friend is like attacking them with a mace, or a sword, or an arrow.
شَاهِدُ الزُّورِ ضِدَّ قَرِيبِهِ هُوَ مِثْلُ مِطْرَقَةٍ وَسَيْفٍ وَسَهْمٍ مَسْنُونٍ.١٨
19 Trusting in unreliable people in times of trouble is like eating with a broken tooth or walking on a bad foot.
الاعْتِمَادُ عَلَى الْغَادِرِ فِي وَقْتِ الضِّيقِ مِثْلُ سِنٍّ مَهْتُومَةٍ أَوْ رِجْلٍ مُخَلَّعَةٍ.١٩
20 Singing happy songs to someone who's broken-hearted is like taking off your coat on a cold day, or pouring vinegar onto an open wound.
مَنْ يَشْدُو بِالأَغَانِي لِقَلْبٍ كَئِيبٍ يَكُونُ كَنَزْعِ الثَّوْبِ فِي يَوْمٍ قَارِسِ الْبُرُودَةِ، أَوْ كَخَلٍّ عَلَى نَطْرُونٍ.٢٠
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat; if he's thirsty, give him a drink of water.
إِنْ جَاعَ عَدُوُّكَ فَأَطْعِمْهُ، وَإِنْ عَطِشَ فَاسْقِهِ،٢١
22 This will make him ashamed as if he had burning coals piled on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
فَإِنْ فَعَلْتَ هَذَا تَجْمَعْ جَمْراً عَلَى رَأْسِهِ، وَالرَّبُّ يُكَافِئُكَ.٢٢
23 In the same way that the north wind brings rain, slandering people makes them angry.
رِيحُ الشِّمَالِ تَجْلِبُ الْمَطَرَ، وَاللِّسَانُ النَّمَّامُ يَسْتَأْثِرُ بِالنَّظَرَاتِ الْغَاضِبَةِ.٢٣
24 It's better to live in a corner of a housetop than to share a whole house with an argumentative wife.
الإِقَامَةُ فِي رُكْنِ سَطْحٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ مُشَاطَرَةِ بَيْتٍ مَعَ زَوْجَةٍ نَكِدَةٍ.٢٤
25 Good news from a distant country is like cold water to an exhausted traveler.
الْخَبَرُ الطَّيِّبُ مِنْ أَرْضٍ بَعِيدَةٍ مِثْلُ مَاءٍ بَارِدٍ لِلنَّفْسِ الظَّامِئَةِ.٢٥
26 Good people who give in to the wicked are like a muddied spring or a polluted well.
الصِّدِّيقُ الْمُتَخَاذِلُ أَمَامَ الشِّرِّيرِ هُوَ عَيْنٌ عَكِرَةٌ وَيَنْبُوعٌ فَاسِدٌ.٢٦
27 It's not good to eat too much honey, or to want too much praise.
كَمَا أَنَّ الإِكْثَارَ مِنِ الْتِهَامِ الْعَسَلِ مُضِرٌّ، كَذَلِكَ الْتِمَاسُ الْمَجْدِ الذَّاتِيِّ مَدْعَاةٌ لِلْهَوَانِ.٢٧
28 Someone without control is as exposed as a town whose walls have been breached.
الرَّجُلُ الْمُفْتَقِرُ لِضَبْطِ النَّفْسِ مِثْلُ مَدِينَةٍ مُنْهَدِمَةٍ لَا سُورَ لَهَا.٢٨

< Proverbs 25 >