Proverbs 18
1 Those who separate themselves [from other people] think [only] about those things that they are interested in; [if they would continually associate with] those who have good judgment/sense, they would constantly disagree/quarrel with them.
| الْمُعْتَزِلُ (عَنِ اللهِ وَالنَّاسِ) يَنْشُدُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَيَتَنَكَّرُ لِكُلِّ مَشُورَةٍ صَائِبَةٍ. | ١ |
2 Foolish people do not want to understand [anything]; they only want to (express their [own] opinions/say what they think) [IDM].
| لَا يَعْبَأُ الْجَاهِلُ بِالْفِطْنَةِ، بَلْ هَمُّهُ الإِعْرَابُ عَمَّا فِي نَفْسِهِ. | ٢ |
3 Whenever people do wicked things, others will despise them; when people do things that cause themselves to no [longer] be honored, they will be disgraced [also].
| إِذَا أَقْبَلَ الشِّرِّيرُ أَقْبَلَ مَعَهُ الاحْتِقَارُ، وَالْعَارُ يُلازِمُ الْهَوَانَ. | ٣ |
4 What wise people say is [like] a deep ocean [that you can never get to the bottom of] [MET], and it [refreshes us like water from] a rapidly flowing stream.
| كَلِمَاتُ الإِنْسَانِ مِيَاهٌ عَمِيقَةٌ يَتَعَذَّرُ سَبْرُ غَوْرِهَا، وَيَنْبُوعُ الْحِكْمَةِ نَهْرٌ مُتَدَفِّقٌ. | ٤ |
5 It is not good [for a judge] to decide matters in favor of those who (are guilty/have done wicked things) and to not do what is just for those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
| مِنَ السُّوءِ مُحَابَاةُ الشِّرِّيرِ، أَوْ حِرْمَانُ الْبَرِيءِ مِنَ الْقَضَاءِ الْحَقِّ. | ٥ |
6 When foolish people [SYN] start arguments, [it is as though] they [SYN] are requesting/inviting someone to flog/whip them.
| أَقْوَالُ الْجَاهِلِ تُوْقِعُهُ فِي الْمَتَاعِبِ، وَكَلِمَاتُهُ تُسَبِّبُ لَهُ الضَّرْبَ. | ٦ |
7 What foolish people [MTY] say causes them to be ruined; their [own] words are [like] a trap [MET] [that catches/seizes] them.
| كَلِمَاتُ الْجَاهِلِ مَهْلَكَةٌ لَهُ، وَأَقْوَالُهُ فَخٌّ لِنَفْسِهِ. | ٧ |
8 [People enjoy listening to] what gossips say like [SIM] [they enjoy] tasty food; they [accept what gossips tell them like] [MET] they swallow tasty food.
| هَمْسَاتُ النَّمَّامِ كَلُقَمٍ سَائِغَةٍ تَنْزَلِقُ إِلَى بَوَاطِنِ الْجَوْفِ. | ٨ |
9 People who are lazy while they work are [just as bad] as [IDM] those who destroy things.
| الْمُتَقَاعِسُ عَنْ عَمَلِهِ هُوَ أَخُو الهَادِمِ. | ٩ |
10 Yahweh [MTY] is [like] a strong tower [MET]; righteous people [can] go to him and be safe [like they can run to a tower to be safe].
| اسْمُ الرَّبِّ بُرْجٌ مَنِيعٌ يُهْرَعُ إِلَيْهِ الصِّدِّيقُ وَيَنْجُو مِنَ الْخَطَرِ. | ١٠ |
11 Rich people [are protected because they have] a lot of money [PRS] like a city is protected because it has a high wall surrounding it [SIM].
| ثَرْوَةُ الْغَنِيِّ مَدِينَتُهُ الْحَصِينَةُ، وَهِيَ فِي وَهْمِهِ سُورٌ شَامِخٌ. | ١١ |
12 Proud people are on the road to being ruined, but being humble leads to being honored.
| قَبْلَ الانْكِسَارِ تَشَامُخُ الْقَلْبِ، وَقَبْلَ الْكَرَامَةِ التَّواضُعُ. | ١٢ |
13 Those who reply to someone before that person has finished speaking are foolish; doing that is disgraceful.
| مَنْ أَجَابَ عَنْ أَمْرٍ مَازَالَ يَجْهَلُهُ، فَذَاكَ حَمَاقَةٌ مِنْهُ وَعَارٌ لَهُ. | ١٣ |
14 A desire to [continue to] live can sustain someone when he is sick; if he loses that desire, he (cannot endure it/will become very discouraged) when he is sick [RHQ].
| رُوحُ الإِنْسَانِ الْقَوِيَّةُ تَحْتَمِلُ مَرَضَهُ، أَمَّا الرُّوحُ الْمُنْسَحِقَةُ فَمَنْ يَتَحَمَّلُهَا؟ | ١٤ |
15 Intelligent people [are always wanting to] learn more; wise people [SYN] are not content with what they already know.
| عَقْلُ الْفَهِيمِ يَقْتَنِي مَعْرِفَةً، وَأُذُنُ الْحُكَمَاءِ تَنْشُدُ عِلْماً. | ١٥ |
16 If you take a gift to an important person, that will open the way to allow you to talk to him.
| هَدِيَّةُ الإِنْسَانِ تُمَهِّدُ لَهُ السَّبِيلَ، وَتَجْعَلُهُ يَمْثُلُ أَمَامَ الْعُظَمَاءِ. | ١٦ |
17 The first person to present his case in court seems right, but when (someone else/his opponent) begins to ask him questions, [it may become clear that what he said was not true].
| مَنْ يَعْرِضُ قَضِيَّتَهُ أَوَّلاً يَبْدُو مُحِقّاً إِلَى أَنْ يَأْتِيَ آخَرُ وَيَسْتَجْوِبَهُ. | ١٧ |
18 If two influential/important people are arguing, [someone can] settle the matter by (casting lots/throwing marked stones to decide who is right).
| تَفْصِلُ الْقُرْعَةُ فِي الْخُصُومَاتِ وَتَحْسِمُ الأَمْرَ بَيْنَ الْمُتَنَازِعِينَ الأَقْوِيَاءِ. | ١٨ |
19 If you help relatives, they will [protect you] like [SIM] a strong wall [protects a city], but if you quarrel with them, [that will separate you from them] like bars on a city gate [separate the city from those who want to enter it] [MET].
| إِرْضَاءُ الأَخِ الْمُتَأَذِّي أَصْعَبُ مِنْ قَهْرِ مَدِينَةٍ حَصِينَةٍ، وَالْمُخَاصَمَاتُ كَعَارِضَةِ قَلْعَةٍ. | ١٩ |
20 People are happy when they hear others say [MTY] something that is good, [like] they are happy when they eat food that is good [MET].
| مِنْ ثَمَرِ أَقْوَالِ الإِنْسَانِ تَشْبَعُ ذَاتُهُ، وَمِنْ غَلَّةِ كَلِمَاتِهِ يَلْقَى جَزَاءَهُ | ٢٠ |
21 What you say can cause others to be killed or it can cause them to [continue to] live; [so] those who like [to talk a lot] must (accept the consequences/realize that what they say can cause much harm).
| فِي اللِّسَانِ حَيَاةٌ أَوْ مَوْتٌ، وَالْمُوْلَعُونَ بِاسْتِخْدَامِهِ يَتَحَمَّلُونَ الْعَوَاقِبَ. | ٢١ |
22 If you marry a [good] woman, that is [like] finding a wonderful thing; [it shows that] Yahweh is pleased with you.
| مَنْ عَثَرَ عَلَى زَوْجَةٍ صَالِحَةٍ نَالَ خَيْراً وَحَظِيَ بِمَرْضَاةِ اللهِ. | ٢٢ |
23 [It is necessary for] poor [people] to speak politely when they request [rich people to do something for them], but rich [people] reply very impolitely when poor people speak to them.
| يَتَوَسَّلُ الْفَقِيرُ بِتَضَرُّعَاتٍ، أَمَّا الْغَنِيُّ فَيُجَاوِبُ بِخُشُونَةٍ. | ٢٣ |
24 There are [some] people who [only] pretend to be friends [with us], but there are [some] friends who are more loyal than members of our families.
| مَنْ يُكْثِرِ الأَصْحَابَ يُخْرِبْ نَفْسَهُ، وَرُبَّ صَدِيقٍ أَلْزَقُ مِنَ الأَخِ. | ٢٤ |
