Proverbs 23
1 When you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.
| إِذَا جَلَسْتَ تَأْكُلُ مَعَ حَاكِمٍ، فَتَأَمَّلْ أَشَدَّ التَّأَمُّلِ فِيمَا هُوَ أَمَامَكَ. | ١ |
2 [Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.
| ضَعْ سِكِّيناً فِي حَلْقِكَ إِنْ كُنْتَ شَرِهاً! | ٢ |
3 Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.
| لَا تَشْتَهِ أَطَايِبَهُ لأَنَّهَا أَطْعِمَةٌ خَادِعَةٌ. | ٣ |
4 Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,
| لَا تَشْقَ طَلَباً للثَّرَاءِ. اكْبَحْ جِمَاحَ نَفْسِكَ بِفَضْلِ فِطْنَتِكَ. | ٤ |
5 because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.
| مَا تَكَادُ تَتَأَلَّقُ عَيْنَاكَ حُبُوراً بِهِ حَتَّى يَتَبَدَّدَ، إِذْ فَجْأَةً يَصْنَعُ لِنَفْسِهِ أَجْنِحَةً وَيَطِيرُ كَالنَّسْرِ مُحَلِّقاً نَحْوَ السَّمَاءِ. | ٥ |
6 [If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,
| لَا تَأْكُلْ مِنْ خُبْزِ رَجُلٍ بَخِيلٍ، وَلا تَشْتَهِ أَطَايِبَهُ، | ٦ |
7 because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.
| لأَنَّهُ يُفَكِّرُ دَائِماً فِي الثَّمَنِ. يَقُولُ لَكَ: كُلْ وَاشْرَبْ، إِلّا أَنَّ قَلْبَهُ يَكُنُّ لَكَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ، | ٧ |
8 [When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.
| فَتَتَقَيَّأَ اللُّقَمَ الَّتِي أَكَلْتَهَا وَتَذْهَبَ كَلِمَاتُكَ الطَّيِّبَةُ سُدىً! | ٨ |
9 (Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.
| لَا تَتَكَلَّمْ فِي مَسَامِعِ الْجَاهِلِ لأَنَّهُ يَزْدَرِي بِحِكْمَةِ أَقْوَالِكَ. | ٩ |
10 Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,
| لَا تَنْقُلْ مَعَالِمَ تُخْمٍ قَدِيمٍ، وَلا تَدْخُلْ حُقُولَ الأَيْتَامِ، | ١٠ |
11 because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.
| لأَنَّ وَلِيَّهُمْ قَادِرٌ، وَهُوَ يُدَافِعُ عَنْ دَعْوَاهُمْ ضِدَّكَ. | ١١ |
12 Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.
| وَجِّهْ قَلْبَكَ إِلَى التَّأْدِيبِ، وَأَرْهِفْ أُذُنَيْكَ لِكَلِمَاتِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ. | ١٢ |
13 Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,
| لَا تَمْتَنِعْ عَنْ تَأْدِيبِ الْوَلَدِ. إِنْ عَاقَبْتَهُ بِالْعَصَا لَا يَمُوتُ. | ١٣ |
| اضْرِبْهُ بِالْعَصَا، فَتُنْقِذَ نَفْسَهُ مِنَ الْهَاوِيَةِ. (Sheol h7585) | ١٤ |
15 My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.
| يَا ابْنِي إِنْ كَانَ قَلْبُكَ حَكِيماً، يَبْتَهِجُ قَلْبِي أَيْضاً، | ١٥ |
16 I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.
| تَفْرَحُ نَفْسِي عِنْدَمَا تَنْطِقُ شَفَتَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ. | ١٦ |
17 Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.
| لَا يَغَرْ قَلْبُكَ مِنَ الْخُطَاةِ، بَلْ وَاظِبْ عَلَى تَقْوَى الرَّبِّ الْيَوْمَ كُلَّهُ، | ١٧ |
18 [If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.
| فَهُنَاكَ حَقّاً ثَوَابٌ، وَرَجَاؤُكَ لَنْ يَخِيبَ. | ١٨ |
19 My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).
| اسْتَمِعْ يَا ابْنِي وَكُنْ حَكِيماً، وَوَجِّهْ قَلْبَكَ نَحْوَ سَبِيلِ الْحَقِّ. | ١٩ |
20 Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),
| لَا تَكُنْ وَاحِداً مِنْ مُدْمِنِي الْخَمْرِ، الشَّرِهِينَ لاِلْتِهَامِ اللَّحْمِ، | ٢٠ |
21 because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).
| لأَنَّ السِّكِّيرَ وَالشَّرِهَ يَفْتَقِرَانِ، وَكَثْرَةُ النَّوْمِ تَكْسُو الْمَرْءَ بِالْخِرَقِ. | ٢١ |
22 Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.
| اسْتَمِعْ لأَبِيكَ الَّذِي أَنْجَبَكَ، وَلا تَحْتَقِرْ أُمَّكَ إِذَا شَاخَتْ. | ٢٢ |
23 Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.
| اقْتَنِ الْحَقَّ وَلا تَبِعْهُ، وَكَذَا الْحِكْمَةَ وَالتَّأْدِيبَ وَالْفِطْنَةَ. | ٢٣ |
24 Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.
| أَبُو الصِّدِّيقِ يَغْتَبِطُ أَشَدَّ الاغْتِبَاطِ، وَمَنْ أَنْجَبَ حَكِيماً يُسَرُّ بِهِ. | ٢٤ |
25 [Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.
| لِيَفْرَحْ أَبُوكَ وَأُمُّكَ وَلْتَبْتَهِجْ مَنْ أَنْجَبَتْكَ. | ٢٥ |
26 My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.
| يَا ابْنِي هَبْنِي قَلْبَكَ، وَلْتُرَاعِ عَيْنَاكَ سُبُلِي. | ٢٦ |
27 Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].
| فَإِنَّ الْعَاهِرَةَ حُفْرَةٌ عَمِيقَةٌ، وَالزَّوْجَةَ الْمَاجِنَةَ بِئْرٌ ضَيِّقَةٌ، | ٢٧ |
28 They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.
| تَكْمُنُ مُتَرَبِّصَةً كَلِصٍّ، وَتَزِيدُ مِنَ الْغَادِرِينَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ. | ٢٨ |
29 I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.
| لِمَنِ الْمُعَانَاةُ؟ لِمَنِ الْوَيْلُ وَالشَّقَاءُ وَالْمُخَاصَمَاتُ وَالشَّكْوَى؟ لِمَنِ الْجِرَاحُ بِلا سَبَبٍ؟ وِلِمَنِ احْمِرَارُ الْعَيْنَيْنِ؟ | ٢٩ |
30 [It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.
| إِنَّهَا لِلْمُدْمِنِينَ الْخَمْرَ، السَّاعِينَ وَرَاءَ الْمُسْكِرِ الْمَمْزُوجِ. | ٣٠ |
31 Do not look with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,
| لَا تَنْظُرْ إِلَى الْخَمْرِ إِذَا الْتَهَبَتْ بِالاحْمِرَارِ، وَتَأَلَّقَتْ فِي الْكَأْسِ، وَسَالَتْ سَائِغَةً، | ٣١ |
32 because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].
| فَإِنَّهَا فِي آخِرِهَا تَلْسَعُ كَالْحَيَّةِ وَتَلْدَغُ كَالأُفْعُوَانِ. | ٣٢ |
33 You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.
| فَتُشَاهِدُ عَيْنَاكَ أُمُوراً غَرِيبَةً، وَقَلْبُكَ يُحَدِّثُكَ بِأَشْيَاءَ مُلْتَوِيَةٍ، | ٣٣ |
34 You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.
| فَتَكُونُ مُتَرَنِّحاً كَمَنْ يَضْطَجِعُ فِي وَسَطِ عُبَابِ الْبَحْرِ، أَوْ كَرَاقِدٍ عَلَى قِمَّةِ سَارِيَةٍ! | ٣٤ |
35 You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”
| فَتَقُولُ: «ضَرَبُونِي وَلَكِنْ لَمْ أَتَوَجَّعْ. لَكَمُونِي فَلَمْ أَشْعُرْ، فَمَتَى أَسْتَيْقِظُ؟ سَأَذْهَبُ أَلْتَمِسُ شُرْبَهَا مَرَّةً أُخْرَى». | ٣٥ |
