أَمْثَالٌ 11

١ 1 مَوَازِينُ غِشٍّ مَكْرَهَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ، وَٱلْوَزْنُ ٱلصَّحِيحُ رِضَاهُ.

Scales of deceit are hated by the Lord, but a true weight is his delight.

٢ 2 تَأْتِي ٱلْكِبْرِيَاءُ فَيَأْتِي ٱلْهَوَانُ، وَمَعَ ٱلْمُتَوَاضِعِينَ حِكْمَةٌ.

When pride comes, there comes shame, but wisdom is with the quiet in spirit.

٣ 3 اِسْتِقَامَةُ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ تَهْدِيهِمْ، وَٱعْوِجَاجُ ٱلْغَادِرِينَ يُخْرِبُهُمْ.

The righteousness of the upright will be their guide, but the twisted ways of the false will be their destruction.

٤ 4 لَا يَنْفَعُ ٱلْغِنَى فِي يَوْمِ ٱلسَّخَطِ، أَمَّا ٱلْبِرُّ فَيُنَجِّي مِنَ ٱلْمَوْتِ.

Wealth is of no profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness keeps a man safe from death.

٥ 5 بِرُّ ٱلْكَامِلِ يُقَوِّمُ طَرِيقَهُ، أَمَّا ٱلشِّرِّيرُ فَيَسْقُطُ بِشَرِّهِ.

The righteousness of the good man will make his way straight, but the sin of the evil-doer will be the cause of his fall.

٦ 6 بِرُّ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ يُنَجِّيهِمْ، أَمَّا ٱلْغَادِرُونَ فَيُؤْخَذُونَ بِفَسَادِهِمْ.

The righteousness of the upright will be their salvation, but the false will themselves be taken in their evil designs.

٧ 7 عِنْدَ مَوْتِ إِنْسَانٍ شِرِّيرٍ يَهْلِكُ رَجَاؤُهُ، وَمُنْتَظَرُ ٱلْأَثَمَةِ يَبِيدُ.

At the death of an upright man his hope does not come to an end, but the hope of the evil-doer comes to destruction.

٨ 8 اَلصِّدِّيقُ يَنْجُو مِنَ ٱلضِّيقِ، وَيَأْتِي ٱلشِّرِّيرُ مَكَانَهُ.

The upright man is taken out of trouble, and in his place comes the sinner.

٩ 9 بِٱلْفَمِ يُخْرِبُ ٱلْمُنَافِقُ صَاحِبَهُ، وَبِالْمَعْرِفَةِ يَنْجُو ٱلصِّدِّيقُونَ.

With his mouth the evil man sends destruction on his neighbour; but through knowledge the upright are taken out of trouble.

١٠ 10 بِخَيْرِ ٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ تَفْرَحُ ٱلْمَدِينَةُ، وَعِنْدَ هَلَاكِ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ هُتَافٌ.

When things go well for the upright man, all the town is glad; at the death of sinners, there are cries of joy.

١١ 11 بِبَرَكَةِ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ تَعْلُو ٱلْمَدِينَةُ، وَبِفَمِ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ تُهْدَمُ.

By the blessing of the upright man the town is made great, but it is overturned by the mouth of the evil-doer.

١٢ 12 اَلْمُحْتَقِرُ صَاحِبَهُ هُوَ نَاقِصُ ٱلْفَهْمِ، أَمَّا ذُو ٱلْفَهْمِ فَيَسْكُتُ.

He who has a poor opinion of his neighbour has no sense, but a wise man keeps quiet.

١٣ 13 ٱلسَّاعِي بِٱلْوِشَايَةِ يُفْشِي ٱلسِّرَّ، وَٱلْأَمِينُ ٱلرُّوحِ يَكْتُمُ ٱلْأَمْرَ.

He who goes about talking of others makes secrets public, but the true-hearted man keeps things covered.

١٤ 14 حَيْثُ لَا تَدْبِيرٌ يَسْقُطُ ٱلشَّعْبُ، أَمَّا ٱلْخَلَاصُ فَبِكَثْرَةِ ٱلْمُشِيرِينَ.

When there is no helping suggestion the people will have a fall, but with a number of wise guides they will be safe.

١٥ 15 ضَرَرًا يُضَرُّ مَنْ يَضْمَنُ غَرِيبًا، وَمَنْ يُبْغِضُ صَفْقَ ٱلْأَيْدِي مُطْمَئِنٌّ.

He who makes himself responsible for a strange man will undergo much loss; but the hater of such undertakings will be safe.

١٦ 16 اَلْمَرْأَةُ ذَاتُ ٱلنِّعْمَةِ تُحَصِّلُ كَرَامَةً، وَٱلْأَشِدَّاءُ يُحَصِّلُونَ غِنًى.

A woman who is full of grace is honoured, but a woman hating righteousness is a seat of shame: those hating work will undergo loss, but the strong keep their wealth.

١٧ 17 اَلرَّجُلُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ يُحْسِنُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَٱلْقَاسِي يُكَدِّرُ لَحْمَهُ.

The man who has mercy will be rewarded, but the cruel man is the cause of trouble to himself.

١٨ 18 اَلشِّرِّيرُ يَكْسَبُ أُجْرَةَ غِشٍّ، وَٱلزَّارِعُ ٱلْبِرَّ أُجْرَةَ أَمَانَةٍ.

The sinner gets the payment of deceit; but his reward is certain who puts in the seed of righteousness.

١٩ 19 كَمَا أَنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ يَؤُولُ إِلَى ٱلْحَيَاةِ كَذَلِكَ مَنْ يَتْبَعُ ٱلشَّرَّ فَإِلَى مَوْتِهِ.

So righteousness gives life; but he who goes after evil gets death for himself.

٢٠ 20 كَرَاهَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ مُلْتَوُو ٱلْقَلْبِ، وَرِضَاهُ مُسْتَقِيمُو ٱلطَّرِيقِ.

The uncontrolled are hated by the Lord, but those whose ways are without error are his delight

٢١ 21 يَدٌ لِيَدٍ لَا يَتَبَرَّرُ ٱلشِّرِّيرُ، أَمَّا نَسْلُ ٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ فَيَنْجُو.

Certainly the evil-doer will not go free from punishment, but the seed of the upright man will be safe.

٢٢ 22 خِزَامَةُ ذَهَبٍ فِي فِنْطِيسَةِ خِنْزِيرَةٍ ٱلْمَرْأَةُ ٱلْجَمِيلَةُ ٱلْعَدِيمَةُ ٱلْعَقْلِ.

Like a ring of gold in the nose of a pig, is a beautiful woman who has no sense.

٢٣ 23 شَهْوَةُ ٱلْأَبْرَارِ خَيْرٌ فَقَطْ. رَجَاءُ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ سَخَطٌ.

The desire of the upright man is only for good, but wrath is waiting for the evil-doer.

٢٤ 24 يُوجَدُ مَنْ يُفَرِّقُ فَيَزْدَادُ أَيْضًا، وَمَنْ يُمْسِكُ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ ٱللَّائِقِ وَإِنَّمَا إِلَى ٱلْفَقْرِ.

A man may give freely, and still his wealth will be increased; and another may keep back more than is right, but only comes to be in need.

٢٥ 25 ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلسَّخِيَّةُ تُسَمَّنُ، وَٱلْمُرْوِي هُوَ أَيْضًا يُرْوَى.

He who gives blessing will be made fat, but the curser will himself be cursed.

٢٦ 26 مُحْتَكِرُ ٱلْحِنْطَةِ يَلْعَنُهُ ٱلشَّعْبُ، وَٱلْبَرَكَةُ عَلَى رَأْسِ ٱلْبَائِعِ.

He who keeps back grain will be cursed by the people; but a blessing will be on the head of him who lets them have it for a price.

٢٧ 27 مَنْ يَطْلُبُ ٱلْخَيْرَ يَلْتَمِسُ ٱلرِّضَا، وَمَنْ يَطْلُبُ ٱلشَّرَّ فَٱلشَّرُّ يَأْتِيهِ.

He who, with all his heart, goes after what is good is searching for grace; but he who is looking for trouble will get it.

٢٨ 28 مَنْ يَتَّكِلْ عَلَى غِنَاهُ يَسْقُطْ، أَمَّا ٱلصِّدِّيقُونَ فَيَزْهُونَ كَٱلْوَرَقِ.

He who puts his faith in wealth will come to nothing; but the upright man will be full of growth like the green leaf.

٢٩ 29 مَنْ يُكَدِّرُ بَيْتَهُ يَرِثِ ٱلرِّيحَ، وَٱلْغَبِيُّ خَادِمٌ لِحَكِيمِ ٱلْقَلْبِ.

The troubler of his house will have the wind for his heritage, and the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted.

٣٠ 30 ثَمَرُ ٱلصِّدِّيقِ شَجَرَةُ حَيَاةٍ، وَرَابِحُ ٱلنُّفُوسِ حَكِيمٌ.

The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life, but violent behaviour takes away souls.

٣١ 31 هُوَذَا ٱلصِّدِّيقُ يُجَازَى فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ، فَكَمْ بِٱلْحَرِيِّ ٱلشِّرِّيرُ وَٱلْخَاطِئُ!

If the upright man is rewarded on earth, how much more the evil-doer and the sinner!