أَمْثَالٌ 11

١ 1 مَوَازِينُ غِشٍّ مَكْرَهَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ، وَٱلْوَزْنُ ٱلصَّحِيحُ رِضَاهُ.

The Lord hates dishonest scales, but accurate weights please him.

٢ 2 تَأْتِي ٱلْكِبْرِيَاءُ فَيَأْتِي ٱلْهَوَانُ، وَمَعَ ٱلْمُتَوَاضِعِينَ حِكْمَةٌ.

With pride comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

٣ 3 اِسْتِقَامَةُ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ تَهْدِيهِمْ، وَٱعْوِجَاجُ ٱلْغَادِرِينَ يُخْرِبُهُمْ.

Honesty guides the good, but deceit destroys liars.

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

Wealth won't help you on judgment day, but goodness saves you from death.

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

The goodness of the innocent keeps them on track, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness.

٦ 6 بِرُّ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ يُنَجِّيهِمْ، أَمَّا ٱلْغَادِرُونَ فَيُؤْخَذُونَ بِفَسَادِهِمْ.

The goodness of those who live right will save them, but the dishonest are trapped by their own desires.

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

When a wicked person dies, their hopes die with them; what the godless look forward to is gone.

٨ 8 اَلصِّدِّيقُ يَنْجُو مِنَ ٱلضِّيقِ، وَيَأْتِي ٱلشِّرِّيرُ مَكَانَهُ.

The good are saved from trouble, while the wicked get into trouble.

٩ 9 بِٱلْفَمِ يُخْرِبُ ٱلْمُنَافِقُ صَاحِبَهُ، وَبِالْمَعْرِفَةِ يَنْجُو ٱلصِّدِّيقُونَ.

Godless people mouth off and destroy their neighbors, but the good are saved by wisdom.

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

The whole town celebrates when good people are successful; they also shout for joy when the wicked die.

١١ 11 بِبَرَكَةِ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ تَعْلُو ٱلْمَدِينَةُ، وَبِفَمِ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ تُهْدَمُ.

Ethical people are a blessing to a town, but what the wicked say destroys it.

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

People who run down their neighbors have no sense; someone who's sensible keeps quiet.

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

A gossip goes around telling secrets, but trustworthy people keep confidences.

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

A nation falls without good guidance, but they are saved through much wise counsel.

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

You'll get into trouble if you guarantee a stranger's loans—you're far safer if you refuse to make such pledges.

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

A gracious woman holds on to her honor just as ruthless men hold on to their wealth.

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

If you're kind, you'll be rewarded; but if you're cruel, you'll hurt yourself.

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

The wicked earn wages that cheat them, but those who sow goodness reap a genuine reward.

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

Do what's right, and you will live; chase after evil and you will die.

٢٠ 20 كَرَاهَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ مُلْتَوُو ٱلْقَلْبِ، وَرِضَاهُ مُسْتَقِيمُو ٱلطَّرِيقِ.

The Lord hates perverted minds, but is happy with those who live moral lives.

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

You can be certain of this: the wicked won't go unpunished, but the good will be saved.

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

A beautiful woman who lacks good judgment is like a gold ring in a pig's snout.

٢٣ 23 شَهْوَةُ ٱلْأَبْرَارِ خَيْرٌ فَقَطْ. رَجَاءُ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ سَخَطٌ.

Good people want what's best, but what the wicked hope for ends in death.

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

If you give generously you receive more, but if you keep back what you should give, you end up poor.

٢٥ 25 ٱلنَّفْسُ ٱلسَّخِيَّةُ تُسَمَّنُ، وَٱلْمُرْوِي هُوَ أَيْضًا يُرْوَى.

If you're generous, you'll become rich; give someone a drink of water, and you'll be given one in return.

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

People curse those who hoard grain; but they bless those who sell.

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

If you look to do good, you'll be appreciated; but if you look for evil, you'll find it!

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

If you trust in your riches, you'll fall; but if you do good, you'll flourish like green leaves.

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

If you cause trouble in your family, you'll inherit nothing but air. Stupid people end up as servants to those who think wisely.

٣٠ 30 ثَمَرُ ٱلصِّدِّيقِ شَجَرَةُ حَيَاةٍ، وَرَابِحُ ٱلنُّفُوسِ حَكِيمٌ.

The fruit of the good is a tree of life, and the wise person saves people.

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

If the good are repaid here on earth, how much more will the wicked who sin be repaid!