أَمْثَالٌ 14

١ 1 حِكْمَةُ ٱلْمَرْأَةِ تَبْنِي بَيْتَهَا، وَٱلْحَمَاقَةُ تَهْدِمُهُ بِيَدِهَا.

Every wise woman builds her house, but the stupid woman tears it down with her own hands.

٢ 2 اَلسَّالِكُ بِٱسْتِقَامَتِهِ يَتَّقِي ٱلرَّبَّ، وَٱلْمُعَوِّجُ طُرُقَهُ يَحْتَقِرُهُ.

Those who live right respect the Lord, but those who live dishonestly despise him.

٣ 3 فِي فَمِ ٱلْجَاهِلِ قَضِيبٌ لِكِبْرِيَائِهِ، أَمَّا شِفَاهُ ٱلْحُكَمَاءِ فَتَحْفَظُهُمْ.

What stupid people say punishes their pride, but what wise people say will protect them.

٤ 4 حَيْثُ لَا بَقَرٌ فَٱلْمَعْلَفُ فَارِغٌ، وَكَثْرَةُ ٱلْغَلَّةِ بِقُوَّةِ ٱلثَّوْرِ.

Without oxen, the manger is empty, but a good harvest comes through the ox's strength.

٥ 5 اَلشَّاهِدُ ٱلْأَمِينُ لَنْ يَكْذِبَ، وَٱلشَّاهِدُ ٱلزُّورُ يَتَفَوَّهُ بِٱلْأَكَاذِيبِ.

A trustworthy witness doesn't lie, but a false witness is deceptive.

٦ 6 اَلْمُسْتَهْزِئُ يَطْلُبُ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَلَا يَجِدُهَا، وَٱلْمَعْرِفَةُ هَيِّنَةٌ لِلْفَهِيمِ.

It's pointless for a scoffer to look for wisdom, but knowledge comes easily to someone who understands.

٧ 7 اِذْهَبْ مِنْ قُدَّامِ رَجُلٍ جَاهِلٍ إِذْ لَا تَشْعُرُ بِشَفَتَيْ مَعْرِفَةٍ.

Stay away from stupid people—you won't learn anything from them.

٨ 8 حِكْمَةُ ٱلذَّكِيِّ فَهْمُ طَرِيقِهِ، وَغَبَاوَةُ ٱلْجُهَّالِ غِشٌّ.

Sensible people use their wisdom to decide where they're going, but the foolishness of stupid people is treacherous.

٩ 9 اَلْجُهَّالُ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ بِٱلْإِثْمِ، وَبَيْنَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ رِضًى.

Stupid people laugh at sin, but good people want forgiveness.

١٠ 10 اَلْقَلْبُ يَعْرِفُ مَرَارَةَ نَفْسِهِ، وَبِفَرَحِهِ لَا يُشَارِكُهُ غَرِيبٌ.

The individual's mind alone knows its sadnesses, and no one else can share its happiness.

١١ 11 بَيْتُ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ يُخْرَبُ، وَخَيْمَةُ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ تُزْهِرُ.

The house of wicked people will be destroyed, but the tent of good people will prosper.

١٢ 12 تُوجَدُ طَرِيقٌ تَظْهَرُ لِلْإِنْسَانِ مُسْتَقِيمَةً، وَعَاقِبَتُهَا طُرُقُ ٱلْمَوْتِ.

There's a way that seems to be right, but in the end it's the way of death.

١٣ 13 أَيْضًا فِي ٱلضِّحِكِ يَكْتَئِبُ ٱلْقَلْبُ، وَعَاقِبَةُ ٱلْفَرَحِ حُزْنٌ.

Even when you're laughing you can be feeling sad—joy can end in grief.

١٤ 14 اَلْمُرْتَدُّ فِي ٱلْقَلْبِ يَشْبَعُ مِنْ طُرُقِهِ، وَٱلرَّجُلُ ٱلصَّالِحُ مِمَّا عِنْدَهُ.

Disloyal people are repaid for what they do, and good people are rewarded.

١٥ 15 اَلْغَبِيُّ يُصَدِّقُ كُلَّ كَلِمَةٍ، وَٱلذَّكِيُّ يَنْتَبِهُ إِلَى خَطَوَاتِهِ.

Stupid people believe whatever they're told, but sensible people think about what they're doing.

١٦ 16 اَلْحَكِيمُ يَخْشَى وَيَحِيدُ عَنِ ٱلشَّرِّ، وَٱلْجَاهِلُ يَتَصَلَّفُ وَيَثِقُ.

Wise people are careful and avoid evil, but stupid people are confidently reckless.

١٧ 17 اَلسَّرِيعُ ٱلْغَضَبِ يَعْمَلُ بِٱلْحَمَقِ، وَذُو ٱلْمَكَايِدِ يُشْنَأُ.

Quick-tempered people act foolishly, while people who make evil plans are hated.

١٨ 18 اَلْأَغْبِيَاءُ يَرِثُونَ ٱلْحَمَاقَةَ، وَٱلْأَذْكِيَاءُ يُتَوَّجُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرِفَةِ.

The inheritance of stupid people is stupidity, but sensible people are rewarded with knowledge.

١٩ 19 ٱلْأَشْرَارُ يَنْحَنُونَ أَمَامَ ٱلْأَخْيَارِ، وَٱلْأَثَمَةُ لَدَى أَبْوَابِ ٱلصِّدِّيقِ.

Evil people bow down before good people, and the wicked bow down at the doors of those who do right.

٢٠ 20 أَيْضًا مِنْ قَرِيبِهِ يُبْغَضُ ٱلْفَقِيرُ، وَمُحِبُّو ٱلْغَنِيِّ كَثِيرُونَ.

The poor are hated even by their neighbors, while the rich have many friends.

٢١ 21 مَنْ يَحْتَقِرُ قَرِيبَهُ يُخْطِئُ، وَمَنْ يَرْحَمُ ٱلْمَسَاكِينَ فَطُوبَى لَهُ.

People who look down on their neighbors are sinners, but those who are kind to the poor are blessed.

٢٢ 22 أَمَا يَضِلُّ مُخْتَرِعُو ٱلشَّرِّ؟ أَمَّا ٱلرَّحْمَةُ وَٱلْحَقُّ فَيَهْدِيَانِ مُخْتَرِعِي ٱلْخَيْرِ.

Aren't people who plan to do evil wrong? But those who plan to do good have trustworthy love and faithfulness.

٢٣ 23 فِي كُلِّ تَعَبٍ مَنْفَعَةٌ، وَكَلَامُ ٱلشَّفَتَيْنِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَى ٱلْفَقْرِ.

There's profit in hard work, but chatting just leads to poverty.

٢٤ 24 تَاجُ ٱلْحُكَمَاءِ غِنَاهُمْ. تَقَدُّمُ ٱلْجُهَّالِ حَمَاقَةٌ.

The wise are rewarded with wealth, but stupid people are rewarded with stupidity.

٢٥ 25 اَلشَّاهِدُ ٱلْأَمِينُ مُنَجِّي ٱلنُّفُوسِ، وَمَنْ يَتَفَوَّهُ بِٱلْأَكَاذِيبِ فَغِشٌّ.

A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is treacherous.

٢٦ 26 فِي مَخَافَةِ ٱلرَّبِّ ثِقَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ، وَيَكُونُ لِبَنِيهِ مَلْجَأٌ.

People who honor the Lord are completely safe; he will protect their children.

٢٧ 27 مَخَافَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ يَنْبُوعُ حَيَاةٍ لِلْحَيَدَانِ عَنْ أَشْرَاكِ ٱلْمَوْتِ.

Respecting the Lord is like a fountain of life, so you can avoid the snares of death.

٢٨ 28 فِي كَثْرَةِ ٱلشَّعْبِ زِينَةُ ٱلْمَلِكِ، وَفِي عَدَمِ ٱلْقَوْمِ هَلَاكُ ٱلْأَمِيرِ.

The glory of a king is the number of his subjects, for a ruler is nothing without them.

٢٩ 29 بَطِيءُ ٱلْغَضَبِ كَثِيرُ ٱلْفَهْمِ، وَقَصِيرُ ٱلرُّوحِ مُعَلِّي ٱلْحَمَقِ.

If you're slow to get angry, you're very wise; but if you have a short fuse you glorify stupidity.

٣٠ 30 حَيَاةُ ٱلْجَسَدِ هُدُوءُ ٱلْقَلْبِ، وَنَخْرُ ٱلْعِظَامِ ٱلْحَسَدُ.

A peaceful mind makes your body healthy, but jealousy makes your bones rot.

٣١ 31 ظَالِمُ ٱلْفَقِيرِ يُعَيِّرُ خَالِقَهُ، وَيُمَجِّدُهُ رَاحِمُ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ.

Anyone who oppresses the poor insults their Maker, but anyone who is kind to the needy honors him.

٣٢ 32 اَلشِّرِّيرُ يُطْرَدُ بِشَرِّهِ، أَمَّا ٱلصِّدِّيقُ فَوَاثِقٌ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ.

Wicked people are brought down by their own evil actions, but those who live right are confident even in death.

٣٣ 33 فِي قَلْبِ ٱلْفَهِيمِ تَسْتَقِرُّ ٱلْحِكْمَةُ، وَمَا فِي دَاخِلِ ٱلْجُهَّالِ يُعْرَفُ.

Wisdom is at home in a mind that understands, but it's not found among stupid people.

٣٤ 34 اَلْبِرُّ يَرْفَعُ شَأْنَ ٱلْأُمَّةِ، وَعَارُ ٱلشُّعُوبِ ٱلْخَطِيَّةُ.

Doing right makes a nation successful, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

٣٥ 35 رِضْوَانُ ٱلْمَلِكِ عَلَى ٱلْعَبْدِ ٱلْفَطِنِ، وَسَخَطُهُ يَكُونُ عَلَى ٱلْمُخْزِي.

A servant who acts wisely is appreciated by the king, but he gets angry with a servant who acts disgracefully.