أَمْثَالٌ 14

١ 1 حِكْمَةُ ٱلْمَرْأَةِ تَبْنِي بَيْتَهَا، وَٱلْحَمَاقَةُ تَهْدِمُهُ بِيَدِهَا.

Every wise woman hath builded her house, And the foolish with her hands breaketh it down.

٢ 2 اَلسَّالِكُ بِٱسْتِقَامَتِهِ يَتَّقِي ٱلرَّبَّ، وَٱلْمُعَوِّجُ طُرُقَهُ يَحْتَقِرُهُ.

Whoso is walking in his uprightness is fearing Jehovah, And the perverted [in] his ways is despising Him.

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

In the mouth of a fool [is] a rod of pride, And the lips of the wise preserve them.

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

Without oxen a stall [is] clean, And great [is] the increase by the power of the ox.

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

A faithful witness lieth not, And a false witness breatheth out lies.

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

A scorner hath sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge to the intelligent [is] easy.

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

Go from before a foolish man, Or thou hast not known the lips of knowledge.

٨ 8 حِكْمَةُ ٱلذَّكِيِّ فَهْمُ طَرِيقِهِ، وَغَبَاوَةُ ٱلْجُهَّالِ غِشٌّ.

The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way, And the folly of fools [is] deceit.

٩ 9 اَلْجُهَّالُ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ بِٱلْإِثْمِ، وَبَيْنَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ رِضًى.

Fools mock at a guilt-offering, And among the upright — a pleasing thing.

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

The heart knoweth its own bitterness, And with its joy a stranger doth not intermeddle.

١١ 11 بَيْتُ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ يُخْرَبُ، وَخَيْمَةُ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ تُزْهِرُ.

The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourisheth.

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

There is a way — right before a man, And its latter end [are] ways of death.

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

Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy [is] affliction.

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

From his ways is the backslider in heart filled, And a good man — from his fruits.

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

The simple giveth credence to everything, And the prudent attendeth to his step.

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

The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident.

١٧ 17 اَلسَّرِيعُ ٱلْغَضَبِ يَعْمَلُ بِٱلْحَمَقِ، وَذُو ٱلْمَكَايِدِ يُشْنَأُ.

Whoso is short of temper doth folly, And a man of wicked devices is hated.

١٨ 18 اَلْأَغْبِيَاءُ يَرِثُونَ ٱلْحَمَاقَةَ، وَٱلْأَذْكِيَاءُ يُتَوَّجُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرِفَةِ.

The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned [with] knowledge.

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

The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

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

Even of his neighbour is the poor hated, And those loving the rich [are] many.

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

Whoso is despising his neighbour sinneth, Whoso is favouring the humble, O his happiness.

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

Do not they err who are devising evil? And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good,

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

In all labour there is advantage, And a thing of the lips [is] only to want.

٢٤ 24 تَاجُ ٱلْحُكَمَاءِ غِنَاهُمْ. تَقَدُّمُ ٱلْجُهَّالِ حَمَاقَةٌ.

The crown of the wise is their wealth, The folly of fools [is] folly.

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

A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breatheth out lies.

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

In the fear of Jehovah [is] strong confidence, And to His sons there is a refuge.

٢٧ 27 مَخَافَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ يَنْبُوعُ حَيَاةٍ لِلْحَيَدَانِ عَنْ أَشْرَاكِ ٱلْمَوْتِ.

The fear of Jehovah [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.

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

In the multitude of a people [is] the honour of a king, And in lack of people the ruin of a prince.

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

Whoso is slow to anger [is] of great understanding, And whoso is short in temper is exalting folly.

٣٠ 30 حَيَاةُ ٱلْجَسَدِ هُدُوءُ ٱلْقَلْبِ، وَنَخْرُ ٱلْعِظَامِ ٱلْحَسَدُ.

A healed heart [is] life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones [is] envy.

٣١ 31 ظَالِمُ ٱلْفَقِيرِ يُعَيِّرُ خَالِقَهُ، وَيُمَجِّدُهُ رَاحِمُ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ.

An oppressor of the poor reproacheth his Maker, And whoso is honouring Him Is favouring the needy.

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

In his wickedness is the wicked driven away, And trustful in his death [is] the righteous.

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

In the heart of the intelligent wisdom doth rest. And in the midst of fools it is known.

٣٤ 34 اَلْبِرُّ يَرْفَعُ شَأْنَ ٱلْأُمَّةِ، وَعَارُ ٱلشُّعُوبِ ٱلْخَطِيَّةُ.

Righteousness exalteth a nation, And the goodliness of peoples [is] a sin-offering.

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

The favour of a king [is] to a wise servant, And an object of his wrath is one causing shame!