أَمْثَالٌ 3
| يَا ٱبْنِي، لَا تَنْسَ شَرِيعَتِي، بَلْ لِيَحْفَظْ قَلْبُكَ وَصَايَايَ. | ١ 1 |
My son, do not forget what I have taught you. Keep my commands in your inner being,
| فَإِنَّهَا تَزِيدُكَ طُولَ أَيَّامٍ، وَسِنِي حَيَاةٍ وَسَلَامَةً. | ٢ 2 |
because [if you obey them] you will live a long time and things will go well for you
| لَا تَدَعِ ٱلرَّحْمَةَ وَٱلْحَقَّ يَتْرُكَانِكَ. تَقَلَّدْهُمَا عَلَى عُنُقِكَ. اُكْتُبْهُمَا عَلَى لَوْحِ قَلْبِكَ، | ٣ 3 |
Always faithfully love others and (be faithful/do what you say that you will do); doing those things [will cause others to be pleased with you]; it will be as though you are wearing a beautiful necklace. Keep those things in your mind/inner being.
| فَتَجِدَ نِعْمَةً وَفِطْنَةً صَالِحَةً فِي أَعْيُنِ ٱللهِ وَٱلنَّاسِ. | ٤ 4 |
If you do, God and people will approve of you and think highly of you [MTY].
| تَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱلرَّبِّ بِكُلِّ قَلْبِكَ، وَعَلَى فَهْمِكَ لَا تَعْتَمِدْ. | ٥ 5 |
Trust in Yahweh completely, and do not rely on what you yourself understand.
| فِي كُلِّ طُرُقِكَ ٱعْرِفْهُ، وَهُوَ يُقَوِّمُ سُبُلَكَ. | ٦ 6 |
Always allow him to lead you. If you do that, he will (show you the right path/direct your life).
| لَا تَكُنْ حَكِيمًا فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِكَ. ٱتَّقِ ٱلرَّبَّ وَٱبْعُدْ عَنِ ٱلشَّرِّ، | ٧ 7 |
Do not be proud of being wise. [Instead], revere Yahweh and turn away from doing evil.
| فَيَكُونَ شِفَاءً لِسُرَّتِكَ، وَسَقَاءً لِعِظَامِكَ. | ٨ 8 |
If you do that, your body will be healthy/strong; it will be [like] medicine for you.
| أَكْرِمِ ٱلرَّبَّ مِنْ مَالِكَ وَمِنْ كُلِّ بَاكُورَاتِ غَلَّتِكَ، | ٩ 9 |
Honor Yahweh by [what you do with] your money; and [by giving him] the first part of your harvest.
| فَتَمْتَلِئَ خَزَائِنُكَ شِبْعًا، وَتَفِيضَ مَعَاصِرُكَ مِسْطَارًا. | ١٠ 10 |
If you do that, [you will have a good harvest]. Yahweh will fill your barns [with grain], and your vats/containers will be overflowing with [grape juice for making] wine.
| يَا ٱبْنِي، لَا تَحْتَقِرْ تَأْدِيبَ ٱلرَّبِّ وَلَا تَكْرَهْ تَوْبِيخَهُ، | ١١ 11 |
My son, when Yahweh disciplines/corrects you, do not despise it, and if he rebukes you, do not resent it.
| لِأَنَّ ٱلَّذِي يُحِبُّهُ ٱلرَّبُّ يُؤَدِّبُهُ، وَكَأَبٍ بِٱبْنٍ يُسَرُّ بِهِ. | ١٢ 12 |
[I say that] because it is the people whom Yahweh loves that he corrects/reproves, [just] like parents correct/reprove their sons whom they love.
| طُوبَى لِلْإِنْسَانِ ٱلَّذِي يَجِدُ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ، وَلِلرَّجُلِ ٱلَّذِي يَنَالُ ٱلْفَهْمَ، | ١٣ 13 |
[Yahweh] is pleased with those who become wise and have good understanding.
| لِأَنَّ تِجَارَتَهَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ تِجَارَةِ ٱلْفِضَّةِ، وَرِبْحَهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ ٱلْخَالِصِ. | ١٤ 14 |
Being wise and having good understanding is worth more than silver, better than gold.
| هِيَ أَثْمَنُ مِنَ ٱلَّلآلِئِ، وَكُلُّ جَوَاهِرِكَ لَا تُسَاوِيهَا. | ١٥ 15 |
Being wise is more precious than (jewels/precious stones); there is nothing that you could desire [that would be as valuable] as wisdom.
| فِي يَمِينِهَا طُولُ أَيَّامٍ، وَفِي يَسَارِهَا ٱلْغِنَى وَٱلْمَجْدُ. | ١٦ 16 |
On the one hand, wisdom [PRS] enables [you] to live a long life, and on the other hand, wisdom enables [you] to become rich and to be honored.
| طُرُقُهَا طُرُقُ نِعَمٍ، وَكُلُّ مَسَالِكِهَا سَلَامٌ. | ١٧ 17 |
If [you] are wise, [your] life will be pleasant, and things will go well [for you].
| هِيَ شَجَرَةُ حَيَاةٍ لِمُمْسِكِيهَا، وَٱلْمُتَمَسِّكُ بِهَا مَغْبُوطٌ. | ١٨ 18 |
Wisdom is [like] a tree that gives long life to those who [eagerly] take hold of it, and [Yahweh] is pleased with those who hold onto it tightly.
| ٱلرَّبُّ بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ أَسَّسَ ٱلْأَرْضَ. أَثْبَتَ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ بِٱلْفَهْمِ. | ١٩ 19 |
By his wisdom Yahweh created the earth, and by his understanding he put everything in the skies.
| بِعِلْمِهِ ٱنْشَقَّتِ ٱللُّجَجُ، وَتَقْطُرُ ٱلسَّحَابُ نَدًى. | ٢٠ 20 |
By his knowledge [he caused] the water that was beneath the earth to burst forth, and he caused rain to fall from the clouds.
| يَا ٱبْنِي، لَا تَبْرَحْ هَذِهِ مِنْ عَيْنَيْكَ. ٱحْفَظِ ٱلرَّأْيَ وَٱلتَّدْبِيرَ، | ٢١ 21 |
My son, [always] keep doing things that are right and things that are smart. If you do that,
| فَيَكُونَا حَيَاةً لِنَفْسِكَ، وَنِعْمَةً لِعُنُقِكَ. | ٢٢ 22 |
you will live [many years] and be honored and respected {people will honor and respect you}.
| حِينَئِذٍ تَسْلُكُ فِي طَرِيقِكَ آمِنًا، وَلَا تَعْثُرُ رِجْلُكَ. | ٢٣ 23 |
If you do what is right and wise, you will [be able to] walk safely, and you will not (stumble/do things that are wrong) [MET].
| إِذَا ٱضْطَجَعْتَ فَلَا تَخَافُ، بَلْ تَضْطَجِعُ وَيَلُذُّ نَوْمُكَ. | ٢٤ 24 |
You will [be able to] lie down [at night] and not be afraid [of anything], and you will sleep peacefully.
| لَا تَخْشَى مِنْ خَوْفٍ بَاغِتٍ، وَلَا مِنْ خَرَابِ ٱلْأَشْرَارِ إِذَا جَاءَ. | ٢٥ 25 |
You will not be afraid that something disastrous will happen to you or that storms that strike the wicked will strike you,
| لِأَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ يَكُونُ مُعْتَمَدَكَ، وَيَصُونُ رِجْلَكَ مِنْ أَنْ تُؤْخَذَ. | ٢٦ 26 |
because you will be confident that Yahweh [will take care of you]. He will not let your foot be caught in a trap/snare.
| لَا تَمْنَعِ ٱلْخَيْرَ عَنْ أَهْلِهِ، حِينَ يَكُونُ فِي طَاقَةِ يَدِكَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَهُ. | ٢٧ 27 |
If you are able to help people who deserve it, do not refuse to help them.
| لَا تَقُلْ لِصَاحِبِكَ: «ٱذْهَبْ وَعُدْ فَأُعْطِيَكَ غَدًا» وَمَوْجُودٌ عِنْدَكَ. | ٢٨ 28 |
If you are able to help someone you interact with, do not say, “Come back later; [perhaps] I can help you tomorrow.”
| لَا تَخْتَرِعْ شَرًّا عَلَى صَاحِبِكَ، وَهُوَ سَاكِنٌ لَدَيْكَ آمِنًا. | ٢٩ 29 |
Do not make plans to harm those you interact with regularly, [because] they live near you, and they trust you.
| لَا تُخَاصِمْ إِنْسَانًا بِدُونِ سَبَبٍ، إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَدْ صَنَعَ مَعَكَ شَرًّا. | ٣٠ 30 |
If someone has not harmed you, do not accuse him [by saying that he has harmed you].
| لَا تَحْسِدِ ٱلظَّالِمَ وَلَا تَخْتَرْ شَيْئًا مِنْ طُرُقِهِ، | ٣١ 31 |
Do not envy people who [obtain things by] violent actions, and do not imitate/do what they do.
| لِأَنَّ ٱلْمُلْتَوِيَ رَجْسٌ عِنْدَ ٱلرَّبِّ، أَمَّا سِرُّهُ فَعِنْدَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ. | ٣٢ 32 |
[I say that] because Yahweh considers such people to be abominable/detestable; but he is a friend to [all] those who do what is right.
| لَعْنَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ فِي بَيْتِ ٱلشِّرِّيرِ، لَكِنَّهُ يُبَارِكُ مَسْكَنَ ٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ. | ٣٣ 33 |
Yahweh curses the families [MTY] of those who are wicked, but he blesses the families of those who are good/righteous.
| كَمَا أَنَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِٱلْمُسْتَهْزِئِينَ، هَكَذَا يُعْطِي نِعْمَةً لِلْمُتَوَاضِعِينَ. | ٣٤ 34 |
Yahweh makes fun of those who make fun [of others], but he kindly helps those who are humble.
| ٱلْحُكَمَاءُ يَرِثُونَ مَجْدًا وَٱلْحَمْقَى يَحْمِلُونَ هَوَانًا. | ٣٥ 35 |
Wise [people] will be honored {people will honor wise people}, but foolish people will be dishonored/disgraced.
