أَمْثَالٌ 8
| أَلَعَلَّ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ لَا تُنَادِي؟ وَٱلْفَهْمَ أَلَا يُعْطِي صَوْتَهُ؟ | ١ 1 |
It is as if wisdom, with great understanding [of many things], is calling [PRS] out [to people].
| عِنْدَ رُؤُوسِ ٱلشَّوَاهِقِ، عِنْدَ ٱلطَّرِيقِ بَيْنَ ٱلْمَسَالِكِ تَقِفُ. | ٢ 2 |
Wisdom stands on hilltops and at crossroads.
| بِجَانِبِ ٱلْأَبْوَابِ، عِنْدَ ثَغْرِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ، عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ ٱلْأَبْوَابِ تُصَرِّحُ: | ٣ 3 |
[Wisdom also stands] at the city gates and shouts loudly,
| «لَكُمْ أَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ أُنَادِي، وَصَوْتِي إِلَى بَنِي آدَمَ. | ٤ 4 |
“I am calling to everyone! I am shouting loudly to all people!
| أَيُّهَا ٱلْحَمْقَى تَعَلَّمُوا ذَكَاءً، وَيَا جُهَّالُ تَعَلَّمُوا فَهْمًا. | ٥ 5 |
You people who do not know how to do things that are smart to do, get sound judgment; you foolish people, get good understanding!
| اِسْمَعُوا فَإِنِّي أَتَكَلَّمُ بِأُمُورٍ شَرِيفَةٍ، وَٱفْتِتَاحُ شَفَتَيَّ ٱسْتِقَامَةٌ. | ٦ 6 |
Listen to me, because I have some excellent/important things to say. What I say is what is fair/right.
| لِأَنَّ حَنَكِي يَلْهَجُ بِٱلصِّدْقِ، وَمَكْرَهَةُ شَفَتَيَّ ٱلْكَذِبُ. | ٧ 7 |
I speak what is true; I detest speaking [MTY] what is false/deceptive.
| كُلُّ كَلِمَاتِ فَمِي بِٱلْحَقِّ. لَيْسَ فِيهَا عِوَجٌ وَلَا ٱلْتِوَاءٌ. | ٨ 8 |
Everything that I say is honest; there is nothing that I say that deceives [people].
| كُلُّهَا وَاضِحَةٌ لَدَى ٱلْفَهِيمِ، وَمُسْتَقِيمَةٌ لَدَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَجِدُونَ ٱلْمَعْرِفَةَ. | ٩ 9 |
My words are clear to those who have good sense; those who are wise know that what I say is right.
| خُذُوا تَأْدِيبِي لَا ٱلْفِضَّةَ، وَٱلْمَعْرِفَةَ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ ٱلْمُخْتَارِ. | ١٠ 10 |
[If someone offers you the kind of teaching I give] or offers you silver, choose my teaching. [If he offers to show you how to be wise] or offers you gold, choose to know how to be wise,
| لِأَنَّ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلَّلآلِئِ، وَكُلُّ ٱلْجَوَاهِرِ لَا تُسَاوِيهَا. | ١١ 11 |
because wisdom is more valuable than jewels. Nothing that you desire [is as valuable] as being wise.
| «أَنَا ٱلْحِكْمَةُ أَسْكُنُ ٱلذَّكَاءَ، وَأَجِدُ مَعْرِفَةَ ٱلتَّدَابِيرِ. | ١٢ 12 |
I, wisdom, and understanding of what is smart to do, cannot be separated. We are like two people who live in the same house. I know how to be wise and how to make smart decisions.
| مَخَافَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ بُغْضُ ٱلشَّرِّ. ٱلْكِبْرِيَاءَ وَٱلتَّعَظُّمَ وَطَرِيقَ ٱلشَّرِّ وَفَمَ ٱلْأَكَاذِيبِ أَبْغَضْتُ. | ١٣ 13 |
[All the people] who revere Yahweh hate evil. I, wisdom, hate [people who are] proud and [people] who think they are more important [than others]. I hate [people who] behave in an evil way and those who say things to deceive [others].
| لِي ٱلْمَشُورَةُ وَٱلرَّأْيُ. أَنَا ٱلْفَهْمُ. لِي ٱلْقُدْرَةُ. | ١٤ 14 |
I give [people] good advice and I enable them to do things that are wise. I understand how things really are, and I am strong.
| بِي تَمْلِكُ ٱلْمُلُوكُ، وَتَقْضِي ٱلْعُظَمَاءُ عَدْلًا. | ١٥ 15 |
When kings are wise, they rule [well]; and when rulers are wise, they make laws that are just/fair.
| بِي تَتَرَأَّسُ ٱلرُّؤَسَاءُ وَٱلشُّرَفَاءُ، كُلُّ قُضَاةِ ٱلْأَرْضِ. | ١٦ 16 |
Rulers govern their people with the help of me, wisdom, and those who have authority decide things fairly/just with my help.
| أَنَا أُحِبُّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَنِي، وَٱلَّذِينَ يُبَكِّرُونَ إِلَيَّ يَجِدُونَنِي. | ١٧ 17 |
I, [wisdom], love [all] those who love me, and [all] those who truly seek me [will] find me.
| عِنْدِي ٱلْغِنَى وَٱلْكَرَامَةُ. قِنْيَةٌ فَاخِرَةٌ وَحَظٌّ. | ١٨ 18 |
I enable [people] to become rich and to be honored; [I enable them to have] wealth that will last and to be successful.
| ثَمَرِي خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَمِنَ ٱلْإِبْرِيزِ، وَغَلَّتِي خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلْفِضَّةِ ٱلْمُخْتَارَةِ. | ١٩ 19 |
What I can give people is more valuable than fine/pure gold and the best silver.
| فِي طَرِيقِ ٱلْعَدْلِ أَتَمَشَّى، فِي وَسَطِ سُبُلِ ٱلْحَقِّ، | ٢٠ 20 |
I always do what is righteous and just/fair.
| فَأُوَرِّثُ مُحِبِّيَّ رِزْقًا وَأَمْلَأُ خَزَائِنَهُمْ. | ٢١ 21 |
I give wealth to those who love me; I fill their houses with valuable things.
| «اَلرَّبُّ قَنَانِي أَوَّلَ طَرِيقِهِ، مِنْ قَبْلِ أَعْمَالِهِ، مُنْذُ ٱلْقِدَمِ. | ٢٢ 22 |
Yahweh created me, [wisdom], when he began [to create the world]; he created me [to do my work] before he created anything else.
| مُنْذُ ٱلْأَزَلِ مُسِحْتُ، مُنْذُ ٱلْبَدْءِ، مُنْذُ أَوَائِلِ ٱلْأَرْضِ. | ٢٣ 23 |
He appointed me long ago, before he created the earth.
| إِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ غَمْرٌ أُبْدِئْتُ. إِذْ لَمْ تَكُنْ يَنَابِيعُ كَثِيرَةُ ٱلْمِيَاهِ. | ٢٤ 24 |
I was born before the oceans were [created], when there were no springs from which water flowed.
| مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَقَرَّرَتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ، قَبْلَ ٱلتِّلَالِ أُبْدِئْتُ. | ٢٥ 25 |
I was born before the hills and mountains were formed;
| إِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَدْ صَنَعَ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدُ وَلَا ٱلْبَرَارِيَّ وَلَا أَوَّلَ أَعْفَارِ ٱلْمَسْكُونَةِ. | ٢٦ 26 |
[I, wisdom], was born before Yahweh made the earth, before he made the fields and the soil on the earth.
| لَمَّا ثَبَّتَ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ كُنْتُ هُنَاكَ أَنَا. لَمَّا رَسَمَ دَائِرَةً عَلَى وَجْهِ ٱلْغَمْرِ. | ٢٧ 27 |
I was there when Yahweh put the sky in place, when he marked the place [in the distance] where the sky and the oceans [seem to] come together.
| لَمَّا أَثْبَتَ ٱلسُّحُبَ مِنْ فَوْقُ. لَمَّا تَشَدَّدَتْ يَنَابِيعُ ٱلْغَمْرِ. | ٢٨ 28 |
I was there when Yahweh put the clouds above [the earth] and when he caused the water that is inside the earth to be secure.
| لَمَّا وَضَعَ لِلْبَحْرِ حَدَّهُ فَلَا تَتَعَدَّى ٱلْمِيَاهُ تُخْمَهُ، لَمَّا رَسَمَ أُسُسَ ٱلْأَرْضِ، | ٢٩ 29 |
I was there when he fixed a boundary for the seas, so that the water in the seas would not go past those boundaries, and when he put down the foundations which support the earth.
| كُنْتُ عِنْدَهُ صَانِعًا، وَكُنْتُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ لَذَّتَهُ، فَرِحَةً دَائِمًا قُدَّامَهُ. | ٣٠ 30 |
I was at the side of Yahweh, the master worker (OR, as though I was his child). I caused him to be happy every day, and I was always rejoicing when I was with him.
| فَرِحَةً فِي مَسْكُونَةِ أَرْضِهِ، وَلَذَّاتِي مَعَ بَنِي آدَمَ. | ٣١ 31 |
I was delighted with the world that he created; I was happy with the people whom he created, too.
| «فَٱلْآنَ أَيُّهَا ٱلْبَنُونَ ٱسْمَعُوا لِي. فَطُوبَى لِلَّذِينَ يَحْفَظُونَ طُرُقِي. | ٣٢ 32 |
So, [you people who are like] my sons, listen to me. [I am] pleased with [all] those who obey my teachings.
| ٱسْمَعُوا ٱلتَّعْلِيمَ وَكُونُوا حُكَمَاءَ وَلَا تَرْفُضُوهُ. | ٣٣ 33 |
Listen [carefully] to what I teach you and become wise. Do not reject my teaching!
| طُوبَى لِلْإِنْسَانِ ٱلَّذِي يَسْمَعُ لِي سَاهِرًا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ عِنْدَ مَصَارِيعِي، حَافِظًا قَوَائِمَ أَبْوَابِي. | ٣٤ 34 |
[I am] pleased with those who listen to me, those who are outside my house every day, waiting [for me to come out].
| لِأَنَّهُ مَنْ يَجِدُنِي يَجِدُ ٱلْحَيَاةَ، وَيَنَالُ رِضًى مِنَ ٱلرَّبِّ، | ٣٥ 35 |
Those who find me will have [a long] life, and Yahweh [will] be pleased with them.
| وَمَنْ يُخْطِئُ عَنِّي يَضُرُّ نَفْسَهُ. كُلُّ مُبْغِضِيَّ يُحِبُّونَ ٱلْمَوْتَ». | ٣٦ 36 |
But those who stray away from me [just] harm themselves. All those who hate me, [it is as though] [IRO] they are loving death.”
