أَمْثَالٌ 9

١ 1 اَلْحِكْمَةُ بَنَتْ بَيْتَهَا. نَحَتَتْ أَعْمِدَتَهَا ٱلسَّبْعَةَ.

[It is as though] wisdom [is a woman who] has built a [big] house for herself, and has set up seven columns [to support the roof],

٢ 2 ذَبَحَتْ ذَبْحَهَا. مَزَجَتْ خَمْرَهَا. أَيْضًا رَتَّبَتْ مَائِدَتَهَا.

and has slaughtered an animal [and cooked the meat], and has mixed [nice spices] in the wine, and has put [the food] on the table.

٣ 3 أَرْسَلَتْ جَوَارِيَهَا تُنَادِي عَلَى ظُهُورِ أَعَالِي ٱلْمَدِينَةِ:

[It is as though then] she sent out her servant women to call out from the highest place in the town,

٤ 4 «مَنْ هُوَ جَاهِلٌ فَلْيَمِلْ إِلَى هُنَا». وَٱلنَّاقِصُ ٱلْفَهْمِ قَالَتْ لَهُ:

“You people who need to understand more, come in!” And to those who are ignorant, [it is as though] she calls out,

٥ 5 «هَلُمُّوا كُلُوا مِنْ طَعَامِي، وَٱشْرَبُوا مِنَ ٱلْخَمْرِ ٱلَّتِي مَزَجْتُهَا.

“Come and eat the food that I [have prepared], and drink the [good] wine that I have mixed!

٦ 6 اُتْرُكُوا ٱلْجَهَالَاتِ فَتَحْيَوْا، وَسِيرُوا فِي طَرِيقِ ٱلْفَهْمِ».

(Leave/Go away from) [other] foolish people, and [if you do that, you will continue to] live. Walk on the road that will enable you to (have knowledge/know what is true and what is not true).”

٧ 7 مَنْ يُوَبِّخْ مُسْتَهْزِئًا يَكْسَبْ لِنَفْسِهِ هَوَانًا، وَمَنْ يُنْذِرْ شِرِّيرًا يَكْسَبْ عَيْبًا.

If you rebuke someone who will not allow others to correct him, he will insult you. If you reprove/scold an evil man, he will hurt you.

٨ 8 لَا تُوَبِّخْ مُسْتَهْزِئًا لِئَلَّا يُبْغِضَكَ. وَبِّخْ حَكِيمًا فَيُحِبَّكَ.

Do not rebuke someone who will not allow others to (correct him/tell him what he has done is wrong), because he will hate you for doing that. [But] if you rebuke a wise person, he will respect you.

٩ 9 أَعْطِ حَكِيمًا فَيَكُونَ أَوْفَرَ حِكْمَةً. عَلِّمْ صِدِّيقًا فَيَزْدَادَ عِلْمًا.

If you give instruction to wise people, they will become wiser. And if you teach righteous people, they will learn more.

١٠ 10 بَدْءُ ٱلْحِكْمَةِ مَخَافَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ، وَمَعْرِفَةُ ٱلْقُدُّوسِ فَهْمٌ.

If you want to be wise, you must start by revering Yahweh, and if you know God, the Holy One, you will understand [which teachings are wise/true].

١١ 11 لِأَنَّهُ بِي تَكْثُرُ أَيَّامُكَ وَتَزْدَادُ لَكَ سِنُو حَيَاةٍ.

If you become wise, you will live many years [DOU].

١٢ 12 إِنْ كُنْتَ حَكِيمًا فَأَنْتَ حَكِيمٌ لِنَفْسِكَ، وَإِنِ ٱسْتَهْزَأْتَ فَأَنْتَ وَحْدَكَ تَتَحَمَّلُ.

If you are wise, you are the one who will benefit from it; if you ridicule [becoming wise], you are the one who will suffer.

١٣ 13 اَلْمَرْأَةُ ٱلْجَاهِلَةُ صَخَّابَةٌ حَمْقَاءُ وَلَا تَدْرِي شَيْئًا،

Foolish women talk loudly; they are ignorant and are never ashamed [of the wrong things that they do].

١٤ 14 فَتَقْعُدُ عِنْدَ بَابِ بَيْتِهَا عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ فِي أَعَالِي ٱلْمَدِينَةِ،

They sit at the doors of their houses [or] they sit on the top [of the hills] in the town,

١٥ 15 لِتُنَادِيَ عَابِرِي ٱلسَّبِيلِ ٱلْمُقَوِّمِينَ طُرُقَهُمْ:

and they call out to the men who are passing by, who are trying to be concerned with their own affairs,

١٦ 16 «مَنْ هُوَ جَاهِلٌ فَلْيَمِلْ إِلَى هُنَا». وَٱلنَّاقِصُ ٱلْفَهْمِ تَقُولُ لَهُ:

“You people who need to understand more, come into [my house]!” And to those who are ignorant, they call out,

١٧ 17 «ٱلْمِيَاهُ ٱلْمَسْرُوقَةُ حُلْوَةٌ، وَخُبْزُ ٱلْخُفْيَةِ لَذِيذٌ».

“[Just as] water which you have stolen tastes very good and food that you eat by yourself tastes the best, [if you have sex secretly with someone to whom you are not married, you will enjoy it very much].”

١٨ 18 وَلَا يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ ٱلْأَخْيِلَةَ هُنَاكَ، وَأَنَّ فِي أَعْمَاقِ ٱلْهَاوِيَةِ ضُيُوفَهَا. (Sheol h7585)

But men who go to those women’s houses do not know that those who have gone there are now dead; they have descended down into the deepest parts of the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)