الأمثال 24

١ 1 لاَ تَحْسِدْ أَهْلَ الشَّرِّ، وَلاَ تَشْتَهِ مُعَاشَرَتَهُمْ،

Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them.

٢ 2 لأَنَّ قُلُوبَهُمْ تَتَآمَرُ عَلَى ارْتِكَابِ الظُّلْمِ، وَأَلْسِنَتَهُمْ تَنْطِقُ بِالإِسَاءَةِ.

For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

٣ 3 بِالْحِكْمَةِ يُبْنَى الْبَيْتُ، وَبِالْفَهْمِ يَرْسَخُ.

Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established;

٤ 4 بِالْمَعْرِفَةِ تَكْتَظُّ الْحُجْرَاتُ بِكُلِّ نَفِيسٍ، وَكُنُوزٍ نَادِرَةٍ.

And by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

٥ 5 الرَّجُلُ الْحَكِيمُ يَتَمَتَّعُ بِالْعِزَّةِ، وَذُو الْمَعْرِفَةِ يَزْدَادُ قُوَّةً،

A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

٦ 6 لأَنَّكَ بِحُسْنِ التَّدْبِيرِ تَخُوضُ حَرْبَكَ، وَبِكَثْرَةِ الْمُشِيرِينَ يَكُونُ الْخَلاصُ.

For with wise advice thou shalt make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

٧ 7 الْحِكْمَةُ أَسْمَى مِنْ أَنْ يُدْرِكَهَا الْجَاهِلُ، وَفِي سَاحَةِ الْمَدِينَةِ لاَ يَفْتَحُ فَاهُ!

Wisdom is as unattainable to a fool as corals; he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

٨ 8 الْمُتَفَكِّرُ فِي ارْتِكَابِ الشَّرِّ يُدْعَى مُتَآمِراً.

He that deviseth to do evil, men shall call him a mischievous person.

٩ 9 نَوَايَا الْجَاهِلِ خَطِيئَةٌ، وَالْمُسْتَهْزِئُ رِجْسٌ عِنْدَ النَّاسِ.

The thought of foolishness is sin; and the scorner is an abomination to men.

١٠ 10 إِنْ عَيِيتَ فِي يَوْمِ الضِّيقِ تَكُونُ وَاهِنَ الْقُوَى.

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small indeed.

١١ 11 أَنْقِذِ الْمَسُوقِينَ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ وَرُدَّ الْمُتَعَثِّرِينَ الذَّاهِبِينَ إِلَى الذَّبْحِ.

Deliver them that are drawn unto death; and those that are ready to be slain wilt thou forbear to rescue?

١٢ 12 إِنْ قُلْتَ: إِنَّنَا لَمْ نَعْرِفْ هَذَا، أَفَلا يَفْهَمُ هَذَا وَازِنُ الْقُلُوبِ؟ أَلاَ يُدْرِكُهُ رَاعِي النُّفُوسِ، فَيُجَازِيَ الإِنْسَانَ بِمُقْتَضَى عَمَلِهِ؟

If thou sayest: 'Behold, we knew not this', doth not He that weigheth the hearts consider it? And He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his works?

١٣ 13 يَاابْنِي، كُلْ عَسَلاً لأَنَّهُ طَيِّبٌ، وَكَذَلِكَ الشَّهْدَ لأَنَّهُ حُلْوٌ لِمَذَاقِكَ.

My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste;

١٤ 14 لِذَلِكَ الْتَمِسِ الْحِكْمَةَ لِنَفْسِكَ، فَإِذَا وَجَدْتَهَا تَحْظَى بِالثَّوَابِ وَلاَ يَخِيبُ رَجَاؤُكَ.

So know thou wisdom to be unto thy soul; if thou hast found it, then shall there be a future, and thy hope shall not be cut off.

١٥ 15 لاَ تَكْمُنْ كَمَا يَكْمُنُ الشِّرِّيرُ لِمَسْكَنِ الصِّدِّيقِ وَلاَ تُدَمِّرْ مَنْزِلَهُ،

Lie not in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous, spoil not his resting-place;

١٦ 16 لأَنَّ الصِّدِّيقَ يَسْقُطُ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ، وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ يَنْهَضُ، أَمَّا الأَشْرَارُ فَيَتَعَثَّرُونَ بِالشَّرِّ.

For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again, but the wicked stumble under adversity.

١٧ 17 لاَ تَشْمَتْ لِسُقُوطِ عَدُوِّكَ، وَلاَ يَبْتَهِجْ قَلْبُكَ إِذَا عَثَرَ،

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;

١٨ 18 لِئَلاَّ يَشْهَدَ الرَّبُّ، فَيَسُوءَ الأَمْرُ فِي عَيْنَيْهِ وَيَصْرِفَ غَضَبَهُ عَنْهُ.

Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.

١٩ 19 لاَ يَتَآكَلْ قَلْبُكَ غَيْظاً مِنْ فَاعِلِي الإِثْمِ، وَلاَ تَحْسِدِ الأَشْرَارَ،

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

٢٠ 20 إِذْ لاَ ثَوَابَ لِلشِّرِّيرِ، وَسِرَاجُهُ يَنْطَفِئُ.

For there will be no future to the evil man, the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

٢١ 21 يَاابْنِي اتَّقِ الرَّبَّ وَالْمَلِكَ، وَلاَ تُعَاشِرِ الْمُتَقَلِّبِينَ،

My son, fear thou the LORD and the king, and meddle not with them that are given to change;

٢٢ 22 لأَنَّ هَذَيْنِ الاثْنَيْنِ يُنْزِلانِ الْبَلِيَّةَ بَغْتَةً عَلَيْهِمْ. وَمَنْ يَدْرِي أَيَّةَ كَوَارِثَ تَصْدُرُ عَنْهُمَا؟

For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin from them both?

٢٣ 23 وَهَذِهِ أَيْضاً أَقْوَالُ الْحُكَمَاءِ: التَّحَيُّزُ فِي الْحُكْمِ مُشِينٌ،

These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.

٢٤ 24 وَمَنْ يَقُولُ لِلشِّرِّيرِ: أَنْتَ بَرِيءٌ، تَلْعَنُهُ الشُّعُوبُ وَتَمْقُتُهُ الأُمَمُ.

He that saith unto the wicked: 'Thou art righteous', peoples shall curse him, nations shall execrate him;

٢٥ 25 أَمَّا الَّذِينَ يُوَبِّخُونَهُ فَلَهُمُ الْغِبْطَةُ وَتَحُلُّ عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَةُ الْخَيْرِ.

But to them that decide justly shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

٢٦ 26 مَنْ يُجِيبُ بِقَوْلٍ صَائِبٍ يَحْظَى بِالْكَرَامَةِ.

He kisseth the lips that giveth a right answer.

٢٧ 27 أَنْجِزْ عَمَلَكَ فِي الْخَارِجِ وَهَيِّئْ حَقْلَكَ لِنَفْسِكَ، ثُمَّ ابْنِ بَيْتَكَ.

Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thy house.

٢٨ 28 لاَ تَشْهَدْ ضِدَّ قَرِيبِكَ مِنْ غَيْرِ دَاعٍ، فَلِمَاذَا تَنْطِقُ شَفَتَاكَ زُوراً؟

Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

٢٩ 29 لاَ تَقُلْ: سَأُعَامِلُهُ بِمِثْلِ مَا عَامَلَنِي، وَأُجَازِيهِ عَلَى مَا ارْتَكَبَهُ فِي حَقِّي.

Say not: 'I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.'

٣٠ 30 اجْتَزْتُ فِي حَقْلِ الْكَسُولِ وَبِكَرْمِ الرَّجُلِ الْفَاقِدِ الْبَصِيرَةِ،

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

٣١ 31 وَإِذَا بِالشَّوْكِ قَدْ كَسَاهُ، وَالْعَوْسَجِ قَدْ غَطَّى كُلَّ أَرْضِهِ، وَجِدَارِ حِجَارَتِهِ قَدِ انْهَارَ،

And, lo, it was all grown over with thistles, the face thereof was covered with nettles, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

٣٢ 32 فَاعْتَبَرَ قَلْبِي بِمَا شَاهَدْتُ، وَتَلَقَّنْتُ دَرْساً مِمَّا رَأَيْتُ.

Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction.

٣٣ 33 أَدْرَكْتُ أَنَّ قَلِيلاً مِنَ النُّعَاسِ بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ مِنَ النَّوْمِ، وَطَيَّ الْيَدَيْنِ لِلْهُجُوعِ،

'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep' —

٣٤ 34 تَجْعَلُ الْفَقْرَ يُقْبِلُ عَلَيْكَ كَقَاطِعِ طَرِيقٍ وَالْعَوَزَ كَغَازٍ مُسَلَّحٍ!

So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.