الأمثال 8

١ 1 أَلاَ تُنَادِي الْحِكْمَةُ؟ أَلاَ يَرْتَفِعُ صَوْتُ الْفِطْنَةِ هَاتِفاً؟

You shall proclaim wisdom, that understanding may be obedient to you.

٢ 2 إِنَّهَا تَقِفُ عَلَى الْمُرْتَفَعَاتِ، فِي مُحَاذَاةِ الطَّرِيقِ، وَعِنْدَ مُلْتَقَى الشَّوَارِعِ.

For she is on lofty eminences, and stands in the midst of the ways.

٣ 3 إِلَى جُوَارِ أَبْوَابِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَفِي مَدْخَلِ الثَّغْرِ، تَنْتَصِبُ مُجَاهِرَةً قَائِلَةً:

For she sits by the gates of princes, and sings in the entrances, [saying],

٤ 4 إِيَّاكُمْ أَدْعُو أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ وَأَرْفَعُ صَوْتِي بِالنِّدَاءِ إِلَى كُلِّ بَنِي الْبَشَرِ.

You, O men, I exhort; and utter my voice to the sons of men.

٥ 5 أَيُّهَا الْحَمْقَى، تَعَلَّمُوا الْفِطْنَةَ، وَأَيُّهَا الأَغْبِيَاءُ اكْتَسِبُوا فَهْماً.

O you simple, understand subtlety, and you that are untaught, imbibe knowledge.

٦ 6 أَنْصِتُوا لأَنَّنِي سَأَنْطِقُ بِأَقْوَالٍ أَثِيرَةٍ، وَأَفْتَحُ شَفَتَيَّ بِكَلاَمٍ قَوِيمٍ.

Listen to me; for I will speak solemn [truths]; and will produce right [sayings] from my lips.

٧ 7 لأَنَّ فَمِي يَتَكَلَّمُ بِالصِّدْقِ، وَشَفَتَيَّ تَمْقُتَانِ الإِثْمَ.

For my throat shall meditate truth; and false lips are an abomination before me.

٨ 8 كُلُّ أَقْوَالِ فَمِي عَادِلَةٌ خَالِيَةٌ مِنْ كُلِّ الْتِوَاءٍ وَاعْوِجَاجٍ.

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing in them wrong or perverse.

٩ 9 قَوِيمَةٌ لَدَى الْفَهِيمِ، وَمُسْتَقِيمَةٌ لِلَّذِينَ أَدْرَكُوا الْمَعْرِفَةَ.

They are all evident to those that understand, and right to those that find knowledge.

١٠ 10 اخْتَرْ إِرْشَادِي عِوَضَ الْفِضَّةِ، وَالْمَعْرِفَةَ بَدَلَ الذَّهَبِ الْخَالِصِ.

Receive instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than tried gold.

١١ 11 لأَنَّ الْحِكْمَةَ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ اللَّآلِئِ، وَكُلُّ مُشْتَهَيَاتِكَ لاَ تُعَادِلُهَا.

For wisdom is better than precious stones; and no valuable substance is of equal worth with it.

١٢ 12 أَنَا الْحِكْمَةُ أَسْكُنُ التَّعَقُّلَ، وَأَمْلِكُ الْمَعْرِفَةَ وَالتَّدْبِيرَ.

I wisdom have lived [with] counsel and knowledge, and I have called upon understanding.

١٣ 13 مَخَافَةُ الرَّبِّ كَرَاهَةُ الشَّرِّ. أَنَا قَدْ أَبْغَضْتُ الْكِبْرِيَاءَ وَالْغَطْرَسَةَ وَطَرِيقَ السُّوءِ وَفَمَ الْمَكْرِ.

The fear of the Lord hates unrighteousness, and insolence, and pride, and the ways of wicked men; and I hate the perverse ways of bad men.

١٤ 14 لِي الْمَشُورَةُ وَالرَّأْيُ الصَّائِبُ، لِي الْفِطْنَةُ وَالْقُوَّةُ.

Counsel and safety are mine; prudence is mine, and strength is mine.

١٥ 15 بِمَعُونَتِي يَحْكُمُ الْمُلُوكُ، وَيَشْتَرِعُ الْحُكَّامُ مَا هُوَ عَدْلٌ.

By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

١٦ 16 بِمَعُونَتِي يَسُودُ الرُّؤَسَاءُ وَالْعُظَمَاءُ وَكُلُّ قُضَاةِ الأَرْضِ.

By me nobles become great, and monarchs by me rule over the earth.

١٧ 17 أُحِبُّ مَنْ يُحِبُّونَنِي، وَمَنْ يَجِدُّ فِي الْبَحْثِ عَنِّي يَعْثُرُ علَيَّ.

I love those that love me; and they that seek me shall find [me].

١٨ 18 لَدَيَّ الثَّرَاءُ وَالْمَجْدُ وَالْغِنَى الدَّائِمُ وَالصَّلاحُ.

Wealth and glory belong to me; yes, abundant possessions and righteousness.

١٩ 19 ثَمَرِي أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ الْخَالِصِ، وَغَلَّتِي خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْفِضَّةِ الْمُنْتَقَاةِ.

[It is] better to have my fruit than [to have] gold and precious stones; and my produce is better than choice silver.

٢٠ 20 أَمْشِي فِي طَرِيقِ الْبِرِّ، وَفِي سُبُلِ الْعَدْلِ أَسِيرُ.

I walk in ways of righteousness, and [am] conversant with the paths of judgement;

٢١ 21 لِكَيْ أَوَرِّثَ مُحِبِّيَّ غِنىً، وَأَمْلأَ خَزَائِنَهُمْ كُنُوزاً.

that I may divide substance to them that love me, and may fill their treasures with good things. If I declare to you the things that daily happen, I will remember [also] to recount the things of old.

٢٢ 22 اقْتَنَانِي الرَّبُّ مُنْذُ بَدْءِ خَلْقِهِ، مِنْ قَبْلِ الشُّرُوعِ فِي أَعْمَالِهِ الْقَدِيمَةِ.

The Lord made me the beginning of his ways for his works.

٢٣ 23 مُنْذُ الأَزَلِ أَنَا هُوَ، مُنْذُ الْبَدْءِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُوْجَدَ الأَرْضُ.

He established me before time [was] in the beginning, before he made the earth:

٢٤ 24 وُلِدْتُ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَتَكَوَّنَ اللُّجَجُ وَالْيَنَابِيعُ الْغَزِيرَةُ الْمِيَاهِ.

even before he made the depths; before the fountains of water came forth:

٢٥ 25 وُلِدْتُ مِنْ قَبْلِ الْجِبَالِ وَالتِّلاَلِ.

before the mountains were settled, and before all hills, he begets me.

٢٦ 26 إِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ قَدْ خَلَقَ الأَرْضَ بَعْدُ، وَلاَ الْبَرَارِيَ وَلاَ بِدَايَةَ أَتْرِبَةِ الْمَسْكُونَةِ.

The Lord made countries and uninhabited [tracks], and the highest inhabited parts of the world.

٢٧ 27 وَعِنْدَمَا ثَبَّتَ الرَّبُّ السَّمَاءَ، وَحِينَ رَسَمَ دَائِرَةَ الأُفُقِ حَوْلَ وَجْهِ الْغَمْرِ، كُنْتُ هُنَاكَ.

When he prepared the heaven, I was present with him; and when he prepared his throne upon the winds:

٢٨ 28 عِنْدَمَا ثَبَّتَ السُّحُبَ فِي الْعَلاَءِ، وَرَسَّخَ يَنَابِيعَ اللُّجَجِ.

and when he strengthened the clouds above; and when he secured the fountains of the earth:

٢٩ 29 عِنْدَمَا قَرَّرَ لِلْبَحْرِ تُخُوماً لاَ تَتَجَاوَزُهَا مِيَاهُهُ مُتَعَدِّيَةً عَلَى أَمْرِ الرَّبِّ، وَحِينَ رَسَمَ أُسُسَ الأَرْضِ،

decree. and when he strengthened the foundations of the earth:

٣٠ 30 كُنْتُ عِنْدَهُ صَانِعاً مُبْدِعاً، وَكُنْتُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ لَذَّتَهُ، أَفِيضُ بَهْجَةً دَائِماً أَمَامَهُ.

I was by him, suiting [myself to him], I was that wherein he took delight; and daily I rejoiced in his presence continually.

٣١ 31 مُغْتَبِطَةً بِعَالَمِهِ الْمَسْكُونِ، وَمَسَرَّاتِي مَعَ بَنِي آدَمَ.

For he rejoiced when he had completed the world, and rejoiced amongst the children of men.

٣٢ 32 وَالآنَ أَصْغُوا إِلَيَّ أَيُّهَا الأَبْنَاءُ، إِذْ طُوبَى لِمَنْ يُمَارِسُونَ طُرُقِي.

Now then, [my] son, hear me: blessed is the man who shall listen to me, and the mortal who shall keep my ways;

٣٣ 33 اسْتَمِعُوا إِلَى إِرْشَادِي، وَكُونُوا حُكَمَاءَ وَلاَ تَتَجَاهَلُوهُ.

[Hear wisdom and be wise, and be not strangers to it. ]

٣٤ 34 طُوبَى لِلإِنْسَانِ الَّذِي يَسْتَمِعُ إلَيَّ، الْحَرِيصِ عَلَى السَّهَرِ عِنْدَ أَبْوَابِي، حَارِساً قَوَائِمَ مَصَارِيعِي،

watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my entrances.

٣٥ 35 لأَنَّ مَنْ يَجِدُنِي يَجِدُ حَيَاةً، وَيَحُوزُ عَلَى مَرْضَاةِ الرَّبِّ.

For my outgoings are the outgoings of life, and [in them] is prepared favour from the Lord.

٣٦ 36 وَمَنْ يَضِلُّ عَنِّي يُؤْذِي نَفْسَهُ، وَمَنْ يُبْغِضُنِي يُحِبُّ الْمَوْتَ.

But they that sin against me act wickedly against their own souls: and they that hate me love death.