1 W isdom has built her house; she has hewn out and set up her seven pillars.

بَنَتِ الحِكْمَةُ بَيتَها، وَنَحَتَتْ أعمِدَتَها السَّبعَةَ.

2 S he has killed her beasts, she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.

جَهَّزَتْ لَحْماً، وَمَزَجَتْ الخَمْرَ، وَأعَدَّتِ المائِدَةَ.

3 S he has sent out her maids to cry from the highest places of the town:

أرسَلَتْ خادِماتِها لِيُنادِينَ مِنْ أعلَى المَدِينَةِ،

4 W hoever is simple (easily led astray and wavering), let him turn in here! As for him who lacks understanding, Wisdom says to him,

تَقُولَ الحِكْمَةُ: «تَعالَ أيُّها الجاهِلُ!» وَتَقُولُ لِعَدِيمِ الفَهمِ:

5 C ome, eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mixed.

«تَعالَ وَكُلْ مِنْ طَعامِي وَاشرَبْ مِنْ نَبيذِي الَّذِي صَنَعْتُهُ.

6 L eave off, simple ones and live! And walk in the way of insight and understanding.

اترُكُوا الجَهالَةَ وَاحيُوا، وَسِيرُوا فِي طَرِيقِ البَصِيرَةِ.»

7 H e who rebukes a scorner heaps upon himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man gets for himself bruises.

مَنْ يُرشِدِ المُستَهزِئَ يَجلِبِ الإهانَةَ لِنَفسِهِ، وَمَنْ يُؤَدِّبِ الشِّرِّيرَ يَتَضَرَّرْ.

8 R eprove not a scorner, lest he hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

لا تُوَبِّخْ مُستَهزِئاً لِئَلّا يَكرَهَكَ، وَبِّخْ حَكِيماً فَيُحِبَّكَ.

9 G ive instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man (one upright and in right standing with God) and he will increase in learning.

عَلِّمْ الحَكِيمَ فَيُصبِحَ أكثَرَ حِكمَةً، وَعَلِّمْ البارَّ فِيَزدادَ فِي المَعرِفَةِ.

10 T he reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding.

أوَّلُ الحِكْمَةِ أنْ تَخافَ اللهَ ، وَمَعرِفَةُ القُدُّوسِ فَهْمٌ.

11 F or by me your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased.

بِواسِطَتِي تَزدادُ أيّامُكَ، وَتُضافُ سَنَواتٌ إلَى حَياتِكَ.

12 I f you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scorn, you alone will bear it and pay the penalty.

إذا أصبَحتَ حَكِيماً فَأنتَ حَكِيمٌ لِمَنفَعَةِ نَفسِكَ، وَإذا أصبَحْتَ مُستَهزِئاً فَإنَّكَ سَتَحْمِلُ نَتائِجَ اسْتِهْزائِكَ. دَعوَةُ الجَهل

13 T he foolish woman is noisy; she is simple and open to all forms of evil, she knows nothing whatever.

المَرأةُ الجاهِلَةُ مُزعِجَةٌ ساذَجَةٌ، وَلا تَعرِفُ شَيئاً.

14 F or she sits at the door of her house or on a seat in the conspicuous places of the town,

تَجلِسُ عَلَى بابِ بَيتِها، عَلَى مَقعَدٍ فِي أعلَى مِنْطَقَةٍ فِي المَدِينَةِ،

15 C alling to those who pass by, who go uprightly on their way:

وَتُنادِي عَلَى المارِّينَ فِي حالِ سَبِيلِهِمْ:

16 W hoever is simple (wavering and easily led astray), let him turn in here! And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,

«تَعالَوْا أيُّها الجُهّالُ،» وَتَقُولُ لِعَدِيمِي الفَهمِ:

17 S tolen waters (pleasures) are sweet; and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

«الماءُ المَسرُوقُ ألَذُّ، وَالخُبْزُ المَسرُوقُ أطيَبُ.»

18 B ut he knows not that the shades of the dead are there, and that her invited guests are in the depths of Sheol (the lower world, Hades, the place of the dead).

وَلَكِنَّ الجُهّالَ وَعَدِيمِي الفَهمِ لا يَعرِفُونَ أنَّ المَوتَ هُناكَ، وَأنَّ كُلَّ زُوّارِها سَيَذهَبُونَ إلَى المَوتِ.