1 H ear this, all ye peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world:

اسْمَعُوا هَذا يا كُلَّ الأُمَمِ. أصغُوا يا كُلَّ سُكّانِ العالَمِ.

2 B oth men of low and men of high degree, rich and poor alike.

يا كُلَّ البَشَرِ بُسَطاءَ وَعُظَماءَ، فُقَراءَ وَأغنِياءَ،

3 M y mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding:

يَتَحَدَّثُ فَمِي بِتَعالِيمَ حِكمَةٍ وَفَهمٍ كُنتُ قَدْ تَأمَّلْتُها.

4 I will incline mine ear to a parable, I will open my riddle upon the harp.

أفتَحُ أُذُنَيَّ لِهَذِهِ الأمثالِ، وَأعزِفُ عَلَى قَيثارَتِي.

5 W herefore should I fear in the days of adversity, the iniquity of my supplanters encompasseth me?—

لِمَ أقلَقُ فِي أزمِنَةِ الضِّيقِ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يُلاحِقُونَنِي وَيُحاصِرُونَنِي.

6 T hey depend upon their wealth, and boast themselves in the abundance of their riches. …

لَنْ أخشَى الَّذِينَ عَلَى قُوَّتِهِمْ يَتَّكِلُونَ، وَبِثَروَتِهِمْ يَفتَخِرُونَ.

7 N one can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him,

لا يَقدِرُ أخٌ إنسانٌ مِثلُكَ أنْ يَفدِيكَ. لا يَسْتَطِيعُ أحَدٌ أنْ يَدْفَعَ للهِ ما يَكْفِي!

8 ( For the redemption of their soul is costly, and must be given up for ever,)

لا يَقدِرُ أحَدٌ أنْ يَدفَعَ ما يَكفِي لِتَخلِيصِ حَياتِهِ.

9 T hat he should still live perpetually, not see corruption.

أوْ أنْ يَشتَرِيَ حَقَّ الحَياةِ إلَى الأبَدِ، فَيُنقِذَ جَسَدَهُ مِنَ القَبرِ.

10 F or he seeth that wise men die; all alike, the fool and the brutish perish, and they leave their wealth to others.

انظُرُوا، فَالحُكَماءُ يَمُوتُونَ وَيَتَعَفَّنُونَ، تَماماً كَالجُهّالِ وَالحَمقَى. هُمْ أيضاً يَمُوتُونَ وَيَترُكُونَ لِلآخَرِينَ ثَروَتَهُمْ.

11 T heir inward thought is, that their houses are for ever, their dwelling-places from generation to generation: they call the lands after their own names.

القَبرُ إلَى الأبَدِ بَيتُهُمْ، وَمَسكَنُهُمْ جِيلاً بَعدَ جِيلٍ، مَعَ أنَّهُمْ امْتَلَكُوا أرْضاً كَثِيرَةً.

12 N evertheless, man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

قَدْ يَكُونُ إنسانٌ غَنِيّاً، لَكِنَّهُ لا يَبقَى هُنا إلَى الأبَدِ. بَلْ يَمُوتُ كَما الحَيوانُ،

13 T his their way is their folly, yet they that come after them delight in their sayings. Selah.

هَذِهِ هِيَ نِهايَةُ الحَمْقَى، وَنِهايَةُ الَّذِينَ يَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمْ. سِلاهْ

14 L ike sheep are they laid in Sheol: Death feedeth on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their comeliness shall be for Sheol to consume, that there be no habitation for them.

كَالغَنَمِ سَيَمُوتُونَ، فَيُصبِحُ القَبرُ حَظِيرَتَهُمْ وَالمَوتُ راعِيَهُمْ. ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّى المُستَقِيمُونَ أجسادَهُمْ. يَحمِلُونَها وَيَضَعُونَها فِي القَبرِ،

15 B ut God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol: for he will receive me. Selah.

لَكِنَّ اللهَ سَيَفدِينِي مِنَ المَوتِ، وَسَيَأخُذُنِي لأكُونَ مَعَهُ. سِلاهْ

16 B e not afraid when a man becometh rich, when the glory of his house is increased:

لا تَخْشَ إنساناً بِسَبَبِ غِناهُ وَجَمالِ مَساكِنِهِ.

17 F or when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him.

لأنَّ الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَيَهبِطُونَ إلَى القَبرِ، لا يَأخُذُونَ شَيئاً مِنْ ثَروَتِهِمْ مَعَهُمْ.

18 T hough he blessed his soul in his lifetime,—and men will praise thee when thou doest well to thyself,—

يَعتَبِرُ الغَنِيُّ نَفسَهُ مَحظُوظاً فِي الحَياةِ، وَيَمدَحُهُ النّاسُ عَلَى ما فَعَلَ لِنَفسِهِ.

19 I t shall go to the generation of his fathers: they shall never see light.

لَكِنْ يَأتِي وَقتٌ يَذهَبُ فِيهِ لِيَكُونَ مَعَ آبائِهِ، حَيثُ لا يَرَى نُوراً إلَى الأبَدِ.

20 M an that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

إنسانٌ غَنِيٌّ وَلا يَفهَمُ أشبَهُ بِالحَيواناتِ الَّتِي تَبِيدُ.