1 ا لإنسانُ المُنعَزِلُ يَبحَثُ عَنْ رَغبَتِهِ، وَيَتَضايَقُ مِنْ كُلِّ نَصِيحَةٍ.

¶ Whosoever goes astray seeks according to his own lust and shall meddle with every doctrine.

2 ا لأحْمَقُ لا يَجِدُ مُتعَةً فِي الفَهْمِ، بَلْ فِي إعطاءِ آراءِهِ فَقَطْ.

¶ A fool has no delight in understanding, but in that which his own heart discovers.

3 ع ِندَما يَأْتِي الشَّرُّ يَأْتِي الاستِهزاءُ مَعَهُ، وَمَعَ الإهانَةِ يَأْتِي الخِزْيُ وَالعارُ.

¶ When the wicked comes, then comes also contempt, and with him who dishonours, reproach.

4 ك َلِماتُ الإنسانِ مِياهٌ عَمِيقَةٌ، وَنَبعُ الحِكْمَةِ نَهرٌ مُتَدَفِّقٌ.

¶ The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

5 ل َيسَ جَيِّداً أنْ تَتَحَيَّزَ لِلمُذنِبِ، فَتَحرِمَ البَرِيءَ مِنْ حَقِّهِ.

¶ To respect the person of the wicked so that the righteous loses that which is rightfully his is not good.

6 ك َلامُ الأحْمَقِ يُؤَدِّي إلَى الجَدَلِ، وَفَمُهُ يُسَبِّبُ لَهُ الضَّرْبَ.

¶ A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for strokes.

7 ف َمُ الأحْمَقِ يُسَبِّبُ دَمارَهُ، وَكَلامُهُ يُشبِهُ الفَخَّ لِحَياتِهِ.

A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

8 ك َلامُ النَّمّامِ يُشبِهُ لُقَمَ الطَّعامِ الَّتِي تَنزِلُ إلَى المَعِدَةِ.

¶ The words of a talebearer seem smooth, but they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

9 ا لكَسْلانُ فِي عَمَلِهِ، هُوَ وَالمُخَرِّبُ سِيّانِ.

¶ He also that is negligent in his work is brother to him that is the great spendthrift.

10 ا سْمُ يهوه بُرجٌ مَنِيعٌ، يَركُضُ إلَيهِ البارُّ وَيَحتَمِي.

¶ The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous shall run into it, and be raised up.

11 ث َروَةُ الغَنِيِّ هِيَ مَدِينَتُهُ الحَصِينَةُ، فَيَتَخَيَّلُها سُوراً عالِياً.

¶ The rich man’s wealth is his strong city and as a high wall in his imagination.

12 ا لكِبرِياءُ تأتِي قَبلَ الانهِيارِ، أمّا التَّواضُعُ فَيَأتِي قَبلَ الكَرامَةِ.

¶ Before being broken, the heart of man is haughty, and before coming into honour, comes being brought to humility.

13 م َنْ يُجِيبُ عَنْ سُؤالٍ قَبلَ أنْ يَسمَعَهُ، فَهُوَ أحْمَقُ يُسَبِّبُ لِنَفسِهِ الخِزيَ.

¶ For him that answers a word before he hears, it is folly and reproach unto him.

14 ر ُوحُ الإنسانِ تُسانِدُهُ فِي مَرَضِهِ، أمّا الرُّوحُ الحَزِينَةُ فَلا يَحتَمِلُها أحَدٌ.

¶ The spirit of man will bear his infirmity, but a broken spirit who can bear?

15 ا لإنسانُ الذَّكِيُّ يَكتَسِبُ المَعرِفَةَ، وَأُذُنُ الحَكِيمِ تَبحَثُ عَنِ العِلْمِ.

¶ The heart of the man of understanding acquires wisdom, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

16 ا لهَدِيَّةُ تُؤدّي إلَى التَرْحيبِ، وَتُمَهِّدُ لِمُقابَلَةِ العُظَماءَ.

¶ A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.

17 م َنْ يَشتَكِي أوَّلاً يَبْدُو مُحِقّاً، إلَى أنْ يَأتِيَ خَصْمُهُ وَيَستَجْوِبُهُ.

¶ The one who is just is first in his cause, his adversary comes and seeks him out.

18 ا لقُرعَةُ تُنهِي النِّزاعَ، وَتَفصِلُ بَينَ طَرَفَينِ قَوِيّينِ.

¶ The lot causes contentions to cease and decides between the mighty.

19 م ُصالَحةُ الأخِ بَعْدَ إهانَتِهِ أصعَبُ مِنْ فَتْحِ مَدِينَةٍ، وَالمُخاصَماتُ بَيْنَ الأصْدِقاءِ أشبَهُ بِعَوارِضِ قَلعَةٍ.

¶ A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

20 م ِنْ ثَمَرِ كَلامِ الإنسانِ تَمتَلِئُ مَعِدَتُهُ، وَمِنْ غَلَّةِ شَفَتَيهِ يَشْبَعُ.

¶ A man’s belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth, and with the product of his lips shall he be filled.

21 ا لمَوتُ وَالحَياةُ تَحتَ سُلْطَةِ اللِّسانِ، وَمَنْ يُحِبُّ الكَلامَ سَيَأكُلُ ثَمَرَ كَلامِهِ.

¶ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those that love it shall eat its fruit.

22 م َنْ يَجِدُ زَوجَةً صالِحَةً يَجِدُ خَيْراً، وَينالُ رِضَىً مِنَ اللهِ.

¶ Whosoever found a wife found a good thing and has attained the favour of the LORD.

23 ا لفَقِيرُ يَطلُبُ بِتَواضُعٍ، أمّا الغَنِيُّ فَيُجِيبُ بِخُشُونَةٍ.

¶ The poor uses intreaties, but the rich answer roughly.

24 ق َدْ يَضُرُّ الأصْدِقاءُ صَدِيقَهُمْ، لَكِنْ هُناكَ صَدِيقٌ ألصَقُ مِنَ الأخِ.

¶ The man that has friends must show himself to be a friend, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.