1 ا لسُّمعَةُ الجَيِّدَةُ أفضَلُ مِنَ الغِنَى العَظِيمِ، وَالاحتِرامُ أفضَلُ مِنَ الفِضَّةِ وَالذَّهَبِ.

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, And loving favor rather than silver and gold.

2 ل ا فَرقَ بَينَ الغَنِيِّ وَالفَقِيرِ، لِأنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَهُما.

The rich and the poor meet together: Jehovah is the maker of them all.

3 ا لعاقِلُ يَختَبِئُ عِندَما يَرَى المَشاكِلَ آتِيَةً، وَالجاهِلُ يَدخُلُ فِي المَشاكِلِ فَيَنالُ العِقابَ.

A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; But the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

4 م َنْ يَتَواضَعُ يَخافُ اللهَ ، وَيُكافَئُ بِالغِنَى وَالكَرامَةِ وَالحَياةِ.

The reward of humility and the fear of Jehovah Is riches, and honor, and life.

5 ف ِي طَرِيقِ المُخادِعِ أشواكٌ وَفِخاخٌ، وَمَنْ يُحِبُّ حَياتَهُ يَبتَعِدُ عَنِ المُخادِعِ.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse: He that keepeth his soul shall be far from them.

6 د َرِّبِ الطِّفلَ عَلَى ما يَنْبَغِي أنْ يَفعَلَهُ، فَلا يَترُكَهُ عِندَما يَكبُرُ.

Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it.

7 ا لغَنِيُّ يَتَسَلَّطُ عَلَى الفَقِيرِ، وَالَّذِي يَقتَرِضُ هُوَ عَبدٌ لِمَنْ أقرَضَهُ.

The rich ruleth over the poor; And the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 م َنْ يَزْرَعِ الظُّلمَ يَحْصُدِ الدَّمارَ بِسَخَطِهِ، وَالعَصا تُنهِي سَخَطَهُ.

He that soweth iniquity shall reap calamity; And the rod of his wrath shall fail.

9 ا لرَّجُلُ الكَرِيمُ سَيَتَبارَكُ، لِأنَّهُ يُعطِي مِنْ طَعامِهِ لِلفُقَراءِ.

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; For he giveth of his bread to the poor.

10 ا طرُدِ المُستَهزِئَ فَيَنتَهِي الخِصامُ، وَيَتَوَقَّفَ الجِدالُ وَالإهانَةُ.

Cast out the scoffer, and contention will go out; Yea, strife and ignominy will cease.

11 م َنْ يُحِبُّ طَهارَةَ القَلْبِ، وَالكَلامَ المُهَذَّبَ، يَكُونُ المَلِكُ صَدِيقَهُ.

He that loveth pureness of heart, For the grace of his lips the king will be his friend.

12 ع ُيُونُ اللهِ تَحرُسُ المَعرِفَةَ، وَلَكِنَّهُ يُحْبِطُ خُطَطَ الغادِرِينَ.

The eyes of Jehovah preserve him that hath knowledge; But he overthroweth the words of the treacherous man.

13 ا لكَسْلانُ يَصرُخُ: «هُناكَ أسَدٌ فِي الخارِجِ! قَدْ أُقتَلُ فِي الشّارِعِ!»

The sluggard saith, There is a lion without: I shall be slain in the streets.

14 ك َلامُ الزّانِيَةِ يُشبِهُ الحُفْرَةَ العَمِيقَةَ، مَنْ لا يَعِيشُ فِي رِضا اللهِ يَسقُطُ فِيها.

The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: He that is abhorred of Jehovah shall fall therein.

15 ا لحَماقَةُ مُرتَبِطَةٌ بِعَقلِ الصَّبِيِّ الصَّغِيرِ، وَالتَّأدِيبُ يُزِيلُ الحَماقَةَ مِنْهُ.

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; But the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

16 م َنْ يَظلِمُ الفَقِيرَ لِيُصْبحَ غَنيّاً، وَمَنْ يُعْطِي الغَنِيَّ، كِلاهُما سَيَفتَقِرانِ. أقوالُ الحِكمةِ الثّلاثُون

He that oppresseth the poor to increase his gain, And he that giveth to the rich, shall come only to want.

17 ا فتَحْ أُذُنَكَ لِأقوالِ الحُكَماءِ، وَرَكِّزْ تَفكِيرَكَ عَلَى تَعلِيمِي.

Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, And apply thy heart unto my knowledge.

18 ح َسَنٌ أنْ تَتَذَكَّرَها، وَأنْ تَتَكَلَّمَ بِها.

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, If they be established together upon thy lips.

19 أ ُعَلِّمُكَ إيّاها أنتَ الَيَومَ، لِكَي تَضَعَ ثِقَتَكَ أنتَ فِي اللهِ.

That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I have made them known to thee this day, even to thee.

20 أ لَمْ أكتُبْ إلَيكَ فِي وَقتٍ سابِقٍ نَصائِحَ وَمَعرِفَةً،

Have not I written unto thee excellent things Of counsels and knowledge,

21 ل ِأُعَلِّمَكَ الحَقَّ وَالكَلامَ الصّادِقَ، حَتَّى تَرُدَّ بِإجاباتٍ صادِقَةٍ للَّذِي أرْسَلَكَ؟ — 1 —

To make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, That thou mayest carry back words of truth to them that send thee?

22 ل ا تَسرِقْ مِنَ الفَقِيرِ لِأنَّهُ فِقِيرٌ، وَلا تَسْحَقِ العاجِزَ فِي المَحكَمَةِ.

Rob not the poor, because he is poor; Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

23 ل ِأنَّ اللهَ سَيُدافِعُ عَنْ قَضِيَّتِهِمْ، وَيَسرِقُ حَياةَ ظالِمِيهِمْ. — 2 —

For Jehovah will plead their cause, And despoil of life those that despoil them.

24 ل ا تُصادِقِ الرَّجُلَ الغَضُوبَ، وَلا تُرافِقِ الرَّجُلَ الَّذِي يَثُورُ بِسُرعَةٍ.

Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger; And with a wrathful man thou shalt not go:

25 ل ِئلّا تَتَعَلَّمَ سُلُوكَهُ، وَتُوقِعَ نَفسَكَ فِي الفَخِّ. — 3 —

Lest thou learn this ways, And get a snare to thy soul.

26 ل ا تَدْخُلْ فِي صَفقاتٍ تَكفَلُ بِها دُيُونَ الآخَرِينَ.

Be thou not one of them that strike hands, Or of them that are sureties for debts.

27 ف َإذا كُنْتَ لا تَستَطِيعُ السَّدادَ، فَحَتَّى سَرِيرُكُ سَيُؤْخَذُ مِنكَ. — 4 —

If thou hast not wherewith to pay, Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

28 ل ا تُزِلِ الحُدُودَ القَدِيمَةَ الَّتِي وَضَعَها آباؤكَ. — 5 —

Remove not the ancient landmark, Which thy fathers have set.

29 أ رَأيتَ الرَّجُلَ الَّذِي يُتقِنُ عَمَلَهُ؟ هُوَ سَيَخدِمُ المُلُوكَ، وَلَنْ يَخدِمَ أُناساً مَغمُورِينَ.

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; He shall not stand before mean men.