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

A name is rather to be chosen than great riches; loving favour rather than silver and gold.

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

The rich and 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 seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

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

The reward of humility the fear of Jehovah is riches, and honour, and life.

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

Thorns snares are in the way of the perverse: he that keepeth his soul holdeth himself far from them.

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

Train up the child according to the tenor of his way, and 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 unrighteousness shall reap iniquity, and the rod of his wrath shall have an end.

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 scorner, and contention will depart, and strife and ignominy shall cease.

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

He that loveth pureness of heart, upon whose lips is grace, the king is his friend.

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

The eyes of Jehovah preserve knowledge; but he overthroweth the words of the unfaithful.

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

The sluggard saith, There is a lion without, I shall be killed 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 ditch: he with whom Jehovah is displeased shall fall therein.

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

Folly is bound in the heart of a child; 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, it is to enrich him; he that giveth to the rich, 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: they shall be together fitted on thy lips.

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

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

20 أ لَمْ أكتُبْ إلَيكَ فِي وَقتٍ سابِقٍ نَصائِحَ وَمَعرِفَةً،

Have not I written to thee excellent things, in counsels and knowledge,

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

that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest 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 the soul of those that despoil them.

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

Make no friendship with an angry man, and go not with a furious man;

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

lest thou learn his paths, and get a snare to thy soul.

26 ل ا تَدْخُلْ فِي صَفقاتٍ تَكفَلُ بِها دُيُونَ الآخَرِينَ.

Be not of them that strike hands, of them that are sureties for debts:

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

if thou hast nothing 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.

Hast thou seen a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before the mean.