1 ل ا تَتَفاخَرْ بِالغَدِ، لِأنَّكَ لا تَعلَمُ ما الَّذِي يَأتِي بِهِ الغَدُ.

Boast not thyself of tomorrow; For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

2 د َعِ الآخَرِينَ يَمدَحُونَكَ، وَلا تَمتَدِحْ أنتَ نَفسَكَ.

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; A stranger, and not thine own lips.

3 ا لصَّخرُ ثَقِيلٌ وَالرَّملُ ثَقِيلٌ، وَلَكِنَّ غَضَبَ الأحمَقِ أثقَلُ مِنَ الصَّخرِ وَالرَّملِ مَعاً.

A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; But a fool's vexation is heavier than they both.

4 ا لغَضَبُ قاسٍ وَالغَيظُ كَالطَّوَفانِ، وَلَكِنْ مَنْ يَستَطِيعُ أنْ يَقِفَ أمامَ الغَيرَةِ.

Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; But who is able to stand before jealousy?

5 ا لتَّوبِيخُ الصَّرِيحُ أفضَلُ مِنَ الحُبِّ المَخفِيِّ.

Better is open rebuke Than love that is hidden.

6 ا لجُرُوحُ الَّتِي يُسَبِّبُها الصَّدِيقُ دافِعُها الأمانَةُ، أمّا العَدُوُّ، فَحَتَّى قُبُلاتُهُ مُزَيَّفَةٌ.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

7 ا لشَّبعانُ يَدُوسُ العَسَلَ، وَلِلجائِعِ كُلُّ مُرٍّ هُوَ حُلْوٌ.

The full soul loatheth a honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

8 ا لبَعِيدُ عَنْ وَطَنِهِ يُشبِهُ العُصفُورَ البَعِيدَ عَنْ عُشِّهِ.

As a bird that wandereth from her nest, So is a man that wandereth from his place.

9 ك َلِماتُ الصَّديقِ المُخلِصَةُ حُلْوَةٌ وَتُفَرِّحُ القَلبَ كَالعُطُورِ الشَّذِيَّةِ.

Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; So doth the sweetness of a man's friend that cometh of hearty counsel.

10 ل ا تَتَخَلَّ عَنْ صَدِيقِكَ وَلا عَنْ صَدِيقِ وَالِدِكَ، وَلَكِنْ لا تَدخُلْ بَيتَ أخِيكَ إذا كُنْتَ تُواجِهُ المَشاكِلَ. وَالجارُ القَرِيبُ أفضَلُ مِنَ الأخِ البَعِيدِ.

Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; And go not to thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.

11 ي ا بُنَيَّ، كُنْ حَكِيماً فَيَفرَحَ قَلْبِي، وَأرُدَّ عَلَى كُلِّ مَنْ يُعَيِّرُونَنِي.

My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer him that reproacheth me.

12 ا لعاقِلُ يَرَى المَشاكِلَ فَيَختَبِئُ، أمّا الجاهِلُ فَيَدخُلُ فِي المَشاكِلِ وَيَنالُ جَزاءَهُ.

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

13 خ ُذْ ثَوبَهُ وَارهِنْ ما لَدَيهِ لِأنَّهُ كَفِلَ رَجُلاً غَرِيباً وَامْرَأةً أجْنَبيَّةً.

Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge that is surety for a foreign woman.

14 ا لَّذِي يُلقِي التَّحِيَّةَ صَباحاً بِصَوتٍ مُزعِجٍ تُحْسَبُ تَحِيَّتُهُ لَعنَةً.

He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It shall be counted a curse to him.

15 ا لزَّوجَةُ الَّتِي تُثِيرُ النِّزاعِ، تُشبِهُ نَقَراتِ الماءِ المُتَسَرِّبِ فِي يَومٍ مُمطِرٍ.

A continual dropping in a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike:

16 و َمَنْ يُحاوِلُ أنْ يُوقِفَها يَكُونُ كَمَنْ يُحاوِلُ أنْ يُوقِفَ الرِّيحَ، أوْ كَمَنْ يُمسِكُ زَيتاً بِيَدٍ واحِدَةٍ.

He that would restrain her restraineth the wind; And his right hand encountereth oil.

17 ا لحَدِيدُ يَصقُلُ الحَدِيدَ، وَالإنسانُ يُعَلِّمُ الإنسانَ وَيُهَذِّبُهُ.

Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

18 م َنْ يَعتَنِي بِشَجَرَةِ تِينٍ يَأكُلْ ثَمَرَها، أيضاً مَنْ يَعتَنِ بِسَيِّدِهِ يُكَرَّمْ.

Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof; And he that regardeth his master shall be honored.

19 ا لماءُ يَعكِسُ وَجهَ الإنسانِ، وَكَذَلِكَ القَلْبُ يُظْهِرُ حالَةَ الإنسانِ وَطَبِيعَتَهُ.

As in water face answereth to face, So the heart of man to man.

20 ا لهاوِيَةُ وَمَوْضِعُ الهَلاكِ لا يَكتَفِيانِ، وَكَذَلِكَ عَينا الإنسانِ لا تَشبَعانِ.

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; And the eyes of man are never satisfied.

21 ا لنّارُ تَمْتَحِنُ الفِضَّةَ وَالذَّهَبَ، كَما أنَّ المَدِيحَ يَمتَحِنُ الإنسانَ.

The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; And a man is tried by his praise.

22 ح َتَّى لَوْ طَحَنْتَ الأحمَقَ بِمِدَقَّةٍ، فَلَنْ يُفارِقَهُ غَباؤهُ!

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain, Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

23 ا هتَمَّ بِحالَةِ قَطِيعِكَ، وَارعَ غَنَمَكَ بِأفْضَلِ ما تَسْتَطِيعُ،

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, And look well to thy herds:

24 ل أنَّ الغِنَى لا يَدُومُ وَكَذَلِكَ التّاجُ لا يَدُومُ إلَى الأبَدِ.

For riches are not for ever: And doth the crown endure unto all generations?

25 ع ِندَما يَزُولُ العُشْبُ، وَيَنمُو غَيرُهُ، وَيُجمَعُ القَشُّ مِنَ الجِبالِ،

The hay is carried, and the tender grass showeth itself, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in.

26 ع ِندَها يَكُونُ لَدَيكَ خِرافٌ تَلبَسُ صُوفَها، وَتُيوُساً تَبِيعُها وَتَشْتَرِي حَقلاً،

The lambs are for thy clothing, And the goats are the price of the field;

27 و َماعِزاً يَكفِي حَلِيبُها طَعاماً لَكَ وَلِبَيتِكَ وَلِخَدَمِكَ.

And there will be goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, And maintenance for thy maidens.