1 ا سْمَعُوا أيُّها الأبناءُ إلَى تَعلِيمِ أبِيكُمْ، وَانتَبِهُوا إلَيهِ لِتَنالُوا فَهْماً.
Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, and pay attention in order to gain and to know intelligent discernment, comprehension, and interpretation.
2 ل ِأنِّي أُعطِيكُمْ تَعلِيماً صَحِيحاً، فَلا تَتَخَلُّوا عَنْ تَعلِيمِي.
For I give you good doctrine; do not forsake my teaching.
3 ف َأنا كُنتُ ابْناً لِأبِي، صَغِيراً وَوَحِيداً لِأُمِّي.
When I was a son with my father, tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,
4 و َكانَ أبِي يُعَلِّمُنِي وَيَقولُ: «لِيَفهَمْ قَلبُكَ كَلامِي وَلْيَثْبُتْ فِيهِ. احفَظْ وَصايايَ لِتَحيا.
He taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live.
5 ا حْصُلْ عَلَى الحِكْمَةِ وَالفَهْمِ، وَلا تَنسَ كَلِماتِي وَلا تَحِدْ عَنْها.
Get skillful and godly Wisdom, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation); do not forget and do not turn back from the words of my mouth.
6 ل ا تَتَخَلَّ عَنِ الحِكْمَةِ فَهِيَ سَتَحمِيكَ، أحبِبْها فَهِيَ سَتَحرُسُكَ.»
Forsake not, and she will keep, defend, and protect you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 س َعَيُكَ إلَى الحِكْمَةِ هُوَ بِدايةُ الحِكْمَةِ، فَنَلِ الفَهْمَ مَهما كَلَّفَكَ.
The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation).
8 أ كْرِمِ الحِكْمَةَ وَهِيَ سَتَجعَلُكَ عَظِيماً، سَتُكْرِمُكَ إذا عانَقْتَها.
Prize Wisdom highly and exalt her, and she will exalt and promote you; she will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
9 ت ُكَلِّلُ رأسَكَ بِالجَمالِ، وَتُكرِمُكَ بِتاجٍ بَهِيٍّ. طَريقُ الحِكمَة
She shall give to your head a wreath of gracefulness; a crown of beauty and glory will she deliver to you.
10 ا سْتَمِعْ يا بُنَيَّ لِكَلِماتِي وَاقبَلْها، فَتَطُولَ سَنَواتُ حَياتِكَ.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life shall be many.
11 و َجَّهْتُكَ إلَى طَرِيقِ الحِكْمَةِ، وَقُدْتُكَ فِي طُرُقِ الاستِقامَةِ.
I have taught you in the way of skillful and godly Wisdom; I have led you in paths of uprightness.
12 ل َنْ تُعاقَ خَطَواتُكَ حِينَ تَمشِي، وَلَنْ تَتَعَثَّرَ حِينَ تَركُضُ.
When you walk, your steps shall not be hampered; and when you run, you shall not stumble.
13 ت َمَسَّكْ بِالتَّعليمِ، وَلا تَدَعْهُ يُفلِتُ مِنْكَ. احْرُسْهُ لِأنَّهُ حَياتُكَ.
Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.
14 ل ا تَدخُلْ فِي طَرِيقِ الأشرارِ، وَلا تَتبَعْ سُبُلَهُمْ.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
15 ت َجَنَّبْ طَرِيقَ الأشرارِ وَلا تَمشِ فِيهِ، ابتَعِدْ عَنْهُ وَأكمِلْ مَسِيرَكَ.
Avoid it, do not go on it; turn from it and pass on.
16 ف َإنَّ الأشرارَ لا يَنامُونَ حَتَّى يَعمَلُوا الشَّرَّ، وَيُسْرَقُ مِنْهُمُ النَّومُ إذا لَمْ يُؤذُوا أحْداً.
For they cannot sleep unless they have caused trouble or vexation; their sleep is taken away unless they have caused someone to fall.
17 ل ِأنَّهُمْ يَأْكُلُونَ الشَّرِّ كَالْخُبْزِ، وَيَشرَبُونَ العُنفَ كَالْخَمْرِ.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 أ مّا طَرِيقُ البِرِّ فَإنَّهُ نُورٌ يَشِعُّ أكثَرَ فَأكثَرَ حَتَّى ظَهِيرةِ النَّهارِ.
But the path of the just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until the perfect day.
19 ب َينَما يُشبِهُ طَرِيقُ الأشْرارِ الظَّلامَ الحالِكَ، وَهُمْ لا يَعرِفُونَ ما فِيهِ مِنْ عَثَراتٍ.
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
20 ي ا بُنَيَّ، انتَبِهْ إلَى كَلِماتِي، وَأصغِ إلَى أقوالِي.
My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings.
21 ل ا تَغِبْ عَنْ نَظَرِكَ، بَلِ احفَظْها فِي قَلْبِكَ وَعَقلِكَ.
Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.
22 ل ِأنَّها حَياةٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَجِدُونَها، وَصِحَّةٌ لِلجَسَدِ كُلِّهِ.
For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.
23 ا حفَظْ قَلْبَكَ قَبلَ أيِّ شَيءٍ آخَرَ، لِأنَّ مِنهُ مَصدَرَ الحَياةِ.
Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.
24 أ بْعِدْ عَنْكَ الكَذِبَ، وَتَجَنَّبِ الكَلامَ المُلتَوِيَ.
Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you.
25 ل ِتَنظُرْ عَيناكَ إلَى الأمامِ، وَأمْعِنِ النَّظَرَ قُدّامَكَ.
Let your eyes look right on, and let your gaze be straight before you.
26 ا فحَصِ الطَّرِيقَ أمامَكَ، لِتَكُونَ كُلُّ طُرُقِكَ آمِنَةً.
Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.
27 ل ا تَمِلْ إلَى اليَمِينِ أوْ إلَى اليَسارِ، وَأبْعِدْ قَدَمَكَ عَنِ الشَّرِّ.
Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left; remove your foot from evil.