1 ا سْمَعُوا أيُّها الأبناءُ إلَى تَعلِيمِ أبِيكُمْ، وَانتَبِهُوا إلَيهِ لِتَنالُوا فَهْماً.

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;

2 ل ِأنِّي أُعطِيكُمْ تَعلِيماً صَحِيحاً، فَلا تَتَخَلُّوا عَنْ تَعلِيمِي.

for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.

3 ف َأنا كُنتُ ابْناً لِأبِي، صَغِيراً وَوَحِيداً لِأُمِّي.

For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.

4 و َكانَ أبِي يُعَلِّمُنِي وَيَقولُ: «لِيَفهَمْ قَلبُكَ كَلامِي وَلْيَثْبُتْ فِيهِ. احفَظْ وَصايايَ لِتَحيا.

And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.

5 ا حْصُلْ عَلَى الحِكْمَةِ وَالفَهْمِ، وَلا تَنسَ كَلِماتِي وَلا تَحِدْ عَنْها.

Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6 ل ا تَتَخَلَّ عَنِ الحِكْمَةِ فَهِيَ سَتَحمِيكَ، أحبِبْها فَهِيَ سَتَحرُسُكَ.»

Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.

7 س َعَيُكَ إلَى الحِكْمَةِ هُوَ بِدايةُ الحِكْمَةِ، فَنَلِ الفَهْمَ مَهما كَلَّفَكَ.

The beginning of wisdom, Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.

8 أ كْرِمِ الحِكْمَةَ وَهِيَ سَتَجعَلُكَ عَظِيماً، سَتُكْرِمُكَ إذا عانَقْتَها.

Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.

9 ت ُكَلِّلُ رأسَكَ بِالجَمالِ، وَتُكرِمُكَ بِتاجٍ بَهِيٍّ. طَريقُ الحِكمَة

She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.

10 ا سْتَمِعْ يا بُنَيَّ لِكَلِماتِي وَاقبَلْها، فَتَطُولَ سَنَواتُ حَياتِكَ.

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.

11 و َجَّهْتُكَ إلَى طَرِيقِ الحِكْمَةِ، وَقُدْتُكَ فِي طُرُقِ الاستِقامَةِ.

I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.

12 ل َنْ تُعاقَ خَطَواتُكَ حِينَ تَمشِي، وَلَنْ تَتَعَثَّرَ حِينَ تَركُضُ.

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13 ت َمَسَّكْ بِالتَّعليمِ، وَلا تَدَعْهُ يُفلِتُ مِنْكَ. احْرُسْهُ لِأنَّهُ حَياتُكَ.

Take fast hold of instruction, let not go: keep her, for she is thy 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:

15 ت َجَنَّبْ طَرِيقَ الأشرارِ وَلا تَمشِ فِيهِ، ابتَعِدْ عَنْهُ وَأكمِلْ مَسِيرَكَ.

avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.

16 ف َإنَّ الأشرارَ لا يَنامُونَ حَتَّى يَعمَلُوا الشَّرَّ، وَيُسْرَقُ مِنْهُمُ النَّومُ إذا لَمْ يُؤذُوا أحْداً.

For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused 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 righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.

19 ب َينَما يُشبِهُ طَرِيقُ الأشْرارِ الظَّلامَ الحالِكَ، وَهُمْ لا يَعرِفُونَ ما فِيهِ مِنْ عَثَراتٍ.

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

20 ي ا بُنَيَّ، انتَبِهْ إلَى كَلِماتِي، وَأصغِ إلَى أقوالِي.

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21 ل ا تَغِبْ عَنْ نَظَرِكَ، بَلِ احفَظْها فِي قَلْبِكَ وَعَقلِكَ.

Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.

22 ل ِأنَّها حَياةٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَجِدُونَها، وَصِحَّةٌ لِلجَسَدِ كُلِّهِ.

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

23 ا حفَظْ قَلْبَكَ قَبلَ أيِّ شَيءٍ آخَرَ، لِأنَّ مِنهُ مَصدَرَ الحَياةِ.

Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.

24 أ بْعِدْ عَنْكَ الكَذِبَ، وَتَجَنَّبِ الكَلامَ المُلتَوِيَ.

Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.

25 ل ِتَنظُرْ عَيناكَ إلَى الأمامِ، وَأمْعِنِ النَّظَرَ قُدّامَكَ.

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26 ا فحَصِ الطَّرِيقَ أمامَكَ، لِتَكُونَ كُلُّ طُرُقِكَ آمِنَةً.

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.

27 ل ا تَمِلْ إلَى اليَمِينِ أوْ إلَى اليَسارِ، وَأبْعِدْ قَدَمَكَ عَنِ الشَّرِّ.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.