1 ه ا الحِكْمَةُ تُنادِي، وَالبَصِيرَةُ تَرفَعُ صَوتَها.

Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice?

2 ت َقِفُ عَلَى القِمَمِ العالِيَةِ، وَفِي الشَّوارِعِ وَمَفارِقِ الطُّرُقاتِ.

On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth;

3 ب ِجانِبِ البَوّاباتِ، وَعَلَى مَدخَلِ المَدِينَةِ، وَمَداخِلِ الشَّوارِعِ تَصرُخُ وَتَقُولُ:

Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:

4 « أُنادِي عَلَيكُمْ أيُّها النّاسُ، وَصَوتِي يُخاطِبُ الإنسانَ.

Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men.

5 أ يُّها الجُهَلاءُ، تَعَلَّمُوا حُسْنَ التَّدبِيرِ، وَيا أيُّها الأغبِياءُ، تَعَلَّمُوا الفَهمَ.

O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.

6 ا ستَمِعُوا فَعِندِي كَلامٌ عَظِيمٌ، وَعَلَى شَفَتَيَّ كَلِماتُ الحَقِّ.

Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

7 ل ِأنَّ فَمِي يُخبِرُ بِالصِّدْقِ وَالحَقِّ، وَشَفَتايَ تَكرَهانِ الشَّرَّ.

For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 ك َلامِي كُلُّهُ عَدلٌ، وَلَيسَ فِيهِ انْحِرافٌ وَلا ضَلالٌ.

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

9 ك ُلُّهُ وَاضِحٌ لِلذَّكِيِّ، وَمُستَقِيمٌ لِمَن يَملِكُونَ المَعرِفَةَ.

They are all plain to him that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge.

10 « اقبَلْ تَأدِيبِي أكثَرَ مِنَ الفِضَّةِ، وَاقبَلِ المَعرِفَةَ أكثَرَ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ الجَيِّدِ.

Receive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold.

11 ل ِأنَّ الحِكْمَةَ أفضَلُ مِنَ الياقُوتِ، وَكُلُّ الجَواهِرِ لا تُساوِيها.

For wisdom is better than rubies; And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it.

12 « أنا الحِكْمَةُ، أعِيشُ مَعَ التَّدبِيرِ، وَأملِكُ المَعرِفَةَ وَالتَّعَقُّلَ.

I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge and discretion.

13 م َخافَةُ اللهِ هِيَ كُرهُ الشَّرِّ، وَكُرْهُ الكِبرِياءِ وَالعَجرَفَةِ وَطَرِيقِ الشَّرِّ وَالكَلامِ المُضَلِّلِ المُنْحَرِفِ.

The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.

14 ع ِندِي النَّصِيحَةُ وَالحُكْمُ الصَّحِيحُ، وَأنا البَصِيرَةُ وَلَدَيَّ القُوَّةُ.

Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might.

15 ي ُمارِسُ المُلوكُ حُكْمَهُمْ بِي، وَبِي يُصدِرُ الحُكّامُ أحكامَهُمُ العادِلَةَ.

By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.

16 ب ِي يَتَرَأَسُ الرُّؤساءُ، وَبِي العُظماءُ كُلَّ الأحكامِ العادِلَةِ.

By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

17 أ نا أُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَنِي، وَكُلُّ الَّذِينَ يَبحَثُونَ عَنِّي سَيَجِدُونَنِي.

I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me.

18 ع ِنْدِي الغِنَى وَالكَرامَةُ، وَالثَّرْوَةُ وَالصَّلاحُ إلَى الأبَدِ.

Riches and honor are with me; Yea, durable wealth and righteousness.

19 ث ِمارِي أفْضَلُ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ النَقِيِّ، وَغَلَّتِي أفْضَلُ مِنَ الفِضَّةِ الجَيِّدَةِ.

My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver.

20 أ سِيرُ فِي طَرِيقِ الصَّلاحِ، وَعَلَى دُرُوبِ العَدلِ.

I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice;

21 ل أُعطِيَ الغِنَى كَمِيراثٍ لِلَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَنِي وَأملأُ مَخازِنَهُمْ.

That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.

22 « شَكَّلَنِي اللهُ مُنذُ البِدايَةِ، أنا أوَّلُ أعمالِهِ.

Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.

23 ه َيَّأَنِي فِي قَدِيمِ الزَّمانِ، فِي البَدءِ، قَبلَ أنْ تَبدَأَ الأرْضُ.

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.

24 خ َرَجتُ قَبلَ أنْ يَكُونَ هُناكَ بَحرٌ، وَقَبلَ أنْ يَكُونَ هُناكَ ماءٌ فِي اليَنابِيعِ.

When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 و ُجِدْتُ قَبلَ أنْ تَستَقِرَّ الجِبالُ وَالتِّلالُ فِي مَكانِها.

Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;

26 ع ِندَما لَمْ تَكُنِ الأرْضُ وَالحُقُولُ قَدْ صُنِعَتْ، وَلَمْ تُصنَعْ ذَرَّةٌ مِنْ تُرابِ العالَمِ.

While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

27 ك ُنتُ عِندَما وَضَعَ السَّماواتِ فِي مَكانِها، وَعِندَما رَسَمَ دائِرَةَ الأُفُقِ عَلَى وَجهِ البَحْرِ.

When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,

28 و َكُنتُ مَوجُوداً عِندَما ثَبَّتَ الغُيُومَ عالِياً، وَعِندَما فَجَّرَ يَنابِيعَ البَحْرِ وثبَّتَها.

When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong,

29 و َكُنتُ عِندَما وَضَعَ حُدُوداً لِلبَحْرِ، فَلا تَتَعَدّاها المِياهُ، وَكُنتُ عِندَما وَضَعَ أساساتِ الأرْضِ.

When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;

30 ك ُنتُ عِندَهُ كَصانِعٍ ماهِرٍ، وَكُنتُ فَرَحَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ، وَأفرَحُ أمامَهُ كُلَّ حِينٍ.

Then I was by him, as a master workman; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him,

31 أ فرَحُ بَينَ خَليقَتِهِ، وَلَذَّتِي مَعَ بَنِي البَشَرِ.

Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.

32 « وَالآنَ يا أبنائِي، استَمِعُوا إلَيَّ: يَفرَحُ الَّذِينَ يَتبَعُونَ طَرِيقِي.

Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways.

33 ا ستَمِعُوا إلَى تَعلِيمِي وَكُونُوا حُكَماءَ، وَلا تُهمِلُوا كَلامِي.

Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not.

34 ي َفرَحُ الَّذِي يَستَمِعُ إلَيَّ ساهِراً عِندَ بابِي دائِماً، مُنتَظِراً عِندَ مَدخَلِ بابِي.

Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

35 ل ِأنَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُنِي يَجِدُ الحَياةَ، وَيَنالُ رِضى اللهِ وبَرَكَتَهُ.

For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah.

36 و َلَكِنَّ الَّذِي لا يَجِدُنِي فَإنَّهُ يُدَمِّرُ حَياتَهُ، وَمَنْ يَكرَهُنِي فَإنَّهُ يُحِبُّ المَوتَ.»

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.