1 D o not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them;

لا تَحسِدِ الأشرارَ، وَلا تَتَمَنَّ أنْ تَكُونَ مَعَهُمْ،

2 F or their minds devise violence, And their lips talk of trouble.

لِأنَّهُمْ يُخَطِّطُونَ لِلعُنفِ وَالسَّلْبِ، وَيَتَكَلَّمُونَ عَنِ الأذَى. — 20 —

3 B y wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;

بِالحِكْمَةِ تُبنَى البُيُوتُ، وَبِالفَهمِ تَثبُتُ.

4 A nd by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.

بِالمَعرِفَةِ تَمْتَلِئُ الغُرَفُ بِكُلِّ ما هُوَ ثَمِينٌ وَمُفرِحٌ. — 21 —

5 A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power.

الرَّجُلُ الحَكيمُ قَوِيٌّ فِعلاً، وَالمَعْرِفَةُ تَجْعَلُهُ أقدَرَ.

6 F or by wise guidance you will wage war, And in abundance of counselors there is victory.

لِأنَّكَ تَستَطِيعُ أنْ تَشُنَّ حَرباً بِالمَشُورَةِ وَالخُطَطِ الحَكِيمَةِ، وَسَتَنتَصِرُ بِكَثرَةِ المُستَشارينَ. — 22 —

7 W isdom is too exalted for a fool, He does not open his mouth in the gate.

الحِكْمَةُ أعلَى مِنَ الحَمْقى. فَلا يَنبَغِي أنْ يَفتَحُوا أفواهَهُمْ فِي المَجالِسِ. — 23 —

8 O ne who plans to do evil, Men will call a schemer.

مَنْ يُخَطِّطُ دائِماً لِلأذَى يُسَمِّيهِ النّاسُ «أبا المَشاكِلِ.»

9 T he devising of folly is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

الخُطَّةُ الَّتِي يَرسُمُها الأحْمَقُ خَطِيَّةٌ، وَالنّاسُ يَكرَهُونَ المُستَهزِئَ. — 24 —

10 I f you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited.

إذا ظَهَرَ ضَعفُكَ فِي وَقتِ الضِّيقِ، فَإنَّكَ ضَعِيفٌ حَقّاً. — 25 —

11 D eliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.

أنقِذِ المُنقادِينَ إلَى المَوتِ، وَلا تَتَراجَعْ عَنْ مُساعَدَةِ الَّذِينَ سَيُذْبَحُونَ،

12 I f you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?

لأنَّكَ إنْ قُلْتَ: «نَحنُ لا نَعلَمُ بِهَذا الأمرِ،» فَإنَّ فاحِصَ القُلُوبِ يَعلَمُ بِهِ. ألَيسَ هُوَ يَراكَ وَيَعلَمُ؟ ألَيسَ هُوَ مَنْ سَيُجازِي كُلَّ واحِدٍ بِحَسَبِ عَمَلِهِ؟ — 26 —

13 M y son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;

يا بُنَيَّ كُلْ عَسَلاً لِأنَّهُ مُفِيدٌ، وَشَهْدُ العَسَلِ طَيِّبُ المَذاقِ.

14 K now that wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off.

وَاعلَمْ أنَّ الحِكْمَةَ لَذِيذَةٌ كَالعَسَلِ لِحَياتِكَ، فَإذا وَجَدتَها فَسَتَجِدُ مُستَقبَلاً عَظِيماً، وَلَنْ يَخِيبَ رَجاؤُكَ. — 27 —

15 D o not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not destroy his resting place;

لا تَنْصِبْ كَمِيناً فِي طَرِيقِ الرَّجُلِ البارِّ، وَلا تَهجُمْ عَلَى بَيتِهِ.

16 F or a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.

فَحَتَّى لَوْ سَقَطَ البارُّ سَبْعَ مَرّاتٍ، فَإنَّهُ سَيَقُومُ. أمّا الشِّرِّيرُ فَيَسقُطُ بِسَبَبِ شُرُورِهِ. — 28 —

17 D o not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;

لا تَفرَحْ عِندَما يَسقُطُ عَدُوُّكَ، وَلا تَبتَهِجْ عِندَما يَتَعَثَّرُ.

18 O r the Lord will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him.

وَإلّا سَيَراكَ اللهُ وَيَنْزَعِجُ، وَسَيُزِيلُ غَضَبَهُ عَنْ عَدُوِّكَ. — 29 —

19 D o not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked;

لا تَكْتَئِبْ أوْ تَغْضَبْ بِسَبَبِ فاعِلِي الشَّرِّ، وَلا تَحسَدِ الأشرارَ.

20 F or there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

لِأنَّهُ لا يُوجَدُ رَجاءٌ لِلشِّرِّيرِ، وَسَيَنطَفِئُ مِصباحُهُ. — 30 —

21 M y son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change,

يا بُنَيَّ، اخشَ اللهَ وَالمَلِكَ، وَلا تَنْضَمَّ إلَى المُتَمَرِّدِينَ عَلَيْهِما.

22 F or their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?

لِأنَّ المُصِيبَةَ تَأتِي مِنهما فَجْأةً، وَمَنِ يَعرِفُ مِقدارَ الدَّمارِ الَّذِي يَستَطِيعانِ أنْ يُسَبِّباهُ؟ مَزِيدٌ مِنْ أقوالِ الحِكْمَة

23 T hese also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.

وَهَذِهِ أيضاً مَزِيدٌ مِنْ أقوالِ الحِكْمَةِ: التَّحَيُّزُ فِي المُحاكَمَةِ لَيسَ جَيِّداً.

24 H e who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;

سَيُلْعَنُ مِنَ الشُّعُوبِ وَسَيُرفَضُ مِنَ الأُمَمِ مَنْ يَقُولُ لِلمُذْنِبِ: «أنتَ بَرِيءٌ وَصالِحٌ.»

25 B ut to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight, And a good blessing will come upon them.

لَكِنْ يُسَرُّ النّاسُ بِمَنْ يُوَبِّخُ المُذْنِب، وَهُوَ بَرَكَةٌ لَهُمْ.

26 H e kisses the lips Who gives a right answer.

الإجابَةُ الصّادِقَةُ مِثلُ القُبلَةِ عَلَى الشَّفَتَينِ.

27 P repare your work outside And make it ready for yourself in the field; Afterwards, then, build your house.

نَظِّمْ عَمَلَكَ وَجَهِّزْ حَقلَكَ قَبلَ أنْ تَبنِيَ بَيتَكَ.

28 D o not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, And do not deceive with your lips.

لا تَشهَدْ ضِدَّ جارِكَ دُونَ سَبَبٍ، وَلا تَشهَدْ بِالزُّورِ.

29 D o not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”

لا تَقُلْ: «سَأفعَلُ مَعَهُ كَما فَعَلَ مَعِي، وَسَأُجازِيهِ بِحَسَبِ أفعالِهِ!»

30 I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,

مَرَرْتُ بِحَقلِ الرَّجُلِ الكَسْلانِ، وَبِكَرْمِ الرَّجُلِ الأحمَقِ،

31 A nd behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down.

فَرَأيتُ الأشواكَ نَمَتْ فِي جَمِيعِ أنْحائِهِ، وَالأعشابُ الضّارَّةُ قَدْ غَطَّتْهُ، وَانهَدَمَ السُّورُ الحَجَرِيُّ الَّذِي يُحِيطُ بِهِ.

32 W hen I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction.

فَنَظَرْتُ وَفَكَّرْتُ فِي الأمرِ، وَدَقَّقْتُ النَّظَرَ فَتَعَلَّمْتُ دَرساً.

33 “ A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,”

وَهُوَ أنَّ قَلِيلاً مِنْ طَيِّ اليَدَينِ ثُمَّ قَلِيلاً مِنَ النُّعاسِ ثُمَّ قَلِيلاً مِنَ النَّومِ،

34 T hen your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man.

وَيُداهِمُكَ الفَقرُ كَلِّصٍّ، وَتَقتَحِمُكَ الخَسارَةُ اقتِحاماً.