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 heart devises violence, And their lips talk of troublemaking.

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

3 T hrough wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;

بِالحِكْمَةِ تُبنَى البُيُوتُ، وَبِالفَهمِ تَثبُتُ.

4 B y 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, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;

الرَّجُلُ الحَكيمُ قَوِيٌّ فِعلاً، وَالمَعْرِفَةُ تَجْعَلُهُ أقدَرَ.

6 F or by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

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

7 W isdom is too lofty 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 H e who plots to do evil Will be called a schemer.

مَنْ يُخَطِّطُ دائِماً لِلأذَى يُسَمِّيهِ النّاسُ «أبا المَشاكِلِ.»

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

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

10 I f you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.

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

11 D eliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.

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

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

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 because it is good, And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;

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

14 S o shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, 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 plunder his resting place;

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

16 F or a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by 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 L est the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him.

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

19 D o not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the wicked;

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

20 F or there will be no prospect 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 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 those two can bring? Further Sayings of the Wise

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

23 T hese things also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment.

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

24 H e who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him.

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

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

لَكِنْ يُسَرُّ النّاسُ بِمَنْ يُوَبِّخُ المُذْنِب، وَهُوَ بَرَكَةٌ لَهُمْ.

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

الإجابَةُ الصّادِقَةُ مِثلُ القُبلَةِ عَلَى الشَّفَتَينِ.

27 P repare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.

نَظِّمْ عَمَلَكَ وَجَهِّزْ حَقلَكَ قَبلَ أنْ تَبنِيَ بَيتَكَ.

28 D o not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, For would you deceive with your lips?

لا تَشهَدْ ضِدَّ جارِكَ دُونَ سَبَبٍ، وَلا تَشهَدْ بِالزُّورِ.

29 D o not say, “I will do to him just 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 went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;

مَرَرْتُ بِحَقلِ الرَّجُلِ الكَسْلانِ، وَبِكَرْمِ الرَّجُلِ الأحمَقِ،

31 A nd there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; 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 it, I considered it well; I looked on it 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 S o shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

وَيُداهِمُكَ الفَقرُ كَلِّصٍّ، وَتَقتَحِمُكَ الخَسارَةُ اقتِحاماً.