1 A name is chosen rather than much wealth, Than silver and than gold -- good grace.

السُّمعَةُ الجَيِّدَةُ أفضَلُ مِنَ الغِنَى العَظِيمِ، وَالاحتِرامُ أفضَلُ مِنَ الفِضَّةِ وَالذَّهَبِ.

2 R ich and poor have met together, The Maker of them all Jehovah.

لا فَرقَ بَينَ الغَنِيِّ وَالفَقِيرِ، لِأنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَهُما.

3 T he prudent hath seen the evil, and is hidden, And the simple have passed on, and are punished.

العاقِلُ يَختَبِئُ عِندَما يَرَى المَشاكِلَ آتِيَةً، وَالجاهِلُ يَدخُلُ فِي المَشاكِلِ فَيَنالُ العِقابَ.

4 T he end of humility the fear of Jehovah, Riches, and honour, and life.

مَنْ يَتَواضَعُ يَخافُ اللهَ ، وَيُكافَئُ بِالغِنَى وَالكَرامَةِ وَالحَياةِ.

5 T horns -- snares in the way of the perverse, Whoso is keeping his soul is far from them.

فِي طَرِيقِ المُخادِعِ أشواكٌ وَفِخاخٌ، وَمَنْ يُحِبُّ حَياتَهُ يَبتَعِدُ عَنِ المُخادِعِ.

6 G ive instruction to a youth about his way, Even when he is old he turneth not from it.

دَرِّبِ الطِّفلَ عَلَى ما يَنْبَغِي أنْ يَفعَلَهُ، فَلا يَترُكَهُ عِندَما يَكبُرُ.

7 T he rich over the poor ruleth, And a servant the borrower to the lender.

الغَنِيُّ يَتَسَلَّطُ عَلَى الفَقِيرِ، وَالَّذِي يَقتَرِضُ هُوَ عَبدٌ لِمَنْ أقرَضَهُ.

8 W hoso is sowing perverseness reapeth sorrow, And the rod of his anger weareth out.

مَنْ يَزْرَعِ الظُّلمَ يَحْصُدِ الدَّمارَ بِسَخَطِهِ، وَالعَصا تُنهِي سَخَطَهُ.

9 T he good of eye -- he is blessed, For he hath given of his bread to the poor.

الرَّجُلُ الكَرِيمُ سَيَتَبارَكُ، لِأنَّهُ يُعطِي مِنْ طَعامِهِ لِلفُقَراءِ.

10 C ast out a scorner -- and contention goeth out, And strife and shame cease.

اطرُدِ المُستَهزِئَ فَيَنتَهِي الخِصامُ، وَيَتَوَقَّفَ الجِدالُ وَالإهانَةُ.

11 W hoso is loving cleanness of heart, Grace his lips, a king his friend.

مَنْ يُحِبُّ طَهارَةَ القَلْبِ، وَالكَلامَ المُهَذَّبَ، يَكُونُ المَلِكُ صَدِيقَهُ.

12 T he eyes of Jehovah have kept knowledge, And He overthroweth the words of the treacherous.

عُيُونُ اللهِ تَحرُسُ المَعرِفَةَ، وَلَكِنَّهُ يُحْبِطُ خُطَطَ الغادِرِينَ.

13 T he slothful hath said, `A lion without, In the midst of the broad places I am slain.'

الكَسْلانُ يَصرُخُ: «هُناكَ أسَدٌ فِي الخارِجِ! قَدْ أُقتَلُ فِي الشّارِعِ!»

14 A deep pit the mouth of strange women, The abhorred of Jehovah falleth there.

كَلامُ الزّانِيَةِ يُشبِهُ الحُفْرَةَ العَمِيقَةَ، مَنْ لا يَعِيشُ فِي رِضا اللهِ يَسقُطُ فِيها.

15 F olly is bound up in the heart of a youth, The rod of chastisement putteth it far from him.

الحَماقَةُ مُرتَبِطَةٌ بِعَقلِ الصَّبِيِّ الصَّغِيرِ، وَالتَّأدِيبُ يُزِيلُ الحَماقَةَ مِنْهُ.

16 H e is oppressing the poor to multiply to him, He is giving to the rich -- only to want.

مَنْ يَظلِمُ الفَقِيرَ لِيُصْبحَ غَنيّاً، وَمَنْ يُعْطِي الغَنِيَّ، كِلاهُما سَيَفتَقِرانِ. أقوالُ الحِكمةِ الثّلاثُون

17 I ncline thine ear, and hear words of the wise, And thy heart set to my knowledge,

افتَحْ أُذُنَكَ لِأقوالِ الحُكَماءِ، وَرَكِّزْ تَفكِيرَكَ عَلَى تَعلِيمِي.

18 F or they are pleasant when thou dost keep them in thy heart, They are prepared together for thy lips.

حَسَنٌ أنْ تَتَذَكَّرَها، وَأنْ تَتَكَلَّمَ بِها.

19 T hat thy trust may be in Jehovah, I caused thee to know to-day, even thou.

أُعَلِّمُكَ إيّاها أنتَ الَيَومَ، لِكَي تَضَعَ ثِقَتَكَ أنتَ فِي اللهِ.

20 H ave I not written to thee three times With counsels and knowledge?

ألَمْ أكتُبْ إلَيكَ فِي وَقتٍ سابِقٍ نَصائِحَ وَمَعرِفَةً،

21 T o cause thee to know the certainty of sayings of truth, To return sayings of truth to those sending thee.

لِأُعَلِّمَكَ الحَقَّ وَالكَلامَ الصّادِقَ، حَتَّى تَرُدَّ بِإجاباتٍ صادِقَةٍ للَّذِي أرْسَلَكَ؟ — 1 —

22 R ob not the poor because he poor, And bruise not the afflicted in the gate.

لا تَسرِقْ مِنَ الفَقِيرِ لِأنَّهُ فِقِيرٌ، وَلا تَسْحَقِ العاجِزَ فِي المَحكَمَةِ.

23 F or Jehovah pleadeth their cause, And hath spoiled the soul of their spoilers.

لِأنَّ اللهَ سَيُدافِعُ عَنْ قَضِيَّتِهِمْ، وَيَسرِقُ حَياةَ ظالِمِيهِمْ. — 2 —

24 S hew not thyself friendly with an angry man, And with a man of fury go not in,

لا تُصادِقِ الرَّجُلَ الغَضُوبَ، وَلا تُرافِقِ الرَّجُلَ الَّذِي يَثُورُ بِسُرعَةٍ.

25 L est thou learn his paths, And have received a snare to thy soul.

لِئلّا تَتَعَلَّمَ سُلُوكَهُ، وَتُوقِعَ نَفسَكَ فِي الفَخِّ. — 3 —

26 B e not thou among those striking hands, Among sureties burdens.

لا تَدْخُلْ فِي صَفقاتٍ تَكفَلُ بِها دُيُونَ الآخَرِينَ.

27 I f thou hast nothing to pay, Why doth he take thy bed from under thee?

فَإذا كُنْتَ لا تَستَطِيعُ السَّدادَ، فَحَتَّى سَرِيرُكُ سَيُؤْخَذُ مِنكَ. — 4 —

28 R emove not a border of olden times, That thy fathers have made.

لا تُزِلِ الحُدُودَ القَدِيمَةَ الَّتِي وَضَعَها آباؤكَ. — 5 —

29 H ast thou seen a man speedy in his business? Before kings he doth station himself, He stations not himself before obscure men!

أرَأيتَ الرَّجُلَ الَّذِي يُتقِنُ عَمَلَهُ؟ هُوَ سَيَخدِمُ المُلُوكَ، وَلَنْ يَخدِمَ أُناساً مَغمُورِينَ.