1 Drinking too much makes you loud and foolish. It's stupid to get drunk.
2 Fear an angry king as you would a growling lion; making him angry is suicide.
3 Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them.
4 A farmer too lazy to plow his fields at the right time will have nothing to harvest.
5 A person's thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out.
6 Everyone talks about how loyal and faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is!
7 Children are fortunate if they have a father who is honest and does what is right.
8 The king sits in judgment and knows evil when he sees it.
9 Can anyone really say that his conscience is clear, that he has gotten rid of his sin?
10 The Lord hates people who use dishonest weights and measures.
11 Even children show what they are by what they do; you can tell if they are honest and good.
12 The Lord has given us eyes to see with and ears to listen with.
13 If you spend your time sleeping, you will be poor. Keep busy and you will have plenty to eat.
14 The customer always complains that the price is too high, but then he goes off and brags about the bargain he got.
15 If you know what you are talking about, you have something more valuable than gold or jewels.
16 Anyone stupid enough to promise to be responsible for a stranger's debts ought to have their own property held to guarantee payment.
17 What you get by dishonesty you may enjoy like the finest food, but sooner or later it will be like a mouthful of sand.
18 Get good advice and you will succeed; don't go charging into battle without a plan.
19 A gossip can never keep a secret. Stay away from people who talk too much.
20 If you curse your parents, your life will end like a lamp that goes out in the dark.
21 The more easily you get your wealth, the less good it will do you.
22 Don't take it on yourself to repay a wrong. Trust the Lord and he will make it right.
23 The Lord hates people who use dishonest scales and weights.
24 The Lord has determined our path; how then can anyone understand the direction his own life is taking?
25 Think carefully before you promise an offering to God. You might regret it later.
26 A wise king will find out who is doing wrong, and will punish him without pity.
27 The Lord gave us mind and conscience; we cannot hide from ourselves.
28 A king will remain in power as long as his rule is honest, just, and fair.
29 We admire the strength of youth and respect the gray hair of age.
30 Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.
1 الخمرُ مُجُونٌ والسُّكْرُ عَربَدَةٌ،
ومَنْ يَهيمُ بِهِما فلا حِكمةَ لهُ.
2 هِياجُ المَلِكِ كزَئيرِ الشِّبْلِ،
فمَنْ تَجاهَلَهُ أخطأَ إلى نفْسِهِ.
3 كرامَةُ الإنسانِ انقِطاعُهُ عَنِ الخِصامِ،
فالدُّخولُ فيهِ مِنْ طبائِـعِ الأحمقِ.
4 البطَّالُ لا يفلَحُ أرضَهُ في الخريفِ،
فيَستَعطي في الحصادِ ولا يُعطَى.
5 المَشورَةُ في القلبِ مياهٌ عميقةٌ،
والفهيمُ الفهيمُ مَنْ يستخْرِجُها.
6 كم مِنَ النَّاسِ يُنادونَ بِصلاحِهِم،
أمَّا الأمينُ فيهم فمَنْ يَجِدُهُ؟
7 الصِّدِّيقُ السَّالِكُ طريقَ الكمالِ
يَهنَأُ بَنُوهُ مِنْ بَعدِهِ.
8 المَلِكُ الجالِسُ على كُرسِيِّ القضاءِ،
بِنَظْرةٍ مِنهُ يُميِّزُ كُلَّ شَرٍّ.
9 أهُناكَ مَنْ يقولُ: «قلبـي نَقيٌّ،
وأنا تطَهَّرتُ مِنْ خطيئتي؟»
10 إستعمالُ مِكيالَينِ مِعيارَينِ
كِلاهُما غِشٌّ يَمقُتُهُ الرّبُّ.
11 الولَدُ نفْسُهُ يعرِفُ ما يعمَلُ،
هلْ هوَ سليمٌ ومُستَقيمٌ.
12 الأُذُنُ لِلسَّمعِ والعينُ لِلبصَرِ،
وكِلْتاهُما صنَعَهُما الرّبُّ.
13 لا تُحِبَّ النَّومَ لِئلاَّ تَفتَقِرَ،
بلِ افتَحْ عينَيكَ تشبَعْ خُبزا.
14 يقولُ المُشتري: هذا رَديءٌ،
وحينَ يشتَريهِ يتَهَلَّلُ فَرِحا.
15 الذَّهَبُ موجودٌ والَّلآلئُ كثيرَةٌ،
وكَلامُ المَعرِفةِ جوهرَةٌ كريمَةٌ.
16 إنْ كفَلْتَ غريـبا تكُنْ غبـيًّا،
وإلاَّ فخُذْ ثوبَهُ رَهْنا لكَ.
17 خبزُ الكَذِبِ لذيذٌ لِلإنسانِ
إلى أن يمتَلئَ فَمُهُ بالحصَى.
18 بالمَشورَةِ تَتِمُّ مَقاصِدُكَ.
وبِــغيرِ هُدىً لا تُشَنُّ الحربُ.
19 السَّاعي بالنَّميمةِ يُفشي الأسرارَ،
وأمَّا الثَّرثارُ فلا تُعاشِرْهُ.
20 مَنْ لعَنَ أباهُ أو لعَنَ أمَّهُ
يَنطفِـئُ سِراجُهُ في قلبِ الظَّلامِ.
21 ميراثُ البخيلِ لا قيمةَ لهُ،
وآخرتُهُ لا بركةَ فيها.
22 لا تَقُلْ: أستَسلِمُ لِلشَّرِّ،
بل ترَجَّ الرّبَّ فيُخَلِّصَكَ.
23 إستِعمالُ مِكيالَينِ يَمقُتُهُ الرّبُّ،
ومَوازينُ الغِشِّ لا تَجوزُ.
24 خَطَواتُ الإنسانِ يُسَيِّرُها الرّبُّ،
فكيفَ يتَبَيَّنُ الإنسانُ طريقَهُ؟
25 لا تـتَسَرَّعْ بِنُذُورِكَ للرّبِّ
لِئلاَّ تَندَمَ فيما بَعدُ.
26 المَلِكُ الحكيمُ يُبَدِّدُ الأشرارَ،
ويسحَقُهُم بالنَّورَجِ عِقابا لهُم.
27 الرّبُّ يُنيرُ ضميرَ الإنسانِ،
ويُفَتِّشُ جميعَ دَواخِلِهِ.
28 الرَّحمةُ والحَقُّ يَحفَظانِ المَلِكَ،
وعَرشُهُ يُسانِدُهُ العَدلُ.
29 فَخْرُ الشَّبابِ عزيمَتُهُم،
وبَهاءُ الشُّيوخِ المَشيـبُ.
30 الشَّرُّ يُطَهِّرُ عُمْقَ الجِراحِ،
والضَّرَباتُ القاسيةُ دَواخلَ الإنسانِ.