Özdeyişler 22

¹İyi bir ad büyük zenginlikten daha çok tercih edilmelidir; iyi bir lütuf ise gümüş ve altından daha üstündür.

²Zengin ve yoksul birbiriyle karşılaştılar; her ikisini de yaratan Rab'dir.

³Kurnaz kişi, kötünün şiddetle cezalandırıldığını gördüğünde kendisi eğitilir; aptallar ise geçip gider ve zarara uğrarlar.

⁴Bilgeliğin soyu Rab korkusudur; o aynı zamanda zenginlik, onur ve yaşamdır.

⁵Eğri yollarda pıtraklar ve tuzaklar vardır; canını koruyan ise onlardan uzak duracaktır.

⁷Zenginler yoksullara egemen olacak, ev köleleri de kendi efendilerine ödünç verecektir.

⁸Kötü şeyler eken belalar biçecektir; o, işlerinin getireceği yıkımı tamamına erdirecektir.

⁰8α Tanrı neşeli ve cömertçe vereni kutsar; ancak o, işlerinin boşluğunu tamamına erdirecektir.

⁹Yoksula merhamet edenin kendisi beslenecektir; çünkü kendi ekmeğinden yoksula vermiştir.

⁰9α Armağanlar veren kişi zafer ve onur kazanır; bununla birlikte, o armağanlara sahip olanların canını alır.

¹⁰Meclisten musibeti kov, onunla birlikte kavga da gider; çünkü o mecliste oturduğunda herkesi küçük düşürür.

¹¹Rab temiz yüreklileri sever, kusursuz olanların hepsi O'na makbuldür; kral ise halkını dudaklarıyla güder.

¹²Rab'bin gözleri bilgiyi korur, yasa tanımaz kişi ise sözleri küçümser.

¹³Tembel kişi mazeret üreterek şöyle der: "Yollarda aslan var, meydanlarda ise katiller!"

¹⁴Yasa tanımazın ağzı derin bir çukurdur; Rab'bin gazap ettiği kişi onun içine düşecektir.

⁰14α İnsanın önünde kötü yollar vardır ve onlardan dönmek istemez; oysa eğri ve kötü yoldan dönmek gerekir.

¹⁵Akılsızlık gencin yüreğine bağlanmıştır; değnek ve terbiye ise ondan uzaktır.

¹⁶Yoksula iftira ederek şantaj yapan kendi malını çoğaltır; zengine veren ise ancak eksikliğe uğrar.

¹⁷Bilgelerin sözlerine kulağını yönelt ve benim sözümü işit; yüreğini onlara odakla ki onların iyi olduklarını bilesin.

¹⁸Eğer onları yüreğine yerleştirirsen, dudaklarının üzerinde aynı anda seni sevindireceklerdir.

¹⁹Öyle ki umudun Rab'de olsun ve O sana yolunu bildirsin.

²⁰Sen de öğüt ve bilgi edinmek için bunları yüreğinin genişliği üzerine üç katlı olarak kaydet.

²¹Böylece sana doğru sözü ve dinlemeye değer iyi bilgiyi öğretiyorum ki, seni sorgulayanlara gerçeğin sözleriyle yanıt verebilesin.

²²Yoksula zorbalık etme, çünkü o muhtaçtır; kapıdaki mahkemede çaresiz olanı da küçük düşürme.

²³Çünkü Rab onun davasını savunacak ve senin dokunulmaz canını kurtaracaktır.

²⁴Öfkeli adamla arkadaş olma, hırçın bir dostla da aynı konutu paylaşma.

²⁵Yoksa onun yollarını öğrenir ve kendi canına tuzaklar kurmuş olursun.

²⁶Yüzünden utanarak hatır için kendini kefalete bağlama.

²⁷Çünkü eğer ödeyecek gücün olmazsa, kaburgalarının altındaki yatağı bile alırlar.

²⁸Atalarının belirlediği kadim sınırları yerinden oynatma.

²⁹İşlerinde basiretli ve hızlı olan adam kralların huzurunda durmalıdır, uyuşuk adamların huzurunda değil.

¹ΑΙΡΕΤΩΤΕΡΟΝ ὄνομα καλὸν ἢ πλοῦτος πολύς, ὑπὲρ δὲ ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον χάρις ἀγαθή,

²πλούσιος καὶ πτωχὸς συνήντησαν ἀλλήλοις, ἀμφοτέρους δὲ ὁ Κύριος ἐποίησε.

³πανοῦργος ἱδὼν πονηρὸν τιμωρούμενον κραταιῶς αὐτὸς παιδεύεται, οἱ δὲ ἄφρονες παρελθόντες ἐζημιώθησαν.

⁴γενεὰ σοφίας φόβος Κυρίου καὶ πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα καὶ ζωή.

⁵τρίβολοι καὶ παγίδες ἐν ὁδοῖς σκολιαῖς, ὁ δὲ φυλάσσων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀφέξεται αὐτῶν.

⁰6

⁷πλούσιοι πτωχῶν ἄρξουσι, καὶ οἰκέται ἰδίοις δεσπόταις δανειοῦσι.

⁸ὁ σπείρων φαῦλα θερίσει κακά, πληγὴν δὲ ἔργων αὐτοῦ συντελέσει. 8α ἄνδρα ἱλαρὸν καὶ δότην εὐλογεῖ ὁ Θεός, ματαιότητα δὲ ἔργων αὐτοῦ συντελέσει.

⁹ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν αὐτὸς διατραφήσεται, τῶν γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ ἄρτων ἔδωκε τῷ πτωχῷ. 9α νίκην καὶ τιμὴν περιποιεῖται ὁ δῶρα δούς, τὴν μέντοι ψυχὴν ἀφαιρεῖται τῶν κεκτημένων.

¹⁰ἔκβαλε ἐκ συνεδρίου λοιμόν, καὶ συνεξελεύσεται αὐτῷ νεῖκος· ὅταν γὰρ καθίσῃ ἐν συνεδρίῳ, πάντας ἀτιμάζει.

¹¹ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος ὁσίας καρδίας, δεκτοὶ δὲ αὐτῷ πάντες ἄμωμοι· χείλεσι ποιμαίνει βασιλεύς.

¹²οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου διατηροῦσιν αἴσθησιν, φαυλίζει δὲ λόγους παράνομος.

¹³προφασίζεται καὶ λέγει ὀκνηρός· λέων ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς, ἐν δὲ ταῖς πλατείαις φονευταί.

¹⁴βόθρος βαθὺς στόμα παρανόμου, ὁ δὲ μισηθεὶς ὑπὸ Κυρίου ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς αὐτόν. 14α εἰσὶν ὁδοὶ κακαὶ ἐνώπιον ἀνδρός, καὶ οὐκ ἀγαπᾷ τοῦ ἀποστρέψαι ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν· ἀποστρέφειν δὲ δεῖ ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ σκολιᾶς καὶ κακῆς.

¹⁵ἄνοια ἐξῆπται καρδίας νέου, ῥάβδος δὲ καὶ παιδεία μακρὰν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

¹⁶ὁ συκοφαντῶν πένητα πολλὰ ποιεῖ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ· δίδωσι δὲ πλουσίῳ ἐπ᾿ ἐλλάσσονι.

¹⁷Λόγοις σοφῶν παράβαλλε σὸν οὗς καὶ ἄκουε ἐμὸν λόγον, τὴν δὲ σὴν καρδίαν ἐπίστησον, ἵνα γνῷς, ὅτι καλοί εἰσι·

¹⁸καὶ ἐὰν ἐμβάλῃς αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν καρδίαν σου, εὐφρανοῦσί σε ἅμα ἐπὶ σοῖς χείλεσιν,

¹⁹ἵνα σου γένηται ἐπὶ Κύριον ἡ ἐλπὶς καὶ γνωρίσῃ σοι τὴν ὁδόν σου.

²⁰καὶ σὺ δὲ ἀπόγραψαι αὐτὰ σεαυτῷ τρισσῶς εἰς βουλὴν καὶ γνῶσιν ἐπὶ τὸ πλάτος τῆς καρδίας σου.

²¹διδάσκω οὖν σε ἀληθῆ λόγον καὶ γνῶσιν ἀγαθὴν ὑπακούειν, τοῦ ἀποκρίνεσθαί σε λόγους ἀληθείας τοῖς προβαλλομένοις σοι.

²²Μὴ ἀποβιάζου πένητα, πτωχὸς γάρ ἐστι, καὶ μὴ ἀτιμάσῃς ἀσθενῆ ἐν πύλαις·

²³ὁ γὰρ Κύριος κρινεῖ αὐτοῦ τὴν κρίσιν, καὶ ρύσῃ σὴν ἄσυλον ψυχήν.

²⁴μὴ ἴσθι ἑταῖρος ἀνδρὶ θυμώδει, φίλῳ δὲ ὀργίλῳ μὴ συναυλίζου,

²⁵μήποτε μάθῃς τῶν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ λάβῃς βρόχους τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ.

²⁶μὴ δίδου σεαυτὸν εἰς ἐγγύην αἰσχυνόμενος πρόσωπον·

²⁷ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἔχῃς πόθεν ἀποτίσῃς, λήψονται τὸ στρῶμα τὸ ὑπὸ τὰς πλευράς σου.

²⁸μὴ μέταιρε ὅρια αἰώνια, ἃ ἔθεντο οἱ πατέρες σου.

²⁹ὁρατικὸν ἄνδρα καὶ ὀξὺν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ βασιλεῦσι δεῖ παρεστάναι καὶ μὴ παρεστάναι ἀνδράσι νωθροῖς. Verse

⁶is not included because it does not exist in the original. Most probably later translations added a line that commentators had placed at the margin of the text.

¹A fair name is better than much wealth, and good favour is above silver and gold.

²The rich and the poor meet together; but the Lord made them both.

³An intelligent man seeing a bad man severely punished is himself instructed, but fools pass by and are punished.

⁴The fear of the Lord is the offspring of wisdom, and wealth, and glory, and life.

⁵Thistles and snares are in perverse ways; but he that keeps his soul will refrain from them.

⁰6

⁷The rich will rule over the poor, and servants will lend to their own masters.

⁸He that sows wickedness shall reap troubles; and shall fully receive the punishment of his deeds. 8α God loves a cheerful and liberal man; but [a man] shall fully prove the folly of his works.

⁹He that has pity on the poor shall himself be maintained; for he has given of his own bread to the poor. 9α He that gives liberally secures victory an honour; but he takes away the life of them that posses [them].

¹⁰Cast out a pestilent person from the council, and strife shall go out with him; for when he sits in the council he dishonours all.

¹¹The Lord loves holy hearts, and all blameless persons are acceptable with him: a king rules with his lips.

¹²But the eyes of the Lord preserve discretion; but the transgressor despises [wise] words.

¹³The sluggard makes excuses, and says, [There is] a lion in the ways, and murderers in the streets.

¹⁴The mouth of a transgressor is a deep pit; and he that is hated of the Lord shall fall into it. 14α Evil ways are before a man, and he does not like to turn away from them; but it is needful to turn aside from a perverse and bad way.

¹⁵Folly is attached to the heart of a child, but the rod and instruction are [then] far from him.

¹⁶He that oppresses the poor, increases his own substance, yet gives to the rich so as to make it less.

¹⁷Incline thine ear to the words of wise men: hear also my word, and apply thine heart,

¹⁸that thou mayest know that they are good: and if thou lay them to heart, they shall also gladden thee on thy lips.

¹⁹That thy hope may be in the Lord, and he may make thy way known to thee.

²⁰And do thou too repeatedly record them for thyself on the table of thine heart, for counsel and knowledge.

²¹I therefore teach thee truth, and knowledge good to hear; that thou mayest answer words of truth to them that question thee.

²²Do no violence to the poor, for he is needy: neither dishonour the helpless [man] in the gates.

²³For the Lord will plead his cause, and thou shalt deliver thy soul in safety.

²⁴Be not companion to a furious man; neither lodge with a passionate man:

²⁵lest thou learn of his ways, and get snares to thy soul.

²⁶Become not surety from respect of a man’s person.

²⁷For if those have not whence to give compensation, they will take the bed [that is] under thee.

²⁸Remove not the old landmarks, which thy fathers placed.

²⁹It is fit that an observant man and [one] diligent in his business should attend on kings, and not attend on slothful men.