The Best in Life
1 A good reputation
at the time of death
is better than loving care
at the time of birth.
2 It's better to go to a funeral
than to attend a feast;
funerals remind us
that we all must die.
3 Choose sorrow over laughter
because a sad face
may hide a happy heart.
4 A sensible person mourns,
but fools always laugh.
5 Correction from someone wise
is better by far
than praise from fools.
6 Foolish laughter is stupid.
It sounds like thorns
crackling in a fire.
7 Corruption makes fools
of sensible people,
and bribes can ruin you.
8 Something completed is better
than something just begun;
patience is better
than too much pride.
9 Only fools get angry quickly
and hold a grudge.
10 It isn't wise to ask,
“Why is everything worse
than it used to be?”
11 Having wisdom is better
than an inheritance.
12 Wisdom will protect you
just like money;
knowledge with good sense
will lead you to life.
13 Think of what God has done!
If God makes something crooked,
can you make it straight?
14 When times are good,
you should be cheerful;
when times are bad,
think about what it means.
God makes them both
to keep us from knowing
what will happen next.
Some of Life's Questions
15 I have seen everything during this senseless life of mine. I have seen good citizens die for doing the right thing, while criminals live and prosper. 16 So don't destroy yourself by being too good or acting too smart! 17 Don't die before your time by being too evil or acting like a fool. 18 Keep to the middle of the road. You can do this if you truly respect God.
19 Wisdom will make you stronger than the ten most powerful leaders in your city.
20 No one in this world always does right.
21 Don't listen to everything that everyone says, or you might hear your servant cursing you. 22 Haven't you cursed many others?
23 I told myself that I would be smart and try to understand all this, but it was too much for me. 24 The truth is beyond us. It's far too deep. 25 So I decided to learn everything I could and become wise enough to discover what life is all about. At the same time, I wanted to understand why it's stupid and senseless to be an evil fool.
26 Here is what I discovered: A bad woman is worse than death. She is a trap, reaching out with body and soul to catch you. But if you obey God, you can escape. If you don't obey, you are done for. 27 With all my wisdom I have tried to find out how everything fits together, 28 but so far I have not been able to. I do know there is one good man in a thousand, but never have I found a good woman. 29 I did learn one thing: We were completely honest when God created us, but now we have twisted minds.
Muŋ ne beteyaata hadamadiŋo ye?
1 Too diyaa, wo le be tulu seeralaa ñaato,
aduŋ faa luŋo, wo le be wuluu luŋo ñaato.
2 Saŋa bunkono duŋo,
wo le ye fisa bidaŋ bunkono duŋo ti.
Hadamadiŋo bee labaŋo mu saayaa le ti,
moo-wo-moo be baluwo to,
wo si tara i sondomoo kono.
3 Niikuyaa le ye fisa jeloo ti,
kaatu niikuyaa ka fahaamuroo le fanundi.
4 Moo ñaamendiŋo sondomoo ka tara niikuyaa buŋ ne,
bari toolewo, wo sondomoo ka tara niiseewoo buŋ ne to.
5 Moo ñaamendiŋo la jalayiroo lamoyoo,
wo le ye fisa toolewo la denkiloo lamoyoo ti.
6 Ko ŋaniŋo ka fetifeti dimbaa kono ñaameŋ,
toolewo la jeloo ka tara wo le ñaama.
Ñiŋ fanaa maŋ ke feŋ ti.
7 Moo toorandoo,
ka moo ñaamendiŋo ke moo kuntaŋo le ti,
aduŋ dukoo,
a ka sondomoo jenkendi tiliŋo la le.
8 Kuwo labaŋo, wo le ka fisa a foloo ti,
muñoo le ye fisa faŋ waroo ti.
9 I jusoo kana sutiyaa,
kamfaa daakaadulaa
ka tara toolewolu le jusoo to.
10 Kana a fo ko,
“Muŋ ne ye a tinna
nunto kuwolu beteyaata saayiŋ ti?”
Ñiŋ ñininkaari siifaa,
wo maŋ ke ñaameŋo ti.
11 Ñaameŋo beteyaata le ko keetaafeŋo,
aduŋ a ka moolu nafaa le,
mennu be ñiŋ duniyaa tiloo koto.
12 Ñaameŋo mu tankaraŋo le ti,
ko kodoo mu tankaraŋo ti ñaameŋ.
A kummaayaata le ka a loŋ ko,
ñaameŋo, meŋ ye a soto,
a ka wo maarii niyo le tanka.
13 Alla la keroo juubee:
Niŋ a ye meŋ jenkendi,
jumaa le ka wo tilindi noo?
14 Kuwolu beteyaa waatoo, kontaani,
koleyaa waatoo, ñiŋ miira ko:
Alla le ye ñiŋ doo daa,
a ye ñiŋ doo fanaa daa.
Wo to hadamadiŋo te feŋ fo noo la,
meŋ be naa ke la,
ate faariŋ koolaa.
Baluwo la kuwo ñininkaaroo
15 N na ñiŋ baluu nafantaŋo kono,
ŋa moo tilindiŋo je le,
a maŋ siimaayaa a la tiliŋo kaŋ.
Ŋa moo kuruŋo fanaa je,
a siimaayaata a la kuruŋyaa kaŋ.
Ŋa ñiŋ kuu fuloo bee je n ñaa la le.
16 Kana tiliŋo landatambindi,
aduŋ i kana ñaameŋ kolenke.
Muŋ ne be a tinna la i be i faŋ tiñaa la?
17 Kana tilimbaliyaa landatambindi,
aduŋ i kana ke toolewo fanaa ti.
Muŋ ne be a tinna i be faa la,
i la waatoo maŋ sii?
18 A si beteyaa,
niŋ i maŋ landatamboo ke niŋ sila-wo-sila la.
Alla ñaasilannaa,
wo le ka tara sila betoo kaŋ.
19 Ñaameŋo ka semboo meŋ dii hakilimaa la,
wo le ka tambi kantii taŋ na saatewo kono.
20 A be koyiriŋ ne lewu ko,
moo tilindiŋo maŋ soto ñiŋ duniyaa kono,
meŋ ka kuu betoo doroŋ ke,
a nene maŋ junube kuu ke.
21 Kana i lamoyi kumoo bee la,
moolu be mennu fo la,
niŋ wo nte,
i si i nendiri kaŋo moyi
hani i la dookuulaa la.
22 Bari ñiŋ si tara i fanaa kono ko,
i nene ka moo neŋ ne, siiñaa jamaa.
23 Ŋa n na ñaameŋo le taa
ka ñiŋ kuwolu bee kotobo a la.
N hameta baake ka ñaameŋo soto,
bari a be jamfariŋ n na le.
24 Feŋolu mennu bee be sotoriŋ,
moo buka ì keñaa fahaamu noo,
a kuwo daŋo dinkata baake.
Jumaa le si a daŋo bondi noo?
25 Ŋa n hakiloo tu le,
ka kuwolu karaŋ, ka kisikisiroo ke,
aniŋ ka ñinindiroo ke ñaameŋo la kuwo la,
aniŋ kuwolu daliiloo.
N naata a loŋ ko,
kuruŋyaa mu hakili dooyaa le ti,
aduŋ tooleeyaa mu sondome kuuraŋo le ti.
26 Ŋa feŋ ne je,
meŋ jawuyaata saayaa ti:
musoo meŋ ka munta ko kutindiŋo,
a sondomoo mu jaloo ti,
a buloolu mu nee joloo ti.
Kee meŋ be Alla ye,
wo be kana la ñiŋ musoo ma le.
Bari junubelaa,
a be wo duŋ na a la jaloo kono le.
27 Kawandilaa ye ñiŋ ne fo ko,
“Ali a juubee ŋa ñiŋ ne je,
biriŋ ŋa a dati ka kuu kesoolu tomboŋ,
ka ì kafu ñoo ma domandiŋ-domandiŋ
ka kuwolu koyindi.
28 N tuta meŋ na kuwo ñini la,
m maŋ wo je.
Ka bo niŋ n sondomoo bee la,
n tarata hadamadiŋo le la kuwo kisikisi kaŋ,
hadamadiŋo meŋ tilinta.
Bari wuli kiliŋ kono,
ŋa kiliŋ doroŋ ne soto,
bari a maŋ ke musu ti.
29 Ŋa meŋ je doroŋ, wo le mu,
Alla ye hadamadiŋo niŋ tiliŋo le daa,
bari hadamadiŋo ka taa bula a fansuŋ siloolu le nooma.”
