The Value of a Good Reputation
1 A good reputation and respect
are worth much more
than silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor
are all created
by the Lord.
3 When you see trouble coming,
don't be stupid
and walk right into it—
be smart and hide.
4 Respect and serve the Lord!
Your reward will be wealth,
a long life, and honor.
5 Crooks walk down a road
full of thorny traps.
Stay away from there!
6 Teach your children
right from wrong,
and when they are grown
they will still do right.
7 The poor are ruled by the rich,
and those who borrow
are slaves of moneylenders.
8 Troublemakers get in trouble,
and their terrible anger
will get them nowhere.
9 The Lord blesses everyone
who freely gives food
to the poor.
10 Arguments and fights
will come to an end,
if you chase away those
who insult others.
11 The king is the friend of all
who are sincere
and speak with kindness.
12 The Lord watches over everyone
who shows good sense,
but he frustrates the plans
of deceitful liars.
13 Don't be so lazy that you say,
“If I go to work,
a lion will eat me!”
14 The words of a bad woman
are like a deep pit;
if you make the Lord angry,
you will fall right in.
15 All children are foolish,
but firm correction
will make them change.
16 Cheat the poor to make profit
or give gifts to the rich—
either way you lose.
Thirty Wise Sayings
17 Here are some sayings
of people with wisdom,
so listen carefully
as I teach.
18 You will be glad
that you know these sayings
and can recite them.
19 I am teaching them today,
so that you
may trust the Lord.
20 I have written thirty sayings
filled with sound advice.
21 You can trust them completely
to give you the right words
for those in charge of you.
–1–
22 Don't take advantage
of the poor
or cheat them in court.
23 The Lord is their defender,
and what you do to them,
he will do to you.
–2–
24 Don't make friends with anyone
who has a bad temper.
25 You might turn out like them
and get caught in a trap.
–3–
26 Don't guarantee to pay
someone else's debt.
27 If you don't have the money,
you might lose your bed.
–4–
28 Don't move a boundary marker
set up by your ancestors.
–5–
29 If you do your job well,
you will work for a ruler
and never be a slave.
Too diyaa la kummaayaa
1 Too diyaa le fisiyaata ka ke naafulutiyo ti,
ka ke buuñaa moo ti, le fisiyaata kodiforoo niŋ sanoo ti.
2 Fankamaa niŋ fuwaaroo denta ñiŋ kuwo la le,
Yaawe* ì Daamansoo le ye ì bee daa.
3 Hakilimaa ka kuu koyibaloo je le a ye tankoo ñini,
bari moo sooneeyaariŋ baa ka duŋ a kono le, a ye naa bataa.
4 Fammajiyo aniŋ Yaawe ñaasilaŋo le
ka naafuloo, horomoo aniŋ baluwo naati moo ye.
5 Moo jenkeriŋo la siloo kaŋ, ŋaniŋolu niŋ kutindiŋolu le be laariŋ jee,
bari moo meŋ ye a kekuwolu loŋ, wo ka jamfa ì la le.
6 Dindiŋo kuluu sila kendoo la,
i si a je niŋ a keebaayaata, a te jenke la.
7 Fankamaa ka fuwaaroo mara le,
aduŋ dontorilaa ka ke a diilaa ye joŋo le ti.
8 Moo-wo-moo ka tilimbaliyaa turoo fii,
kooroo le be faliŋ na a ye,
aduŋ tilimbaliyaa busoo si kati.
9 Moo bulu feemaa be neemoo soto la le,
bayiri a niŋ fuwaaroo le ka a la domoroo talaa.
10 Niŋ i ye ñaawalilaa bayi, ñoosaboo ka taa le,
sonkoolu niŋ nendiroolu ka daŋ wo le ñaama.
11 Moo meŋ ŋaniyoo seneyaata,
aniŋ meŋ ka a diyaamuñaa loŋ,
mansa le be ke la a teeroo ti.
12 Yaawe ka a je le ko tooñaa ye loŋ,
bari a ka tilimbaloolu la kumoolu ke ì ye kuma kenseŋo le ti.
13 Katakolentewo ka a fo le ko, “Jatoo le be banta!
A be m faa la mbeedoolu kono le.”
14 Musu jeenelaa daa mu dinka baa le ti,
Yaawe be kamfaariŋ moo-wo-moo kamma, wo le be duŋ na jee.
15 Dindiŋo dalita le ka a faŋo ke toolewo ti,
bari niŋ i ye busoo tiliŋ a la, wo ka a jamfandi a la le.
16 Moo-wo-moo ka fuwaaroo mantoora, ka a la naafuloo buyindi,
aniŋ meŋ ka soorifeŋo dii fankamaalu la, bee be labaŋ na fuwaareyaa le la.
Moo ñaamendiŋolu la kumoolu
17 I tuloo loo, i ye i lamoyi moo ñaamendiŋolu la kumoolu la.
N ka meŋ karandi i si a tu i sondomoo kono,
18 kaatu a be ke la kuu kende baa le ti, niŋ i ye ì tu i sondomoo kono,
fo i hakiloo si bula ì la, niŋ i be diyaamoo la.
19 Fo i jikoo si tara looriŋ Yaawe kaŋ,
ŋa ite faŋo le kalamutandi ñiŋ na bii.
20 Fo m maŋ kuma kotoomaa taŋ saba le safee i ye,
yaamaroo niŋ londoo kumoolu,
21 ka i karandi tooñaa niŋ kuma kendoolu la,
fo i si jaabiri kendoo murundi moolu kaŋ, mennu ye i kii?
22 Kana fuwaaroolu tiñaa, bayiri ì maŋ feŋ soto,
aduŋ kana boyi moolu kaŋ mennu suulata maakoyiroo la,
niŋ ì be kiitiyo kono,
23 kaatu Yaawe le be loo la ì ye,
aduŋ moo-wo-moo ye ì la feŋolu taa,
a be i niyo taa la le.
24 I niŋ moo jusu sutuŋo kana teeriyaa ke,
aduŋ moo meŋ na kamfaa tariyaata, i niŋ a kana kuu kafu,
25 niŋ wo nte i be bula la a la kuwolu nooma le,
a la kataa ye miniŋ i la.
26 Kana ke moo ti meŋ ka moolu sankayaa,
waraŋ ka moolu tankandi juloo la kuwo to.
27 Niŋ i maŋ feŋ soto ka a joo, i be laariŋ laaraŋo meŋ kaŋ,
ì be wo le wafu la i koto.
28 I la alifaa foloolu ye naaneekuŋo meŋ laa,
kana a bondi a noo to.
29 Fo i maŋ moo je meŋ buloo koyita a la dookuwo to?
A be dookuwo ke la mansoolu le ye,
bari a te ke la moo koteŋ kenseŋolu ti.
