–19–
1 Don't be jealous of crooks
or want to be their friends.
2 All they think about
and talk about
is violence and cruelty.
–20–
3 Use wisdom and understanding
to establish your home;
4 let good sense fill the rooms
with priceless treasures.
–21–
5 Wisdom brings strength,
and knowledge gives power.
6 Battles are won
by listening to advice
and making a lot of plans.
–22–
7 Wisdom is too much for fools!
Their advice is no good.
–23–
8 No one but troublemakers
think up trouble.
9 Everyone hates senseless fools
who think up ways to sin.
–24–
10 Don't give up and be helpless
in times of trouble.
–25–
11 Don't fail to rescue those
who are doomed to die.
12 Don't say, “I didn't know it!”
God can read your mind.
He watches each of us
and knows our thoughts.
And God will pay us back
for what we do.
–26–
13 Honey is good for you,
my children,
and it tastes sweet.
14 Wisdom is like honey
for your life—
if you find it,
your future is bright.
–27–
15 Don't be a cruel person
who attacks good people
and hurts their families.
16 Even if good people
fall seven times,
they will get back up.
But when trouble strikes
the wicked,
that's the end of them.
–28–
17 Don't be happy
to see your enemies trip
and fall down.
18 The Lord will find out
and be unhappy.
Then he will stop
being angry with them.
–29–
19 Don't let evil people
worry you
or make you jealous.
20 They will soon be gone
like the flame of a lamp
that burns out.
–30–
21 My children, you must respect
the Lord and the king,
and you must not make friends
with anyone who rebels
against either of them.
22 Who knows what sudden disaster
the Lord or a ruler
might bring?
More Sayings That Make Good Sense
23 Here are some more sayings
that make good sense:
When you judge,
you must be fair.
24 If you let the guilty
go free,
people of all nations
will hate and curse you.
25 But if you punish the guilty,
things will go well for you,
and you will prosper.
26 Giving an honest answer
is a sign
of true friendship.
27 Get your fields ready
and plant your crops
before starting a home.
28 Don't accuse anyone
who isn't guilty.
Don't ever tell a lie
29 or say to someone,
“I'll get even with you!”
30 I once walked by the field
and the vineyard
of a lazy fool.
31 Thorns and weeds
were everywhere,
and the stone wall
had fallen down.
32 When I saw this,
it taught me a lesson:
33 Sleep a little. Doze a little.
Fold your hands
and twiddle your thumbs.
34 Suddenly poverty hits you
and everything is gone!
1 Kana i ñaa loo moo jawoolu kaŋ,
aduŋ i kana hame i niŋ ì ye kuu kafu,
2 kaatu ì hakiloo ka tara fitina kuwo le kaŋ,
aduŋ ì ka tu kuruŋyaa diyaamoo le la.
3 Buŋo ka loo ñaameŋo le la,
ka bo niŋ fahaamuroo la, a ka bambaŋ,
4 ka bo niŋ londoo la,
a bunkonoolu ka faa niŋ feŋ kummaalu niŋ feŋ ñiimaalu la.
5 Moo ñaamendiŋo ye sembe baa le soto,
aduŋ londitiyo semboo ka lafaa le.
6 Niŋ i lafita keloo wulindi la, fo i si yaamaroo soto,
aduŋ niŋ i lafita ka ke noorilaa ti, fo i ye yaamarilaa jamaa soto.
7 Ñaameŋo la kuwo warabaata toolewo ye le,
saatee beŋo to, a buka feŋ soto, a be meŋ fo la.
8 Moo-wo-moo lafita kuu jawoo feeretoo ke la,
ì be a kumandi la naafikoo le la.
9 Toolewo ka i miira kuu-wo-kuu la, a bee mu junube kuwo le ti.
Moolu ka moo koŋ ne, meŋ mu ñaawalilaa ti.
10 Niŋ i buka loo noo koleyaa waatoo kono,
wo to i semboo dooyaata le.
11 Moolu tankandi, mennu be saayaa siloo kaŋ,
moolu maakoyi, ì ka mennu kuruntu ka taa ì faa.
12 Bari niŋ i ko, “Hee, ntolu maŋ ñiŋ loŋ!”
Fo meŋ ka sondomoo la kuwo kisikisi, maŋ i la kuwo loŋ baŋ?
Fo ate meŋ ka i la baluwo kanta, maŋ a loŋ baŋ?
Fo a te moo-wo-moo joo la a la baaroo la?
13 N diŋo, liyo miŋ, kaatu a beteyaata le,
liyo meŋ bota kaañoo bala, be diyaa la i ye le.
14 A loŋ fanaa ko, ñaameŋo be i fee wo le ñaama,
niŋ i ye a soto, ñaato siniŋ jiki be tara la i ye le,
aduŋ i la jikoo te bo la i koto.
15 Kana dende ka suuñaaroo ke moo tilindiŋo yaa,
waraŋ ka taa a sabatidulaa boyinkaŋ.
16 Hani niŋ moo tilindiŋo boyita ko siiñaa woorowula,
a be wuli la le kotenke,
bari moo jawoo, maasiiba kuwo le ka wo kasaara.
17 I kana seewoo, niŋ i jawoo la kuwo tiñaata,
aduŋ i kana jusulaa, niŋ a takita,
18 kaatu niŋ i seewoota, a te diyaa la Yaawe* ye,
aduŋ a te tenteŋ na, ka i jawoo mantoora.
19 Moo jawoolu kana i bondi i noo to,
waraŋ ka i ñaa loo moo jawoolu kaŋ,
20 kaatu ñaato siniŋ moo jawoo maŋ jiki soto,
aduŋ a la lampoo be dubeŋ na le.
21 N diŋo, sila Yaawe la, i ye mansa buuñaa,
i niŋ moolu kana haaji soto,
mennu ka balaŋo tiliŋ ì ma.
22 Ñiŋ moo siifaalu si kasaara noo le kataba kiliŋ,
fo i ye a loŋ ne baŋ,
Alla waraŋ mansa si maasiiba kuwo meŋ naati noo?
Moo ñaamendiŋolu la kuma doolu
23 Ñinnu fanaa mu moo ñaamendiŋolu la kuma kotoomaalu le ti:
Ka faasaaroo ke, niŋ i be kiitiyo kuntu la, maŋ beteyaa.
24 Moo-wo-moo ko moo boyiriŋo ye ko, a maŋ feŋ ke,
moolu be a danka la le, bankoolu ye a haraamu.
25 Bari a be beteyaa la kiitiikuntulaa fee le,
niŋ a ye moo boyiriŋo tuumi,
aduŋ neema jamaa le be naa la a kaŋ.
26 Niŋ i ye moo jaabi tooñaa kumoo la,
a ka munta le ko sumburoo.
27 Dookuwo ke foloo,
niŋ i buloo ye i koo beŋ,
i si naa i la buŋo loo.
28 Kana i siiñoo seedeyaa, daliila te a la,
waraŋ ka i neŋ kolomoo ke neeneerilaŋo ti.
29 Kana a fo ko, moolu ye meŋ ke i la,
i fanaa be wo le ke la ì la.
Ì ye i julu duŋ meŋ na,
i be ì joo la wo le la.
30 N tambita niŋ moo naafariŋo la kunkoo la le,
n tambita niŋ moo doo la wayini* yiri kankaŋo kono la,
meŋ mu hakilintaŋo ti,
31 a juubee, a bee be faariŋ ŋaniŋ suŋo le la,
coŋo be faariŋ a bankoo kaŋ,
aduŋ a biriki sansaŋo boyita.
32 Bituŋ ŋa a kuwo koroosi, ŋa a miira,
aduŋ n naata yaamaroo soto le:
33 Ka siinoo domandiŋ,
aniŋ ka jinkoo domandiŋ,
ka i buloo laa ñoo kaŋ domandiŋ,
ka i foñondiŋ,
34 fuwaareyaa be naa i kaŋ ne komeŋ ñapinkannaa,
fentaŋyaa, komeŋ boyinkannaa.
