The Sayings of Agur
1 These are the sayings
and the message
of Agur son of Jakeh.
Someone cries out to God,
“I am completely worn out!
How can I last?
2 I am far too stupid
to be considered human.
3 I never was wise,
and I don't understand
what God is like.”
4 Has anyone gone up to heaven
and come back down?
Has anyone grabbed hold
of the wind?
Has anyone wrapped up the sea
or marked out boundaries
for the earth?
If you know of any
who have done such things,
then tell me their names
and their children's names.
5 Everything God says is true—
and it's a shield for all
who come to him for safety.
6 Don't change what God has said!
He will correct you and show
that you are a liar.
7 There are two things, Lord,
I want you to do for me
before I die:
8 Make me absolutely honest
and don't let me be too poor
or too rich.
Give me just what I need.
9 If I have too much to eat,
I might forget about you;
if I don't have enough,
I might steal
and disgrace your name.
10 Don't tell a slave owner
something bad about one
of the slaves.
That slave will curse you,
and you will be in trouble.
11 Some people curse their father
and even their mother;
12 others think they are perfect,
but they are stained by sin.
13 Some people are stuck-up
and act like snobs;
14 others are so greedy
that they gobble up
the poor and homeless.
15 Greed has twins,
each named “Give me!”
There are three or four things
that are never satisfied:
16 The world of the dead
and a childless wife,
the thirsty earth
and a flaming fire.
17 Don't make fun of your father
or disobey your mother—
crows will peck out your eyes,
and buzzards will eat
the rest of you.
18 There are three or four things
I cannot understand:
19 How eagles fly so high
or snakes crawl on rocks,
how ships sail the ocean
or people fall in love.
20 An unfaithful wife says,
“Sleeping with another man
is as natural as eating.”
21 There are three or four things
that make the earth tremble
and are unbearable:
22 A slave who becomes king,
a fool who eats too much,
23 a hateful woman
who finds a husband,
and a slave who takes the place
of the woman who owns her.
24 On this earth four things
are small but very wise:
25 Ants, who seem to be feeble,
but store up food
all summer long;
26 badgers, who seem to be weak,
but live among the rocks;
27 locusts, who have no king,
but march like an army;
28 lizards, which can be caught
in your hand,
but sneak into palaces.
29 Three or four creatures
really strut around:
30 Those fearless lions
who rule the jungle,
31 those proud roosters,
those mountain goats,
and those rulers
who have no enemies.
32 If you are foolishly bragging
or planning something evil,
then stop it now!
33 If you churn milk
you get butter;
if you pound on your nose,
you get blood—
and if you stay angry,
you get in trouble.
Akuru la kumoolu
1 Ñinnu le mu Yake dinkewo Akuru Masankoo la kuma kotoomaalu ti.
Ñiŋ keendiŋo ko:
“Alla, m bataata le, Alla, n korita le,
aduŋ n te feŋ ke noo la.
2 Nte le hakiloo kuyaata moolu bee ti.
M maŋ hadamadiŋolu la fahaamuroo soto noo.
3 M maŋ ñaameŋo karaŋ, sako ka londi soto
Mansa Senuŋo la kuwo to.”
4 Jumaa le taata fo Arijana, a muruta naŋ?
Jumaa le nene ye foñoo muta noo a buloo kono?
Jumaa le ye jiyo fudi noo a la dendikoo kono?
Jumaa le ye duniyaa tonkoŋ naanoo bee loo?
A too ndii, aniŋ a dinkewo fanaa too ndii?
A fo n ye, niŋ i ye a loŋ!
5 Alla la kumoo bee mu tooñaa le ti,
a mu koteeroo* le ti moolu ye,
mennu ka tankoo ñini a bulu.
6 Kana feŋ lafaa a la kumoo kaŋ, niŋ wo nte a be i jalayi la le,
a ye a yitandi i la ko, faniyaa folaa le mu i ti.
7 M Maarii, ŋa kuu fula le daani i bulu,
kana balaŋ n ye wolu la, janniŋ m be faa la:
8 Tilimbaliyaa niŋ faniyaa jamfandi n na,
kana m fuwaareyandi,
aduŋ i kana n ke naafulutiyo ti,
bari i si n na baluwo dammaa dii n na.
9 Niŋ wo nte, a si siyaa m bulu noo le,
ŋa ñina i la kuwo la, ŋa a fo ko, “Jumaa le mu Yaawe* ti?”
Waraŋ n si ke noo fuwaaroo ti le,
ŋa suuñaaroo ke,
aduŋ n te n na Alla too horoma la.
10 Kana dookuulaa too tiñaa a la keebaa ye,
niŋ wo nte a be i danka la le,
aduŋ i be duŋ na bataa le kono.
11 Doolu be jee le, mennu ka ì faañolu danka,
ì buka neema ì baañolu ma.
12 Doolu be jee, mennu ye a miira ko, ì maŋ sootaari soto,
wo ye a tara, ì be nooriŋ ì la kuu jawoo kono.
13 Doolu be jee, mennu ka ì faŋo wara,
aniŋ mennu ka jutu moolu la.
14 Doolu be jee, mennu ñiŋolu mu hawusaroolu* ti,
aniŋ mennu ŋaaŋaalu ka munta ko muroolu,
ka fuwaaroolu bondi duniyaa kono,
aniŋ mennu ka fentaŋolu bondi moolu kono.
15 Nuuroo ye dimmusu fula le soto,
ì ko: “A dii ǹ na! A dii ǹ na!”
Kuu naani le be jee mennu buka wasa muumeeke,
ì buka a fo ko, a kaañanta:
16 Kaburoo,
musoo meŋ maŋ diŋo soto,
bankoo meŋ jiyo buka sii,
aniŋ dimbaa meŋ buka daañini noo.
17 Moo meŋ ka a faamaa ñaawali,
aniŋ ka balaŋ a baamaa horoma la,
kaanaalu le be a ñaa copiŋ-copiŋ na,
aduŋ duwoolu le be a domo la.
18 Kuu naani le be jee mennu ye nte jaakali,
m maŋ ì fahaamu noo:
19 Seeliŋo ka maañaa meŋ ke, niŋ a be yaayoo kaŋ santo,
saa ka kuruntu beroo kaŋ ñaameŋ,
kuluŋo ka bori noo fankaasoo kono ñaameŋ,
aniŋ kambaanoo niŋ sunkutoo ka ñoo kanu ñaameŋ.
20 Ñiŋ ne mu musu jeenelaa daajikoo ti:
A ka kuwo ke le, a ye a daa moosi,
a ye a fo ko, “M maŋ kuu jawu ke.”
21 Kuu naani le ka bankoo jarajarandi,
a buka ì muña noo:
22 Joŋo meŋ keta mansa ti,
toolee baa meŋ ye domoroo ke fo a konoo faata,
23 moolu ye musoo meŋ daajikoo koŋ, a ye kewo soto,
aniŋ dookuulaa sunkutoo meŋ ye a maarii musu noo taa.
24 Feŋ naani le be ñiŋ duniyaa kono mennu dooyaata,
hani wo ì ñaamenta baake le:
25 Menemeneŋo mu niilamaa feŋ sembe dooyaariŋo le ti,
hani wo a ka a la domoroo maabo le, sanjaanoo kono.
26 Konkokono saŋo mu niilamaa feŋ ne ti, meŋ semboo maŋ wara,
hani wo a ka a la suwo loo berehuwo kono.
27 Kuntiŋolu maŋ mansa soto,
bari ì ka a loŋ ne ì ka taa ñoo la ñaameŋ.
28 Moo si taaliŋo muta noo niŋ a buloo la le,
bari hani wo a ka tara mansabuŋolu kono le.
29 Feŋ naani le be jee mennu taamañaa ñiiñaata,
ì la taamoo, mansakeemaa le mu:
30 Jatoo meŋ saŋarata daafeŋolu bee kono,
aduŋ a buka bori feŋ na,
31 baakotoŋo, siiseeduntuŋo meŋ ka a dampaŋolu kosi,
aniŋ mansa meŋ ka tara a la moolu ñaato.
32 Niŋ i ye i faŋo tooleeyandi, ka i faŋo sikandi,
waraŋ i ye kuu jawoo feeroo siti,
i buloo biti i daa kaŋ.
33 Niŋ i ye feenewo kosi, a ka yelema ninsituloo ti ñaameŋ,
aniŋ niŋ i ye nuŋo ñopoti, yeloo ka bo ñaameŋ,
kamfaa meŋ jawuyaata, ka fitinoo saabu wo le ñaama.
