1 If you have to choose between a good reputation and great wealth, choose a good reputation.
2 The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord made them both.
3 Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.
4 Obey the Lord, be humble, and you will get riches, honor, and a long life.
5 If you love your life, stay away from the traps that catch the wicked along the way.
6 Teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their life.
7 Poor people are slaves of the rich. Borrow money and you are the lender's slave.
8 If you plant the seeds of injustice, disaster will spring up, and your oppression of others will end.
9 Be generous and share your food with the poor. You will be blessed for it.
10 Get rid of a conceited person, and then there will be no more arguments, quarreling, or name-calling.
11 If you love purity of heart and graciousness of speech, the king will be your friend.
12 The Lord sees to it that truth is kept safe by disproving the words of liars.
13 Lazy people stay at home; they say a lion might get them if they go outside.
14 Adultery is a trap—it catches those with whom the Lord is angry.
15 Children just naturally do silly, careless things, but a good spanking will teach them how to behave.
16 If you make gifts to rich people or oppress the poor to get rich, you will become poor yourself.
The Thirty Wise Sayings
17 Listen, and I will teach you what the wise have said. Study their teachings, 18 and you will be glad if you remember them and can quote them. 19 I want you to put your trust in the Lord; that is why I am going to tell them to you now. 20 I have written down thirty sayings for you. They contain knowledge and good advice, 21 and will teach you what the truth really is. Then when you are sent to find it out, you will bring back the right answer.
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22 Don't take advantage of the poor just because you can; don't take advantage of those who stand helpless in court. 23 The Lord will argue their case for them and threaten the life of anyone who threatens theirs.
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24 Don't make friends with people who have hot, violent tempers. 25 You might learn their habits and not be able to change.
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26 Don't promise to be responsible for someone else's debts. 27 If you should be unable to pay, they will take away even your bed.
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28 Never move an old property line that your ancestors established.
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29 Show me someone who does a good job, and I will show you someone who is better than most and worthy of the company of kings.
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.
