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1 Don't be envious of evil people, and don't try to make friends with them. 2 Causing trouble is all they ever think about; every time they open their mouth someone is going to be hurt.
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3 Homes are built on the foundation of wisdom and understanding. 4 Where there is knowledge, the rooms are furnished with valuable, beautiful things.
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5 Being wise is better than being strong; yes, knowledge is more important than strength. 6 After all, you must make careful plans before you fight a battle, and the more good advice you get, the more likely you are to win.
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7 Wise sayings are too deep for stupid people to understand. They have nothing to say when important matters are being discussed.
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8 If you are always planning evil, you will earn a reputation as a troublemaker. 9 Any scheme a fool thinks up is sinful. People hate a person who has nothing but scorn for others.
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10 If you are weak in a crisis, you are weak indeed.
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11 Don't hesitate to rescue someone who is about to be executed unjustly. 12 You may say that it is none of your business, but God knows and judges your motives. He keeps watch on you; he knows. And he will reward you according to what you do.
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13 My child, eat honey; it is good. And just as honey from the comb is sweet on your tongue, 14 you may be sure that wisdom is good for the soul. Get wisdom and you have a bright future.
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15 Don't be like the wicked who scheme to rob honest people or to take away their homes. 16 No matter how often honest people fall, they always get up again; but disaster destroys the wicked.
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17 Don't be glad when your enemies meet disaster, and don't rejoice when they stumble. 18 The Lord will know if you are gloating, and he will not like it; and then maybe he won't punish them.
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19 Don't let evil people worry you; don't be envious of them. 20 A wicked person has no future—nothing to look forward to.
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21 Have reverence for the Lord, my child, and honor the king. Have nothing to do with people who rebel against them; 22 such people could be ruined in a moment. Do you realize the disaster that God or the king can cause?
More Wise Sayings
23 The wise have also said these things:
It is wrong for judges to be prejudiced. 24 If they pronounce a guilty person innocent, they will be cursed and hated by everyone. 25 Judges who punish the guilty, however, will be prosperous and enjoy a good reputation.
26 An honest answer is a sign of true friendship.
27 Don't build your house and establish a home until your fields are ready, and you are sure that you can earn a living.
28 Don't give evidence against others without good reason, or say misleading things about them. 29 Don't say, “I'll do to them just what they did to me! I'll get even with them!”
30 I walked through the fields and vineyards of a lazy, stupid person. 31 They were full of thorn bushes and overgrown with weeds. The stone wall around them had fallen down. 32 I looked at this, thought about it, and learned a lesson from it: 33 Go ahead and take your nap; go ahead and sleep. Fold your hands and rest awhile, 34 but while you are asleep, poverty will attack you like an armed robber.
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.