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.
1 ǃGâi ǀonsa hōbasens ge kai ǃkhūsib xa a ǃgâi tsî ganganxasib ge ǀhaiǀurib tsî ǃhuniǀurib tsîkha xa a ǃgâi.
2 ǃKhū hân tsî ǀgâsan ge a ǀgui; ǃKhūb ge ǁîn hoana ge kuru.
3 ǁNâuǃāxa khoe-i ge ǂōǂōsiba mû tsî ǁnāpa xu ra ūbēsen; xawe ǁnâuǃāoǃnâ khoe-i ge ǂōǂōsib ǃnâ ǃgûǂgâ tsî ra tsūǃgâ.
4 ǃGamǃgamsens tsî ǃKhūba ǃaoǃgâs tsîra di mādawa-ams ge ǃkhūsib, ǃgôasib tsî ûib tsîga.
5 ǂKhabadī-ao-i daob ain ge ǁkhūn tsî ǃnuidi tsîna hâ; xawe aitsama ra ǃûisen khoe-i ge ǁîna xu ǃnūse ra hâ.
6 ǀGôana ǁîn ǂkhamsisa xu ǂhanu daob ai ǁkhāǁkhā o i ge kaira i ka, xawe ǁîba xu ǁnāǁgôa tide.
7 ǃKhū hâ khoen ge ǀgâsa khoena ra gaoǂam, tsî ǀkhupi-ao-i ge ǀkhupiǂui-ao-i di khobo.
8 ǂHanuoǃnâsiba ga tsoro khoe-i ge ǂōǂōsiba nî ǃgaobasen tsî ǁî-i ra ǂnau-ū haib ge ǁî-i di ǁnāsa nî ǃaroma.
9 Māǂgaoxa khoe-i ge ra ǀkhaehe, ǁî-i pereba i ǀgâsa khoen ǀkha ra ǀgoragu xui-ao.
10 ǃHō-ao-ets ga saurubē, ob ge ǂkhababa ra toa, tsîkha ge ǂkhabab tsî mîǁgaiǁgaigus tsîkha ra ǀam.
11 ǃAnu ǂgaoba ūhâ tsî ǀkhomxaǂgaose ra ǃhoa khoe-i ge gao-aoba ǀhōsase nî ūhâ.
12 ǃKhūb ge amaba ra ǃkhōǀgaipe, xaweb ge ǂhumiǃnâ khoe-i mîde ra dabaǃkhuni.
13 ǀOpesa khoe-i ge: “Xammi ge ǃauga hâ, tsî ta ge ǃgangu ǃnâ nî ǃgamhe” ti ra mî.
14 ǀAi-aos di nammi ge ǃgam āb khami ī; ǃKhūb xa ǁaixaǂamhe hâ khoe-i ge ǁîb ǃnâ nî ǁnāǂgâ.
15 ǀGôa-i ge ǁnaetisase gâre xūna ra dī, xawe ǃnabas ǀguis ge ǁî-e ǁnāpa xu nî ūǂui.
16 ǀGâsa khoena ra ǁgâiǀā khoe-i, ǀguri-i nî ǃkhūse tsî ǃkhū hâ khoen ǀguina xūna ra mā khoe-i, hoa ǀgam khoen ge ǀgâsib ǀkha ǀgui ra ǀamǂoa.
ǃNonadisi gā-ai mîǀgaugu
17 Sa ǂgaesa ǂgō, î gā-ain di mîde ǃgâise ǃgâ tsî sa ǂâisa ti ǁkhāǁkhās ai ǃammâi. 18 ǁÎde sa ǂgaob ǃnâ ǃkhōǀgaipes ge a ǃgâi, ots ge ǁîde hoaǁae sa amǁgaukha ai nî ūhâ. 19 Sa ǂgomǃgâbats ǃKhūb ǃnâ nî ūhâga ta ge ǁîde satsa nētsē go ǂanǂan. 20 ǃNonadisi mîǀgauga ta ge satsa ge xoaba; ǃgâi ǀapemādi tsî ǂans tsîn xa ǀoa hâga. 21 ǁÎgu ge tare-i a ama tsî ǂhauǃnâsa nî ǁgau tsi, îts satsa ra sî khoe-e ǂhanu ǃereamde mā ǁkhā.
ǂGuro mîǀgaub
22 Tā ǀgâsa khoe-e ǀgâsa-i a ǃkhais ǃaroma ǁgūǀhana tsî tā ǂkhabusa khoe-e ǀgoraǃgâǃkhaib tawa ǁgâiǀā. 23 ǃKhūb ge ǁî-e nî ǂnoaba tsî ǁî-e ra ǁgūǀhana khoena nî ǁgūǀhana.
ǀGamǁî mîǀgaub
24 Tā ǁaixasib ǀhonkhoeb ǀkha ǁaeǁaesen, î tā kaise kai ǁaixasiba ūhâ-i ǀkha ǃgûǀhao, 25 ǁî-i daoga ǁkhāǁkhāsen tsîts ǃnuis ǃnâ ǂgāsen tidese.
ǃNonaǁî mîǀgaub
26 Tā ǃhaese xū-e māsa mîmâi tamas ka io ǃhaese ǀnî khoe-i surudeb ǃaroma mâiǁkhae marisa mîmâi. 27 Matare-ūts nî xū-ets ga ūhâ tama i, ob ge ǁgoe-aits hâ kharob tsîna nî ūhe.
Hakaǁî mîǀgaub
28 Tā ǃhūǀgoras di saos sadu aboxagu ge mâisa ūbē.
Koroǁî mîǀgaub
29 ǁÎn di sîsengu ǃnâ ǂansa ūhâ khoena mûts ra? ǁÎn ge gao-aoga nî ǃoaba; ǁîn ge ǁau khoena sîsenba tide.
