1 Ozonḓe nḓa koka ze worisa naze zunḓa omaze omavawa monya; nouyova ouṱiṱi u nomasa pounongo na pondjozikiro.
2 Omutima wonongo u mu twara kousemba, nu imbwi weyova u mu twara kombandjarero. 3 Nandarire eyova tji mari kayenda mondjira ri raisa kutja kari nozondunge; ri tjivisa kovandu avehe kutja oro eyova.
4 Omuhona woye tje ku pindikire, o isa oviungura vyoye; orondu ozondataiziro ozonene ze isirwa tji wa porimana.
5 Pe nouvi mbu mba muna mouye, ondataiziro ndji tjitwa i ovanauvara: 6 Ovandu omayova ve zikwa motuveze otunanḓengu twounane, imba ovatumbe ngunda ave tuwa motuveze twokehi. 7 Ami mba muna ovakarere mbaa ve kavire oukambe, ozohivirikwa ngunda aaze ka wondja pehi otja ovakarere.
8 Ngu ma se otjitoto ma wire mu tjo; nu ingwi ngu ma haṋa orumbo ma rumatwa i onyoka. 9 Ngu ma teya omawe ma hihamisiwa i wo; ngu ma ke ozonguṋe ma yenene okumuna otjipo. 10 Ekuva roye tji ri ri eṱi, nove tji u hi nokuriupika, mo ungura nomasa tjinene komeho; nungwari okutenga okuripura oko ounongo. 11 Onyoka tji ya rumata ngunda ai hiya worerwa, inga omaworero kaye nombatero. 12 Omambo nge hungirwa i omundu onongo ye mu etera otjari, nungwari omundu eyova u nyonwa i omambo we omuini. 13 Eye u uta okuhungira omambo wouyova na kayanda ama hungire omambo wovizeze. 14 Eyova ri nyomborora tjinene; kape na ngu tjiwa kutja mape katjitwa tjike moruveze ndu maru ya; nu kape na ngu ma serekarerere indi eyova imbi mbi mavi katjitwa kombunda yonḓiro yaro.
15 Ovandu omayova ve muna oviungura ovizeu mbi ve putauza; ingwi ngu hi nokutjiwa ondjira kamaa sora okuyenda kotjihuro.
16 O wee kove, hi, tji u nombara ndji ri otja okanatje, nu tji u nozohivirikwa nḓe tjita omikandi omuhuka omunene! 17 Omuṋingandu ove, hi, tji mo kara nombara oingona, nu tji u nozohivirikwa nḓe rya omariro wawo moruveze orusemba kutja ve hare omasa, nokutja ave he ripurukisa oveni nomavinu.
18 Omundu tje notjirweyo tjinene okuṱuna omututu wondjuwo ye, owo mau roko nu ondjuwo mai wire.
19 Omikandi vi tjitirwa ombyarero, omavinu owo omayorokise wehupiro, nu ovimariva ombi eta oviṋa mbi avihe.
20 O sengi ombara nangarire momeripuriro woye, nu o yamba ko omutumbe nangarire tji u ri metuwo roye romara, tjapo ozonḓera zeyuru ngaaze twara ombuze, naze karaera ovandu imbi ove mbi wa hungire.
1 Dead flies can make a whole bottle of perfume stink, and a little stupidity can cancel out the greatest wisdom.
2 It is natural for the wise to do the right thing and for fools to do the wrong thing. 3 Their stupidity will be evident even to strangers they meet along the way; they let everyone know that they are fools.
4 If your ruler becomes angry with you, do not hand in your resignation; serious wrongs may be pardoned if you keep calm.
5 Here is an injustice I have seen in the world—an injustice caused by rulers. 6 Stupid people are given positions of authority while the rich are ignored. 7 I have seen slaves on horseback while noblemen go on foot like slaves.
8 If you dig a pit, you fall in it; if you break through a wall, a snake bites you. 9 If you work in a stone quarry, you get hurt by stones. If you split wood, you get hurt doing it. 10 If your ax is dull and you don't sharpen it, you have to work harder to use it. It is smarter to plan ahead. 11 Knowing how to charm a snake is of no use if you let the snake bite first. 12 What the wise say brings them honor, but fools are destroyed by their own words. 13 They start out with silly talk and end up with pure madness. 14 A fool talks on and on.
No one knows what is going to happen next, and no one can tell us what will happen after we die.
15 Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work.
16 A country is in trouble when its king is a youth and its leaders feast all night long. 17 But a country is fortunate to have a king who makes his own decisions and leaders who eat at the proper time, who control themselves and don't get drunk.
18 When you are too lazy to repair your roof, it will leak, and the house will fall in.
19 Feasting makes you happy and wine cheers you up, but you can't have either without money.
20 Don't criticize the king, even silently, and don't criticize the rich, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird might carry the message and tell them what you said.
