1When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;
1 Saaya kaŋ ni goono ga goro dabarikooni banda ŋwaari do, Ma laakal hal a ma boori nda haŋ kaŋ go ni jine.
1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider diligently him that is before thee;
2put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.
2 Da ni ya laakal zaaro no ŋwaari gaa, Ma zaama daŋ ni karra gaa.
2And put a knife to thy throat, If thou be a man given to appetite.
3Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
3 Ma s'a laam'izey bini, Za kaŋ fafagay ŋwaari no.
3Be not desirous of his dainties; Seeing they are deceitful food.
4Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
4 Ma si ni boŋ fargandi duure ceeciyaŋ ra, Ma si ni laakal sinji a gaa.
4Weary not thyself to be rich; Cease from thine own wisdom.
5Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
5 Waati kaŋ ni na ni moy sinji a gaa, Kala fap! a daray! Zama haciika arzaka ga te fata nga boŋ se, Danga zeeban cine kaŋ ga tun ka deesi ka koy kala beene.
5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For [riches] certainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
6Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies:
6 Ni ma si gunuwante ŋwaari ŋwa, Ma s'a laam'izey bini mo.
6Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, Neither desire thou his dainties:
7for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
7 Zama danga mate kaŋ a goono ga miila nga bina ra, Yaadin mo no a go. A ga ne ni se: «Ma ŋwa, ma haŋ,» Amma a bina si ni gaa bo.
7For as he thinketh within himself, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
8The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.
8 Looma kaŋ ni ŋwa, ni g'a yeeri, Ni sanni kaana mo ma daray ni se.
8The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, And lose thy sweet words.
9Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
9 Ma si salaŋ saamo hanga ra, Zama a ga donda ni sanney laakalo.
9Speak not in the hearing of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless:
10 Ma si fari hirri seeda zeeno ganandi, Ma si furo alatuumey farey ra mo.
10Remove not the ancient landmark; And enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
11 Zama i Fansakwa ya gaabikooni no, A ga faasa i se ni gaa.
11For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause against thee.
12Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
12 Ma ni bina ye dondonandiyaŋ ceeciyaŋ gaa, Ma ni hangey mo ye bayray sanni maayaŋ gaa.
12Apply thy heart unto instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
13 Ma si ni kambe candi ka fay da zanka goojiyaŋ, Zama baa ni n'a kar da goobu, a si bu bo.
13Withhold not correction from the child; [For] if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
14Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. .
14 M'a kar da goobu, k'a fundo faaba Alaahara gaa.
14Thou shalt beat him with the rod, And shalt deliver his soul from Sheol.
15My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine:
15 Ay izo, da ni bina te laakal, Kulu ay bumbo bina mo ga maa kaani.
15My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart will be glad, even mine:
16yes, my heart will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.
16 Oho, ay bina ga to da farhã, Saaya kaŋ ni meyo ga hayey kaŋ ga saba ci.
16Yea, my heart will rejoice, When thy lips speak right things.
17Don’t let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear Yahweh all the day long.
17 Ni bina ma si canse zunubikooney gaa, Amma ni ma goro Rabbi humburkumay ra zaari me-a-me.
17Let not thy heart envy sinners; But [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day long:
18Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.
18 Zama haciika a gonda alhakku, Ni beeja si fun mo.
18For surely there is a reward; And thy hope shall not be cut off.
19Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!
19 Ya ay izo, ma maa, ma te laakal mo, Ma ni bina daŋ fonda gaa.
19Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And guide thy heart in the way.
20Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:
20 Ma si goro baji hankoy game ra, Wala borey kaŋ laakal ga zaaru ham ŋwaari gaa,
20Be not among winebibbers, Among gluttonous eaters of flesh:
21for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
21 Zama borey kaŋ ga bugu nda ngey kaŋ laakal ga zaaru ŋwaari gaa wo, I ga aniya ka talka, Dusungu mo ga boro daabu nda zaara-zaara.
21For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; And drowsiness will clothe [a man] with rags.
22Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
22 Ma hanga jeeri ni baaba kaŋ na ni hay se, Ma si donda ni nya waati kaŋ a zeen.
22Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
23Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
23 Ma cimi day, ma s'a neera, Oho, nga nda laakal, da dondonandiyaŋ, da fahamay.
23Buy the truth, and sell it not; [Yea], wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
24 Adilante baaba ga farhã gumo, Bora mo kaŋ na zanka laakalkooni hay ga du farhã a do.
24The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; And he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
25Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!
25 Naŋ ni nya da ni baaba ma maa kaani, Waybora kaŋ na ni hay, ma naŋ a ma farhã.
25Let thy father and thy mother be glad, And let her that bare thee rejoice.
26My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
26 Ay izo, m'ay no ni bina, Naŋ mo ni bina ma maa ay fondey kaani.
26My son, give me thy heart; And let thine eyes delight in my ways.
27For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
27 Zama waykuuru ya goota no kaŋ ga guusu, Kaaruwa mo day kankamante no.
27For a harlot is a deep ditch; And a foreign woman is a narrow pit.
28Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
28 Oho, a ga lamba danga kosarayko, A ga amaana ŋwaakoy baabandi Adam-izey game ra.
28Yea, she lieth in wait as a robber, And increaseth the treacherous among men.
29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
29 May no goono ga te: «Way! Way!» May no ga ne: «Kaari!» May no ka gonda yanje? May no goono ga guutu? May no bora kaŋ gonda maray-marayyaŋ kaŋ sinda sabaabu? May no ka bara nda mo ciray-ciray yaŋ?
29Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? Who hath complaining? who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
30Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
30 Kala ngey, borey kaŋ ga gay duvan* haŋyaŋ do, Ngey kaŋ ga duvan margante ceeci.
30They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to seek out mixed wine.
31Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
31 Ma si duvaŋo guna saaya kaŋ a te iciray, Saaya kaŋ a ga boosu gaasiya ra, Saaya kaŋ a ga zulli nda kaani.
31Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly:
32In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
32 A bananta a ga nama danga gondi, A ga hay danga gazama.
32At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
33Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
33 Ni moy ga hari yawyaŋ guna, Ni bina mo ga hari siiroyaŋ ci.
33Thine eyes shall behold strange things, And thy heart shall utter perverse things.
34Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
34 Oho, ni ga ciya danga boro kaŋ goono ga kani teeku bindi ra, Wala boro kaŋ kani hi daabuley yollo boŋ beene.
34Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35“They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another.”
35 Ni ga ne, «I n'ay kar, amma ay mana maa doori. I n'ay soote-soota, ay mana maray mo. Waati fo no ay mo ga hay? Ay ma ye k'a ceeci koyne hala hõ.»
35They have stricken me, [shalt thou say], and I was not hurt; They have beaten me, and I felt it not: When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.