The Best in Life
1 A good reputation
at the time of death
is better than loving care
at the time of birth.
2 It's better to go to a funeral
than to attend a feast;
funerals remind us
that we all must die.
3 Choose sorrow over laughter
because a sad face
may hide a happy heart.
4 A sensible person mourns,
but fools always laugh.
5 Correction from someone wise
is better by far
than praise from fools.
6 Foolish laughter is stupid.
It sounds like thorns
crackling in a fire.
7 Corruption makes fools
of sensible people,
and bribes can ruin you.
8 Something completed is better
than something just begun;
patience is better
than too much pride.
9 Only fools get angry quickly
and hold a grudge.
10 It isn't wise to ask,
“Why is everything worse
than it used to be?”
11 Having wisdom is better
than an inheritance.
12 Wisdom will protect you
just like money;
knowledge with good sense
will lead you to life.
13 Think of what God has done!
If God makes something crooked,
can you make it straight?
14 When times are good,
you should be cheerful;
when times are bad,
think about what it means.
God makes them both
to keep us from knowing
what will happen next.
Some of Life's Questions
15 I have seen everything during this senseless life of mine. I have seen good citizens die for doing the right thing, while criminals live and prosper. 16 So don't destroy yourself by being too good or acting too smart! 17 Don't die before your time by being too evil or acting like a fool. 18 Keep to the middle of the road. You can do this if you truly respect God.
19 Wisdom will make you stronger than the ten most powerful leaders in your city.
20 No one in this world always does right.
21 Don't listen to everything that everyone says, or you might hear your servant cursing you. 22 Haven't you cursed many others?
23 I told myself that I would be smart and try to understand all this, but it was too much for me. 24 The truth is beyond us. It's far too deep. 25 So I decided to learn everything I could and become wise enough to discover what life is all about. At the same time, I wanted to understand why it's stupid and senseless to be an evil fool.
26 Here is what I discovered: A bad woman is worse than death. She is a trap, reaching out with body and soul to catch you. But if you obey God, you can escape. If you don't obey, you are done for. 27 With all my wisdom I have tried to find out how everything fits together, 28 but so far I have not been able to. I do know there is one good man in a thousand, but never have I found a good woman. 29 I did learn one thing: We were completely honest when God created us, but now we have twisted minds.
Omeripuriro otja kongarero yomundu
1 Okokuwa okukara notjikaro otjiwa komeho yokukara nomaze omawa wokurivava; nu eyuva ronḓiro oro ewa pu indi rongwatero.
2 Okokuwa okuyenda kondjuwo yomutambo komeho yokuyenda ku indji yomukandi, orondu ovanamuinyo aruhe ve sokurizemburuka kutja onḓiro i tu undja atuhe.
3 Okokuwa okukara noruhoze komeho yokuyora, orondu oruhoze mu mo pitire maru ku tjiti kutja urire onongo.
4 Omundu onongo aruhe u ripura nonḓiro; nungwari ingwi eyova aruhe u ripura nondjoroka.
5 Okokuwa okuvyurwa i omundu onongo komeho yokutangwa i omundu eyova.
6 Okuyora kwomundu eyova kwa sana nokutwipa kwomakuiya momuriro kehi yonyungu. Avihe mbi wina ovyo omungandjo uriri.
7 Tjiri, okutjita ovineya ku yovaparisa omundu onongo, nu okuyandja poo okukambura otjiyandjewa tjombopero ku zunḓa omutima.
8 Ondjandero yotjiṋa ngamwa oyo onanḓengu pombutiro yatjo, nu omundu ngu nomuretima eye omusemba pu ingwi ngu ritongamisa.
9 O hakahana okupindika mombepo, orondu omapindi owo ohama momutima weyova.
10 O pura kutja okutjavi omayuva woruveze orukuru tji ya ri omasemba pu inga owanambano! Orondu okupura nao kaunongo.
11 Ounongo owo ouwa tjimuna eṱa, nowo ounanḓengu ku ingwi ngu nomuinyo. 12 Orondu ovimariva punga avi yandja ondjamo, ounongo opunga au yama wina; nungwari otjiṋa otjinanḓengu kondjiviro otjo hi: Ounongo u ṱakamisira omuini wawo omuinyo.
13 Nongonona imbi Ndjambi mbya tjita. Owaṋi ngu ma sora okunyaturura ihi Ndjambi tja katisa?
14 Otuveze tji tu ri otuṋingandu kove, yoroka; notuveze twoumba tji twe ya, rizemburuka nai: Ndjambi u hinda enyando noumba aviyevari; omundu kamaa tjiwa imbi mbi mavi katjitwa kombunda.
15 Ami mba muna aviyevari mbi momayuva wongarero yandje yomungandjo: Omusemba u ṱa nandarire kutja eye omusemba, nomurunde u hupa orure nandarire kutja eye omurunde. 16 O rivara kutja oove omusemba tjinene, nu o ritjiti onongo okukapita ovakweṋu! Okutjavi tji mo riyandeke omuini nai? 17 Nu o ritjindi tjinene otja omunauvi, nu o rire eyova wina; okutjavi tji movanga okukoka komurungu woruveze rwoye? 18 Okokuwa okuṱiza oviṋa mbi aviyevari, orondu omundu ngu nondira ku Ndjambi u tjita oviṋa mbi aviyevari osemba.
19 Ounongo u yandja omasa konongo komeho yovanane ovanamasa omurongo motjihuro.
20 Kape nomundu omusemba kombanda yehi ngu tjita ouwa porwe, nu ngu ha tjiti ourunde wina.
21 O kara ko na tja nomambo aehe ovandu ngu mave hungire, kokutja o ha zuu omukarere woye tji me ku yamba, 22 ove omuini tjinga amo tjiwa nawa kutja ove wina wa yamba ovandu varwe potuingi.
23 Avihe mbi mba rora nounongo ame tja me vanga okurira onongo; nungwari ounongo tjandje u ri ohumburuko na ami. 24 Ihi tji tji ri po, tji ri kokure, notjo tja undikwa tjinenenene; owaṋi ngu ma sora okutjimuna? 25 Ami mbe rimana omuini okukara nondjiviro nokuinongonona; mba kondja okupaha ounongo nokumuna omaziriro komapuriro wandje, na wina okurihonga kutja ourunde owo ouyova, nouhipa owo oviyoze.
26 Mba muna otjiṋa otjitetarise tjinene ponḓiro: Otjo omukazendu. Orusuvero eye ndu me ku pe, maru ku kambura otja ongwehe poo otja ombate; nomaoko we ngu maye ku pukata maye ku pandeke otja ouketanga. Omundu ngu nondira ku Ndjambi ma yenene okupita mongwehe yomukazendu ngwi, nungwari ingwi omurunde ma kamburwa i ye. 27 Omuzuvarise ma tja, tara, ami mba muna oviṋa mbi kouṱiṱiṱiṱi indu tjee paha omaziriro. 28 Wina mba paha omaziriro warwe, nungwari hi ye munine ko. Mba muna omurumendu umwe omusemba mokati keyovi, nungwari hi mwine omukazendu nangarire umwe. 29 Otjiṋa porwatjo tji mbe rihonga otjo hi tjokutja Ndjambi ovandu we ve uta ovasemba, nungwari ovandu oveni ombe ripahera omeripura omengi omavi.
