Don't Be a Fool
1 Expecting snow in summer
and rain in the dry season
makes more sense
than honoring a fool.
2 A curse you don't deserve
will take wings and fly away
like a sparrow or a swallow.
3 Horses and donkeys
must be beaten and bridled—
and so must fools.
4 Don't make a fool of yourself
by answering a fool.
5 But if you answer any fools,
show how foolish they are,
so they won't feel smart.
6 Sending a message by a fool
is like chopping off your foot
just to spite yourself.
7 A fool with words of wisdom
is like an athlete
with legs that can't move.
8 Are you going to honor a fool?
Why not shoot a slingshot
with the rock tied tight?
9 A thornbush waved around
in the hand of a drunkard
is no worse than a proverb
in the mouth of a fool.
10 It's no smarter to shoot arrows
at every passerby
than it is to hire a bunch
of worthless nobodies.
11 Dogs return to eat their vomit,
just as fools repeat
their foolishness.
12 There is more hope for a fool
than for someone who says,
“I'm really smart!”
13 Don't be lazy and keep saying,
“There's a lion outside!”
14 A door turns on its hinges,
but a lazy person
just turns over in bed.
15 Some of us are so lazy
that we won't lift a hand
to feed ourselves.
16 A lazy person says,
“I am smarter
than everyone else.”
17 It's better to take hold
of a mad dog by the ears
than to take part
in someone else's argument.
18 It's no crazier to shoot
sharp and flaming arrows
19 than to cheat someone and say,
“I was only fooling!”
20 Where there is no fuel
a fire goes out;
where there is no gossip
arguments come to an end.
21 Troublemakers start trouble,
just as sparks and fuel
start a fire.
22 There is nothing so delicious
as the taste of gossip!
It melts in your mouth.
23 Hiding hateful thoughts
behind smooth talk
is like coating a clay pot
with a cheap glaze.
24 The pleasant talk
of an enemy
hides more evil plans
25 than can be counted—
so don't believe a word!
26 Everyone will see through
those evil plans.
27 If you dig a pit,
you will fall in;
if you start a stone rolling,
it will roll back on you.
28 Watch out for anyone
who tells lies and flatters—
they are out to get you.
1 Otja ombundu mokuṋi poo ombura moruveze rwomakondero punga avi ha kara ko, ondjozikiro opunga ai ha pwirire eyova.
2 Otja onḓera nondiri punga aze tuka, opunga ape zenga osengiro yomukona ndji hi notjiṋa.
3 Okakambe mo tono nongora, nokasino mo tumbura nomuvya, neyova mo tono noruhongwe metambo.
4 O ziri eyova otja kouyova waro kokutja ove omuini o ha sana ku ro.
5 Zira eyova otja kouyova waro kokutja ari he rivara orini otja onongo.
6 Tji mo hindi eyova kutja ri tware ombuze, mo rike ombaze yoye omuini, nu mo riyetere oumba.
7 Otja omarama womuremane punga aya ngundipara, omuano opunga au hi nonḓengu motjinyo tjeyova.
8 Okutanga ngamwa ngu ri eyova kwa sana nokukuta ewe mongarena.
9 Omuano wounongo motjinyo tjeyova ndi mari ya, wa sana nomuyahe ngu yaha ovandu avehe mbu mave kapita.
10 Omuungurise ngu yazema ngamwa eyova ndi mari ya, wa sana nomuyahe ngu yaha ovandu avehe mbu mave kapita.
11 Eyova ndi tjita oviṋa vyouyova potuvari, ra sana nombwa ndji yaruka novikungo vyayo.
12 Ingwi ngu ri eyova tjinene, onguri omusemba pu ingwi ngu tjangovasi eye onongo ngunda e he ri nao.
13 Okutjavi omunatjirweyo tje ha piti mondjuwo? U tira tjike? Ozongeyama?
14 Omunatjirweyo u tanauka mombete tjimuna omuvero mbu tanaukira moviṱiziro vyawo.
15 Omunatjirweyo tja twa eke re motjiyaha, u urwa okuyarura ro motjinyo tje rukwao.
16 Omunatjirweyo u tjangovasi u nozondunge povarumendu hambombari mbe yandja omaziriro omanazondunge.
17 Okuritwa mozombata nḓe hi notjiṋa na ove kwa sana nokukawondja momuvanda nokukakambura ombwa komatwi ndji mai riryangere.
18 Omundu ngu pukisa omukwao tjazumba atja wa ra ma nyanda uriri, 19 wa sana nomundu ngwa vera oviyoze ngu ma nyandisa oviku ovizepe vyomuriro.
20 Tji pe hi nozonguṋe, omuriro u zema, nu tji pe hi nomuhohize woumba, otjiposa tji yanda.
21 Otja omakara punga aye eta orururumo, nozonguṋe punga aze yakisa omuriro, omundu wozombata opunga e hohiza otjiposa.
22 Okuyamba ku tjata nawa, ku tjata tjimuna tji moṋiṋa ovikurya oviwa mbi mavi tjata.
23 Otja onyungu yomunoko punga ai huwa nosilveri, opunga apa sana nomundu ngu nomiṋa omiheze nomutima omunauvi.
24 Omunatjavivi u horeka onyengo ye momambo we, nungwari moukoto we tjandje u novineya. 25 Eye tji ma tararisa eraka re, ove o riyameke ko ku ye, orondu momutima we mu na oviyaukise ovingi. 26 Onyengo ye nandi ya ṱara movineya, ouvi we mau horoka poruhaera.
27 Ngu ma sere omukwao otjitoto ma wire mo omuini; nu ngu ma kunguzurire omukwao ewe, oro mari kotoka ku ye omuini.
28 Eraka rovizeze ri tonda ouatjiri, notjinyo tjotjiwova tji eta ondjandekero.
