Wisdom Gives a Feast
1 Wisdom has built her house
with its seven columns.
2 She has prepared the meat
and set out the wine.
Her feast is ready.
3 She has sent her servant women
to announce her invitation
from the highest hills:
4 “Everyone who is ignorant
or foolish is invited!
5 All of you are welcome
to my meat and wine.
6 If you want to live,
give up your foolishness
and let understanding
guide your steps.”
True Wisdom
7 Correct a worthless bragger,
and all you will get
are insults and injuries.
8 Any bragger you correct
will only hate you.
But if you correct someone
who has common sense,
you will be loved.
9 If you have good sense,
instruction will help you
to have even better sense.
And if you live right,
education will help you
to know even more.
10 Respect and obey the Lord!
This is the beginning
of wisdom.
To have understanding,
you must know the Holy God.
11 I am Wisdom. If you follow me,
you will live a long time.
12 Good sense is good for you,
but if you brag,
you hurt yourself.
A Foolish Invitation
13 Stupidity is reckless,
senseless, and foolish.
14 She sits in front of her house
and on the highest hills
in the town.
15 She shouts to everyone
who passes by,
16 “If you are stupid,
come on inside!”
And to every fool she says,
17 “Stolen water tastes best,
and the food you eat in secret
tastes best of all.”
18 None who listen to Stupidity
understand that her guests
are as good as dead.
Ounongo nouyova
1 Ounongo we ritungira ondjuwo nau ri ungurire ozongunḓe hambombari. 2 Owo wa zepa otjinamuinyo tjomukandi, au hanga omavinu nau ṱunu otjiriro. 3 Ounongo wa hinda ovakarere vawo ovasuko, ve kaisanene pozondongamo zotjihuro amave tjivisa nai: 4 “Indjeye, vandu ovehinondjiviro!” Nu komayova owo mau tja nai: 5 “Indjeye mu ye okurya ovikurya vyandje nu mu ye okunwa omavinu wandje ngu mba hanga! 6 Iseye ouyova mu hupe. Twareye ondjira yozondunge.”
7 Tji mo vyura omunyekerere, eye ma rire omunavita na ove. Tji mo vere omunauvi, mo munu otjipo uriri. 8 O vyura ko omunyekerere; eye me ku tondo mena ranao. Nungwari tji mo vyura omundu onongo, eye me ku yozike. 9 Otjiṋa atjihe tji mo tjivisa konongo matji mu pere ko ounongo. Ngamwa atjihe tji mo hongo omundu omusemba matji tumbisire ko ondjiviro ye.
10 Ondira ku Muhona oyo ombutiro younongo, nokutjiwa ingwi Omuyapuke Umwe oko ondjiviro. 11 Ounongo mau takavarisa omayuva woye, nozombura zomuinyo woye maze weziwa. 12 Okokuwa okurira onongo, nu tji mo nakaura ounongo, oove omuini ngu mo munu ouzeu.
13 Ouyova u ri otja omukazendu omuhaori, ngu hi nozondunge nu ngu hi nohoṋi. 14 Eye u haama pomuvero wondjuwo ye kotjihavero tjomasuviro pondongamo yotjihuro, 15 nu a ravaere kovandu mbu mave kapita amave ripura oviṋa vyawo oveni, na tja ku wo: 16 “Hiteye, vandu ovehinondjiviro!” Kovehinozondunge tjandje ma tja: 17 “Omeva omavakwa ye tjata omuzeze komeho; omboroto ndji mai riwa ngumumu i tjata nawa komeho.” 18 Imba ovaṋangwa vomukazendu ngwi kave tjiwa kutja ovandu mbe yenda kondjuwo ye ve kakoka, nokutja imba mba tenge po okuhita, nai ve ri mourekoto wotjovakoke.
