1 A few dead flies in perfume
make all of it stink,
and a little foolishness
outweighs a lot of wisdom.
2 Sensible thoughts lead you
to do right;
foolish thoughts lead you
to do wrong.
3 Fools show their stupidity
by the way they live;
it's easy to see
they have no sense.
4 Don't give up your job
when your boss gets angry.
If you stay calm,
you'll be forgiven.
5 Rulers do some things that are terribly unfair: 6 They honor fools, but dishonor the rich; 7 they let slaves ride on horses, but force slave owners to walk.
8 If you dig a pit,
you might fall in;
if you break down a wall,
a snake might bite you.
9 You could even get hurt
by chiseling a stone
or chopping a log.
10 If you don't sharpen your ax,
it will be harder to use;
if you are wise,
you'll know what to do.
11 The power to charm a snake
does you no good
if it bites you anyway.
12 If you talk sensibly,
you will have friends;
if you talk foolishly,
you will destroy yourself.
13 Fools begin with nonsense,
and their stupid chatter
ends with disaster.
14 They never tire of talking,
but none of us really know
what the future will bring.
15 Fools wear themselves out—
they don't know enough
to find their way home.
16 A country is in for trouble
when its ruler is childish,
and its leaders
party all day long.
17 But a nation will prosper
when its ruler is mature,
and its leaders
don't party too much.
18 Some people are too lazy
to fix a leaky roof—
then the house collapses.
19 Eating and drinking
make you feel happy,
and money can buy
everything you need.
20 Don't let yourself think about
cursing the king;
don't curse the rich,
not even in secret.
A little bird might hear
and tell everything.
1 ǁŌ hâ ǀgînan ra ǃgâihamxū-e ǀō kais ǁkhās khamib ge
ǂkhari gâsiba gā-aisib tsî ǂkhaisiba a īǂam ǁkhā.
2 Gā-ai khoe-i di ǂgaob ge amǀkhāb ai hâ,
xawe gâ khoe-i dib ge ǁareǀkhāb ai hâ.
3 Gâ khoe-i ga ǃganni ǃnâ ǃgû
xawes ge ǁî-i a gâre ǃkhaisa a ǃgāsa,
tsî-i ge mâ khoe-i hoa-e mâtikōse i a gâre ǃkhaisa ra ǂan kai.
4 Sa ǂgaeǂgui-ao-i ga sa ǃoagu ǁaixao,
tā hâǃnâts a mâsi-i tamas ka io ǃkhai-e xu ǃgûbē.
Sa sâsase hâs ǁî-i di ǁaiba a ǃgamǃgam ǁkhā xuige.
5 ǂKhabab ǃhūbaib ai hâb,
ǂgaeǂgui-ao-i di tsūdība xu hâ khami ība ta ge ge mû.
6 Gâ khoena ǀgapi ǃharodi ǀgaib didi ǃnâ mâihe
tsîn ge ǃkhū hâ khoena ǃnakab ǃharode ra māhe.
7 Tita ge khobon, hāgu ai ra ǃgapin
tsî gaoǀgôan hîa khobon khami ǃhūb ai ra ǃgûna ge mû.
8 Tsau-e ga khao-i ge ǁî-i ǃnâ nîra ǁnā
tsî ǁnā-i hîa ǂnubiǂgoa-e ga khôaǃkhopa-i ge ǀao-i xa nîra nâhe.
9 ǀUina ra ǀhaoǀhao-i ge ǁîn xa ra tsûtsûhe;
ǀaena ra ǁhā-i ge ǁîn xa nî tsûtsûhe.
10 Sîsenūhe ra ǃōs ga
khoe-i xas ǀāǀāhe tama xui-ao a ǂubu,
ots ge ǃnāsa ǀgaiba nî sîsenū,
xawe gā-aisib ge khoe-e ra aiǃgû kai.
11 Mâtits nî ǀaoba ǂauǂau ǃkhaisa ǂans ge hui tama,
ǀaob nî ǂguro nâ tsi ǃkhaisats ga mā-amo.
12 Gā-ain ra mî xūn ge ǁîna ǃgôasiba ra hā-ūba,
xawe di ge gâ khoe-i di mîde ǁî-e ra hapu.
13 ǁÎn di ǃhoatsoatsoas ge a gâ,
tsîs ge ǃhoaǀûs âna a ǂkhaba.
14 Gâ khoe-i ge ǂgui ǃhoaxūna ūhâ.
Khoe-i xare-i ge tare-i nîra ī ǃkhaisa a ǀū.
Tari-e tare-i nî sada ga ǁōs khaoǃgâ ī ǃkhaisa a mî ǁkhā?
15 Sîsenni ge gâ khoe-e ra tsau kai,
î-i tā ǃās ǃoa i nî ǁaru ǀgaus tsîna ǂan.
16 ǃHūb ge kai ǃgomsib ǃnâ hâ, ǁîb di ǂgaeǂgui-ao-i ga a ǂkham
tsîn ga ǁîb di ǂgaeǂgui-aona hoaraga tsuxuba ǂûǂkhaio.
17 Xawe ǁî-i di ǂhunuma mîǁguiga ra ū gao-i tsî mîǁguisa,
ǂhanu ǁaegu ai ǂû,
ǃkhō-oasen tsî ǀhoro tama ǂgaeǂgui-aon xa ra ǂgaeǂguihe ǃhū-i ge a ǃgâiǃgâ.
18 Khoe-i ga oms â-i ǂamǃnâba dī-unus ǃaroma kaise a ǀopesa,
os ge omsa nî ǂnâ tsîb ge oms ǂamǃnâba nî ǁnāǂgâ.
19 ǃGâi ǂû-i ge khoe-e ra ǃgâiaǂgao kai,
tsî ǂauxûi-i ge khoe-e ra ǃgâiǃgâisen kai,
xawes ge marisa a hoaraga xūn di ǃeream.
20 Tā ǂâis ǀkha ǀguis ka xawe gao-aoba ǀâxare
tsî sa ǃnā-omdi ǃnâ ǃkhū hâ-e ǃharaxū.
ǀHommi di ani-i sa domma nî tani
tamas ka io i nî ǁgaboxa ǀguru-e nē ǂhôasa nî ǃhoa xuige.
