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.
Ûib xa hâ ǂâidi
1 ǃGâi ǀons ge ǃgomǀgausa ǃgâihamxū-i ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi;
tsîs ge sa ǁōtsēsa ǃnaets ge tsēs ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi.
2 ǃOab hâ om-i ǁga ǃgûs ge
ǃgâiǃgâisens hâ ǃkhai-i ǁga ǃgûs ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi,
ûib hoaǁae ǁō da nî ǃkhaisa ra ǂâiǂâiǃnâ da xui-ao.
3 ǃOas ge âis ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi;
ais âtsa a ǃoaǃoa ǁkhā xawe ra ǁnâuǃāba ǀgaiǀgai.
4 Gā-ai khoe-i ge ǁōb di ǂâibasensa ra ǂâiǃgâ;
gân ra ǃgâiǃgâisens xa ǀgui ǂâi hîa.
5 Gā-ai khoe-i di ǃkhâikhomsa ǃgâs ge
gâ khoen di ǁnaeba ǃgâs ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi.
6 Gâ khoe-i di âib ge ǁkhūn,
ǀaes ǃnâ ra ǂaninin khami ra ǀō.
Nēs ge a harebeoǃnâ.
7 ǁGâiǀāb ge gā-ai khoe-e ra gâ kai
tsî ǁamaǃkhunis ge ǂgaoba ra hîkākā.
8 Xū-i di ǀams ge ǁî-i di tsoatsoas ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi.
ǃNūǃnâxasib ge ǃguriǃgurisens ǃgâ-ai a ǃgâi.
9 Tā ǃhaese ǁaixa,
ǁaixasib gân di ǂgaob ǃnâ ǀgui ǁan hâ xuige.
10 Tā “Tare-i ǃaroma di ǃkharu ge tsēde nēsi hâdi ǃgâ-ai ge ǃgâi i?”
ti dî re, nēs gā-ai dî tama xuige.
11 Gā-aisib ge ǀumisa ǃkhōǃoas khami ī
tsî ǁnān soresa ra mûna aiǂhanu-i ase a ība.
12 Gā-aisiba sâus ge
mari-e sâus ǁkhās khami ī.
Gā-aisib ra sâu xui-ao,
nēs ge a ǂans di aiǂhanu.
13 Elob sîsenna ǃgaoǃgâ re.
Mâti i khoe-e Elob gama kai hâ xū-e
a ǂhanuǂhanu ǁkhā?
14 Xūn ga ǃgâise ǃgûba tsi, o ǃgâiaǂgao re,
î ǃgomsin ga hāǂam tsi, o ǂâis ǃnâ ūhâ re:
Elob ge ǃgâin tsî tsūn hoana kuru hâ
tsîts ge a ǀū taren noxopa nî ī ǃkhaisa.
15 Hoaraga xūna ta ge ti harebeoǃnâ ûib ǃnâ ge mû.
ǂHanu-ai khoen ra ǂhanu-aisib ân ǃnâ ǁō
hîan ge ǂkhaba khoena ǁîn ǂkhabasib ǃnâ ra ûihâhâ.
16 Tā ǃnāsase ǂhanu-ai
î tā ǃnāsase gā-aikaisen.
Tare-i ǃaromats ra ǁî-aitsama hîkākāsen ǂgao.
17 Tā ǃnāsase ǂkhaba î tā gâ.
Tare-i ǃaromats sa ǁaeb aiǃâ nî ǁō ǂgao?
18 Nē ǀgam ǃkhâikhomra ǃkhōmâis ge a ǃgâi,
ǁnān Eloba ra ǃaoǃgân ǁîra hoara ǃnâ,
ǁguiǂams âna nî dīǀoaǀoa xui-ao.
19 Gā-aisib ge disi khoegu, ǃāsa ra ǂgaeǂguigu ǃgâ-ai
khoe-e ra gā-ai kai.
20 ǂHanu-ai khoe-i, ǃgâise ǀgui ra dī
tsî ǁore tama-i ge ǃhūbaib ai a ǀkhai.
21 Tā khoen ra mî xū-i hoa-e ǃgâ,
îts tā sa ǃgā-i ra ǃkhāǃkhā tsi ǀgausa ǁnâu;
22 aitsamats sats tsîna ǂan
mâtikō khoenats ge ǂgui ǃnāde ǃkhāǃkhā ǃkhaisa xuige.
23 Nēn hoana ta ge gā-aisib ǀkha ǃâitsâ tsî
“A ta gā-ai re” ti ge mî,
xawes ge ǁîsa tita xu ge ǃnū i.
24 ǁNān hîa hân ge sada nî ǁnâuǃās ǃgâ-ai hâ
tsî kaise a ǃgam.
Khoe-e xare nēsa a ǁnâuǃā ǁkhā?
25 Tita ge ti ǂgaoba gā-aisibab nî ǂan tsî ôaǃnâse ge ǃammâi,
mîǃā tsîb ǂkhabasib, gâresib di gâsib diba nî ǂanse.
26 Tsî ta ge ǁōb xa a au xū-e ge mû
tarekhoes, ǂgaob âs ǁnoa
tsî a ǂhaosa.
ǂGaob âs ge a ǃkhōsis di khede.
Ob ge Elob aiǃâ a ǃgâi khoeba ǁîsa xu ra ǁhâ
xaweb ge ǁore-aoba ǁîs ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ra hâ.
27 Nēn ge ǂkhariǂkharibese ta ge ǂanǂui tsî ǀaro xūna, tib ge Aoǁnâ-aoba ra mî.
28 ǀNî ǃereamna ta ge gere ôa
xawe ta ge ǁîna hō tama ge i.
ǀOadisi aorekhoegu ǁaegu ta ge ǀgui khoeba ge hō,
xawe tarekhoedi xa ta ge ǀguis tsîna hō tama hâ.
29 Nēn ge hoaraga xūn ǁkhāǁkhāsen ta gena:
Elob ge khoesiba ǂhanu-ai tsî ama-aise ge kuru.
