Advice to Young People
1 My child, listen closely
to my teachings
and learn common sense.
2 My advice is useful,
so don't turn away.
3 When I was still very young
and my mother's favorite child,
my father 4 said to me:
“If you follow my teachings
and keep them in mind,
you will live.
5 Be wise and learn good sense;
remember my teachings
and do what I say.
6 “If you love Wisdom
and don't reject her,
she will watch over you.
7 The best thing about Wisdom
is Wisdom herself;
good sense is more important
than anything else.
8 If you value Wisdom
and hold tightly to her,
great honors will be yours.
9 It will be like wearing
a glorious crown
of beautiful flowers.”
The Right Way and the Wrong Way
10 My child, if you listen
and obey my teachings,
you will live a long time.
11 I have shown you the way
that makes sense;
I have guided you
along the right path.
12 Your road won't be blocked,
and you won't stumble
when you run.
13 Hold firmly to my teaching
and never let go.
It will mean life for you.
14 Don't follow the bad example
of cruel and evil people.
15 Turn aside and keep going.
Stay away from them.
16 They can't sleep or rest
until they do wrong or harm
some innocent victim.
17 Their food and drink
are cruelty and wickedness.
18 The lifestyle of good people
is like sunlight at dawn
that keeps getting brighter
until broad daylight.
19 The lifestyle of the wicked
is like total darkness,
and they will never know
what makes them stumble.
20 My child, listen carefully
to everything I say.
21 Don't forget a single word,
but think about it all.
22 Knowing these teachings
will mean true life
and good health for you.
23 Carefully guard your thoughts
because they are the source
of true life.
24 Never tell lies or be deceitful
in what you say.
25 Keep looking straight ahead,
without turning aside.
26 Know where you are headed,
and you will stay
on solid ground.
27 Don't make a mistake by turning
to the right or the left.
Gā-aisib di ǃgâib
1 Ti ôado, sadu î-i di ǁgauǃnâsa ǃgâ, î ǁnâuǃāba du nî hōse ǃgaoǃgâ. 2 Tita ge ǃgâi ǁkhāǁkhāsa ra mā du, xuige tā ti ǁkhāǁkhāsa ǁnāxū. 3 ǀGôase ta ge ti îb ǀkha ge hâ i tsî ti îs di ǀguise ǃnae hâ ǀnamǀnamsa ǀgôata ase, 4 ob ge ti îba ǁgauǃnâ te tsî ge mî: “Sa ǂgaob hoab ǀkha ti mîde ǃkhōǀgaipe; ti mîmāde ǃkhōǀgara, ots ge nî ûi. 5 Gā-aisiba ôa, ǁnâuǃāba ôa! Tā ti mîde ǀuru tsî ǁîde xu ǁnāǁgôa. 6 Tā gā-aisiba ǂhara, ǁîb nî sâu tsi xuige; ǁîba ǀnam, ǁîb nî ǃûi tsi xuige. 7 Gā-aisib ge a ǂguro, ǁnā-amaga ǁîba hōbasen. Tare-i ǀgui-ets ga ôa xawe, ǁnâuǃāba hōbasen. 8 Gā-aisiba ǀgapiǃgôa, ob ge ǁîba nî ǀgapiǀgapi tsi; ǁîbats ga ǁnamǂgā , ob ge ǁîba ǃgôasiba nî mā tsi. 9 ǁÎb ge sa danasa krons ǀkha nî ǀgapa; ǁîb ge îsase anisa ǀgapas ǀkha nî ǀgapa-ai tsi.”
10 Ti ôatse ǃgâ, îts tita ra mîna ūǃoa, ǂgui ûikurigats nî ūhâse. 11 Tita ge gā-aisib di daob ǃnâ ge ǁgauǃnâ tsi tsî ǂhanu daob ai ge ǂgaeǂgui tsi. 12 ǃGûts ka, xawe i ge sa daob ǃnâ satsa nî ǁkhae xū-e hâ tide tsî ǃkhoets ka, xawets ge ǃnôa tide. 13 Sa ǁgauǃnâsa ǃkhōǀgaipe, î tā ǁnāxū; ǁîsa ǃûiǃgâ, ǁîs a sa ûi xuige. 14 Tā eloxoresan di daoba sao, î tā ǂkhabadī-aon di ǃganni ǃnâ ǃgû. 15 ǁÎba xu ǂgō, tā ǁîb ǃnâ ǃgû; ǁîba xu dabasen, î sa daob ǀguiba sao. 16 ǂKhabadī taman ga i, on ge ǁîna ǁom ǁoa; khoe-en tsûtsû tamas kōsen ge ǂoms xa hāhe tama hâ. 17 ǂKhabab ge a ǁîn di pere tsî ǂkhabadīb ge a ǁîn di ǂauxûi.
18 Xawe ǂhanu-ain di daob ge ǁgoas ǃnâb khami ī, ǀoasases nî soresa ǁhais aiǃâ, ǃaruǀî ǀgui ra ǃnâǃāba. 19 ǂKhabadī-aon daob ge ǃgam ǃkhaenas khami ī, tsîn ge ǁîna tare-i ain ra ǃnôa ǃkhais tsîna ǀū.
20 Ti ôatse, ti mîde ǃgaoǃgâ; ti mîde ǂōrisase ǃgâ. 21 Tā di ǁîde sa ǁnâuǃāba xu ǂoa; sa ǂgaob ǃnâ ǁîde sâu. 22 ǁÎdi ge ǁîde ra ǃkhōǃoa khoe-i ǃaroma a ûi tsî ǁîde ra ūǃoa khoe-i hoaraga soros di ǂgauǂgau. 23 Sa ǂgaob ǃnâ ra ī xūna ǂōrisase ǃûi, ǁîba xu gu ûib di ǁgamǃāga ra dâu xuige. 24 ǀGamnamxasisa xu ū-oasen, î sa amǁgaukha gāxaǃnâ ǃhoana xu ǃûi. 25 A ra sa mûra ǃgāsase aisǀkhāb ǃoa ǃammâisen, î sa mûra ǂhanuse aisǀkhāb ǃoa kō kai. 26 Sa ǃgûdaoba ǂhauǂhau, îs sa dāǃharos hoasa ǁaposa. 27 Tā amǀkhāb tamas ka io ǁareǀkhāb ǁga kāǁgôa; sa ǂaisa ǂkhababa xu ū-oa.
