The Words of Agur
1 These are the solemn words of Agur son of Jakeh:
“God is not with me, God is not with me,
and I am helpless.
2 I am more like an animal than a human being;
I do not have the sense we humans should have.
3 I have never learned any wisdom,
and I know nothing at all about God.
4 Have any ever mastered heavenly knowledge?
Have any ever caught the wind in their hands?
Or wrapped up water in a piece of cloth?
Or fixed the boundaries of the earth?
Who are they, if you know? Who are their children?
5 “God keeps every promise he makes. He is like a shield for all who seek his protection. 6 If you claim that he said something that he never said, he will reprimand you and show that you are a liar.”
More Proverbs
7 I ask you, God, to let me have two things before I die: 8 keep me from lying, and let me be neither rich nor poor. So give me only as much food as I need. 9 If I have more, I might say that I do not need you. But if I am poor, I might steal and bring disgrace on my God.
10 Never criticize servants to their master. You will be cursed and suffer for it.
11 There are people who curse their fathers and do not show their appreciation for their mothers.
12 There are people who think they are pure when they are as filthy as they can be.
13 There are people who think they are so good—oh, how good they think they are!
14 There are people who take cruel advantage of the poor and needy; that is the way they make their living.
15 A leech has two daughters, and both are named “Give me!”
There are four things that are never satisfied:
16 the world of the dead,
a woman without children,
dry ground that needs rain,
and a fire burning out of control.
17 If you make fun of your father or despise your mother in her old age, you ought to be eaten by vultures or have your eyes picked out by wild ravens.
18 There are four things that are too mysterious for me to understand:
19 an eagle flying in the sky,
a snake moving on a rock,
a ship finding its way over the sea,
and a man and a woman falling in love.
20 This is how an unfaithful wife acts: she commits adultery, takes a bath, and says, “But I haven't done anything wrong!”
21 There are four things that the earth itself cannot tolerate:
22 a slave who becomes a king,
a fool who has all he wants to eat,
23 a hateful woman who gets married,
and a servant woman who takes the place of her mistress.
24 There are four animals in the world that are small, but very, very clever:
25 Ants: they are weak, but they store up their food in the summer.
26 Rock badgers: they are not strong either, but they make their homes among the rocks.
27 Locusts: they have no king, but they move in formation.
28 Lizards: you can hold one in your hand, but you can find them in palaces.
29 There are four things that are impressive to watch as they walk:
30 lions, strongest of all animals and afraid of none;
31 goats, strutting roosters,
and kings in front of their people.
32 If you have been foolish enough to be arrogant and plan evil, stop and think! 33 If you churn milk, you get butter. If you hit someone's nose, it bleeds. If you stir up anger, you get into trouble.
Omambo wa Agur
1 Inga owo omambo omananḓengu wa Agur, omuzandu wa Jake. Omurumendu ngwi ma tja nai:
“Ami mba kondja na Ndjambi,
ami mba kondja na Ndjambi,
nambano mba pungara.
2 Tjiri, owami eyova tjinene, himundu,
hi nozondunge zomundu.
3 Ami hi rihongere ounongo,
nu mba kaera ondjiviro aihe yaingwi Omuyapuke.
4 Owaṋi ngwe tji rondere keyuru,
tjazumba a heruka rukwao?
Owaṋi ngwe tji wongere ombepo meke re?
Owaṋi ngwe tji kutire omeva mombanda ye?
Owaṋi ngwe tji zikamisire omaandero aehe wehi?
Ena re owaṋi? Nena romuna we owaṋi, ndoovazu mo ve tjiwa?
5 “Embo ngamwa arihe ra Ndjambi oro ouatjiri; eye oruvao ku imba mbe paha omaundiro mu ye. 6 O weza ko embo komambo we kutja eye e he ku tena ne he ku vara otja omunavizeze.”
Omiano omikwao
7 Ami me ku ningire oviṋa vivari, Ndjambi, o ndji rurupara ko ngunda ambi hiya koka: 8 Humburura ovineya novizeze kokure na ami, nu o ndji pe ousyona poo outumbe; ndji parura novikurya mbya yenena mbi me hepa, 9 orondu tji mbe kuta tjinene me ku pataṋa e tja: “Muhona owaṋi” nu tji mba rire omusyona tjapo me rire erunga ne yamburura ena ra Ndjambi wandje.
10 O yamburura omukarere komuhona we kokutja eye e he ku sengi, nove o havererwa otjiṋa hi.
11 Owee korukwato ndu senga ihe naru ha sere ina ondaya, 12 na korukwato ndu rivara oruini kutja orukohoke, nungwari tjandje karuya kohoka kondova yarwo, 13 na korukwato ndu ritongamisa oruini, nu ndu riyera, 14 na korukwato ndu nomayo otja omangaruvyo, notuyeo otja otuvyo okuseseta na vyo ovasyona nokuveramba mehi, nokuseseta na vyo ovahepe nokuveramba movandu.
15 Otjisepambinḓu tji novakazona vevari: “OoNdji pao!” na “Ndji pao!”
Pe noviṋa vitatu mbi he kuta, ii, vine mbi ha tja opuwo,
16 okutja otjovakoke,
nomukazendu ongandji,
nehi ndi ha munu omeva nga yenena,
nomuriro mbu hi na maau tja opuwo!
17 Eho ndi nyekerera ihe, nu nda nyengura ina ngwa kurupa, ra pwa pokutokorwa i omakwara woruronḓu, nokuriwa i ovikuvyona.
18 Pe noviṋa vitatu mbi ri ovihimise ku ami, ii, vine mbi mbi ha tjiwa:
19 Ondjira yonguvi mevaverwa,
nondjira yonyoka kombanda yoruuwa,
nondjira yondjuwoyomomeva mokuvare,
nongaro yorusuvero pokati komurumendu nomukazendu.
20 Ongaro yomukazendu ngu katuka orukupo ya sana ngwi: Tja zu nokukatuka orukupo, u rikoha morutu na tja: “Ami hi tjitire ouvi.”
21 Pe noviṋa vitatu mbi zezerisa ehi, ii, vine ehi mbi ri ha vanga:
22 Omukarere tji ma rire ombara,
neyova tji mari kara novikurya ovingi okurya,
23 nomuyarwakazendu tja kupwa,
nomukarere omukazendu tja yaruka moruveze rwomuhona we oserekaze.
24 Pe noupuka une ouṱiṱi kombanda yehi, nungwari owo ounongo tjinene poviutwa avihe:
25 Ozombuka, ozo kaze nomasa, nungwari mokuṋi ze pwika ovikurya vyazo.
26 Ozohere, ozo kaze nomasa, nungwari ze ungura omaturiro wazo momawe.
27 Ozombahu, ozo kaze nombara, nungwari ze kayenda mouhirona ouwa.
28 Otjikoko, mo yenene okukambura meke roye, nungwari tji kara mozondjuwo zouhona.
29 Pe noviṋa vitatu, mbi risera tji mavi kayenda, ii, vine, mbi risera tji mavi yata:
30 Ongeyama, ndji ri ombanḓe movipuka nu ndji hi notjiṋa i tira.
31 Ohunguriva ondwezu ndji ritongamisa mokati kozonḓenḓu,
nondwezu yongombo, ndji ri ohongora yorupanda,
nombara, ndji ri komurungu wotjimbumba tjayo tjovita.
32 Tji wa ri eyova mokuriyera kwoye, nu tji we ripura nokutjita ouvi, kurama nu ripura. 33 Orondu ove tji wa ṱuku onḓukwa, omaihi ye eta ongondivi; tji wa ṋiṋikiza eyuru, mu pita ombinḓu; nu tji wa pendura omazenge, mo eta ozombata.
