In Praise of Wisdom
1 Listen! Wisdom is calling out.
Reason is making herself heard.
2 On the hilltops near the road
and at the crossroads she stands.
3 At the entrance to the city,
beside the gates, she calls:
4 “I appeal to all of you;
I call to everyone on earth.
5 Are you immature? Learn to be mature.
Are you foolish? Learn to have sense.
6 Listen to my excellent words;
all I tell you is right.
7 What I say is the truth;
lies are hateful to me.
8 Everything I say is true;
nothing is false or misleading.
9 To those with insight, it is all clear;
to the well-informed, it is all plain.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver;
choose knowledge rather than the finest gold.
11 “I am Wisdom, I am better than jewels;
nothing you want can compare with me.
12 I am Wisdom, and I have insight;
I have knowledge and sound judgment.
13 To honor the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil ways and false words.
14 I make plans and carry them out.
I have understanding, and I am strong.
15 I help kings to govern
and rulers to make good laws.
16 Every ruler on earth governs with my help,
officials and nobles alike.
17 I love those who love me;
whoever looks for me can find me.
18 I have riches and honor to give,
prosperity and success.
19 What you get from me is better than the finest gold,
better than the purest silver.
20 I walk the way of righteousness;
I follow the paths of justice,
21 giving wealth to those who love me,
filling their houses with treasures.
22 “The Lord created me first of all,
the first of his works, long ago.
23 I was made in the very beginning,
at the first, before the world began.
24 I was born before the oceans,
when there were no springs of water.
25 I was born before the mountains,
before the hills were set in place,
26 before God made the earth and its fields
or even the first handful of soil.
27 I was there when he set the sky in place,
when he stretched the horizon across the ocean,
28 when he placed the clouds in the sky,
when he opened the springs of the ocean
29 and ordered the waters of the sea
to rise no further than he said.
I was there when he laid the earth's foundations.
30 I was beside him like an architect,
I was his daily source of joy,
always happy in his presence—
31 happy with the world
and pleased with the human race.
32 “Now, young people, listen to me.
Do as I say, and you will be happy.
33 Listen to what you are taught.
Be wise; do not neglect it.
34 Those who listen to me will be happy—
those who stay at my door every day,
waiting at the entrance to my home.
35 Those who find me find life,
and the Lord will be pleased with them.
36 Those who do not find me hurt themselves;
anyone who hates me loves death.”
Okutanga ounongo
1 Purateneye! Ounongo mau isana.
Ozondunge maze ravaere.
2 Kozondomba zozondundu meṋe yondjira
na pomapingasaneno wozondjira ounongo opu wa kurama.
3 Pomahitiro wotjihuro posi yomivero,
owo mau ravaere nomasa, mau tja
4 “Ami me ku ku eṋe, vandu;
me mu isana amuhe kombanda yehi.
5 Eṋe mbu mu hiya punga ozondunge,
ri hongeye kutja mu punge ozondunge.
Eṋe, mayova, rihongeye kutja mu kare nozondunge.
6 Purateneye komambo wandje omawa nomasemba;
avihe mbi me mu raere vi ri osemba,
7 mbi hungira ouatjiri nu mba tonda ouvi.
8 Omambo aehe ngu me hungire owo omasemba;
kape na nge ri posyo poo nge wovisa.
9 Ku ingwi ngu nozondunge owo omakahu;
ku ingwi ngu nondjiviro owo omasemba.
10 Toorora omahongero wandje moruveze rwosilveri;
nu u toorore ondjiviro pongoldo ongohoke.
11 “Ii, ounongo owo ounanḓengu
pomawe omahuze womosengo;
kape notjiṋa tjonḓengu ndji ṱeki poyandje.
12 Owami ounongo, nu mbi nozondunge;
mbi nondjiviro nomeripura omawa.
13 Ondira ku Muhona oyo okutonda ouvi;
ami mba tonda omeritongamisiro nourangaranga,
nongarero youvi nomambo wovizeze.
14 Mbi nozondando ozombwa
nounongo okuzeyenenisa;
mbi nondjiviro nu mbi nomasa.
15 Owami ngu mbi vatera ozombara okuhonapara,
novanane okutjita ozondyero ozosemba.
16 Ovanane avehe kombanda yehi ve
honapara puna ombatero yandje,
ovaingona novapangure ve horera ku ami.
17 Ami mba suvera imba mbe ndji suvera;
nu auhe ngu me ndji paha me ndji munu.
18 Mbi noutumbe nondjozikiro okuyandja,
nouṋingandu nondoṋeno wina.
19 Ovihape mbi mamu munu ku ami,
ovyo ovinanḓengu tjinene pongoldo
ongohoke na posilveri ongohoke.
20 Ami mbi ryanga mondjira yousemba,
nu mbi ramanga omirari vyousemba,
21 okuyandja outumbe ku imba mbe ndji suvera,
nokuurisa ovipwikiro vyawo vyovihuze.
22 “Muhona wa tenga po okundjimema pu avihe,
otja otjiṋa otjitenga tjoviungura vye oruveze orukuru,
23 Eye we ndji memene kombutiro rutengatenga,
ouye ngunda au hiya utwa.
24 Ngunda aku ha ri omakuvare notuharwi tomeva,
tjandje ami mba kwatwa.
25 Ozondundu ngunda aze hiya kara po,
novivanda ngunda avi hiya tuwa poṋa pavyo,
ami tjandje mba kwatwa,
26 Ndjambi ngunda e hiya
mema ehi nomaryo waro,
na indi ehi romakunino.
27 Ami opu mba ri eye tja
zika evaverwa poṋa paro,
na tandavarisa omuruko
weyuru kombanda yokuvare.
28 Ami opu mba ri eye tja
twa ovikamba kevaverwa,
na tja paturura otuharwi twokuvare,
29 na tja rakiza ozongazona kutja
aze ha tanana omikuro vyokuvare,
ami opu mba ri eye tja
zika omazikameno wehi.
30 Mba ri posi ye otja omuungure onongo,
mba ri enyando re eyuva arihe peke,
aruhe ame nyandere momurungu we,
31 ame nyandere apehe mouye we
nambi nondjoroka puna ovandu.
32 “Nambano, vanatje vandje,
purateneye ku ami!
Kareye nonḓuviro komambo wandje,
neṋe mamu rire ovaṋingandu.
33 Purateneye komahongero wandje
namu ye nakaura ko,
neṋe mamu rire ozonongo.
34 Ovaṋingandu imba mbe zuva ku ami,
mbe kara pomuvero wandje eyuva arihe peke,
amave ndji undjire pomahitiro wondjuwo yandje.
35 Ingwi ngu me ndji munu ma munu omuinyo,
nu Muhona ma kara nonyuṋe mu ye.
36 Nungwari omundu ngu he ndji
paha me rihihamisa omuini;
nu ngwe ndji tonda wa suvera onḓiro.”
