1 If you have to choose between a good reputation and great wealth, choose a good reputation.
2 The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord made them both.
3 Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.
4 Obey the Lord, be humble, and you will get riches, honor, and a long life.
5 If you love your life, stay away from the traps that catch the wicked along the way.
6 Teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their life.
7 Poor people are slaves of the rich. Borrow money and you are the lender's slave.
8 If you plant the seeds of injustice, disaster will spring up, and your oppression of others will end.
9 Be generous and share your food with the poor. You will be blessed for it.
10 Get rid of a conceited person, and then there will be no more arguments, quarreling, or name-calling.
11 If you love purity of heart and graciousness of speech, the king will be your friend.
12 The Lord sees to it that truth is kept safe by disproving the words of liars.
13 Lazy people stay at home; they say a lion might get them if they go outside.
14 Adultery is a trap—it catches those with whom the Lord is angry.
15 Children just naturally do silly, careless things, but a good spanking will teach them how to behave.
16 If you make gifts to rich people or oppress the poor to get rich, you will become poor yourself.
The Thirty Wise Sayings
17 Listen, and I will teach you what the wise have said. Study their teachings, 18 and you will be glad if you remember them and can quote them. 19 I want you to put your trust in the Lord; that is why I am going to tell them to you now. 20 I have written down thirty sayings for you. They contain knowledge and good advice, 21 and will teach you what the truth really is. Then when you are sent to find it out, you will bring back the right answer.
-1-
22 Don't take advantage of the poor just because you can; don't take advantage of those who stand helpless in court. 23 The Lord will argue their case for them and threaten the life of anyone who threatens theirs.
-2-
24 Don't make friends with people who have hot, violent tempers. 25 You might learn their habits and not be able to change.
-3-
26 Don't promise to be responsible for someone else's debts. 27 If you should be unable to pay, they will take away even your bed.
-4-
28 Never move an old property line that your ancestors established.
-5-
29 Show me someone who does a good job, and I will show you someone who is better than most and worthy of the company of kings.
1 ǃGâi ǀonsa hōbasens ge kai ǃkhūsib xa a ǃgâi tsî ganganxasib ge ǀhaiǀurib tsî ǃhuniǀurib tsîkha xa a ǃgâi.
2 ǃKhū hân tsî ǀgâsan ge a ǀgui; ǃKhūb ge ǁîn hoana ge kuru.
3 ǁNâuǃāxa khoe-i ge ǂōǂōsiba mû tsî ǁnāpa xu ra ūbēsen; xawe ǁnâuǃāoǃnâ khoe-i ge ǂōǂōsib ǃnâ ǃgûǂgâ tsî ra tsūǃgâ.
4 ǃGamǃgamsens tsî ǃKhūba ǃaoǃgâs tsîra di mādawa-ams ge ǃkhūsib, ǃgôasib tsî ûib tsîga.
5 ǂKhabadī-ao-i daob ain ge ǁkhūn tsî ǃnuidi tsîna hâ; xawe aitsama ra ǃûisen khoe-i ge ǁîna xu ǃnūse ra hâ.
6 ǀGôana ǁîn ǂkhamsisa xu ǂhanu daob ai ǁkhāǁkhā o i ge kaira i ka, xawe ǁîba xu ǁnāǁgôa tide.
7 ǃKhū hâ khoen ge ǀgâsa khoena ra gaoǂam, tsî ǀkhupi-ao-i ge ǀkhupiǂui-ao-i di khobo.
8 ǂHanuoǃnâsiba ga tsoro khoe-i ge ǂōǂōsiba nî ǃgaobasen tsî ǁî-i ra ǂnau-ū haib ge ǁî-i di ǁnāsa nî ǃaroma.
9 Māǂgaoxa khoe-i ge ra ǀkhaehe, ǁî-i pereba i ǀgâsa khoen ǀkha ra ǀgoragu xui-ao.
10 ǃHō-ao-ets ga saurubē, ob ge ǂkhababa ra toa, tsîkha ge ǂkhabab tsî mîǁgaiǁgaigus tsîkha ra ǀam.
11 ǃAnu ǂgaoba ūhâ tsî ǀkhomxaǂgaose ra ǃhoa khoe-i ge gao-aoba ǀhōsase nî ūhâ.
12 ǃKhūb ge amaba ra ǃkhōǀgaipe, xaweb ge ǂhumiǃnâ khoe-i mîde ra dabaǃkhuni.
13 ǀOpesa khoe-i ge: “Xammi ge ǃauga hâ, tsî ta ge ǃgangu ǃnâ nî ǃgamhe” ti ra mî.
14 ǀAi-aos di nammi ge ǃgam āb khami ī; ǃKhūb xa ǁaixaǂamhe hâ khoe-i ge ǁîb ǃnâ nî ǁnāǂgâ.
15 ǀGôa-i ge ǁnaetisase gâre xūna ra dī, xawe ǃnabas ǀguis ge ǁî-e ǁnāpa xu nî ūǂui.
16 ǀGâsa khoena ra ǁgâiǀā khoe-i, ǀguri-i nî ǃkhūse tsî ǃkhū hâ khoen ǀguina xūna ra mā khoe-i, hoa ǀgam khoen ge ǀgâsib ǀkha ǀgui ra ǀamǂoa.
ǃNonadisi gā-ai mîǀgaugu
17 Sa ǂgaesa ǂgō, î gā-ain di mîde ǃgâise ǃgâ tsî sa ǂâisa ti ǁkhāǁkhās ai ǃammâi. 18 ǁÎde sa ǂgaob ǃnâ ǃkhōǀgaipes ge a ǃgâi, ots ge ǁîde hoaǁae sa amǁgaukha ai nî ūhâ. 19 Sa ǂgomǃgâbats ǃKhūb ǃnâ nî ūhâga ta ge ǁîde satsa nētsē go ǂanǂan. 20 ǃNonadisi mîǀgauga ta ge satsa ge xoaba; ǃgâi ǀapemādi tsî ǂans tsîn xa ǀoa hâga. 21 ǁÎgu ge tare-i a ama tsî ǂhauǃnâsa nî ǁgau tsi, îts satsa ra sî khoe-e ǂhanu ǃereamde mā ǁkhā.
ǂGuro mîǀgaub
22 Tā ǀgâsa khoe-e ǀgâsa-i a ǃkhais ǃaroma ǁgūǀhana tsî tā ǂkhabusa khoe-e ǀgoraǃgâǃkhaib tawa ǁgâiǀā. 23 ǃKhūb ge ǁî-e nî ǂnoaba tsî ǁî-e ra ǁgūǀhana khoena nî ǁgūǀhana.
ǀGamǁî mîǀgaub
24 Tā ǁaixasib ǀhonkhoeb ǀkha ǁaeǁaesen, î tā kaise kai ǁaixasiba ūhâ-i ǀkha ǃgûǀhao, 25 ǁî-i daoga ǁkhāǁkhāsen tsîts ǃnuis ǃnâ ǂgāsen tidese.
ǃNonaǁî mîǀgaub
26 Tā ǃhaese xū-e māsa mîmâi tamas ka io ǃhaese ǀnî khoe-i surudeb ǃaroma mâiǁkhae marisa mîmâi. 27 Matare-ūts nî xū-ets ga ūhâ tama i, ob ge ǁgoe-aits hâ kharob tsîna nî ūhe.
Hakaǁî mîǀgaub
28 Tā ǃhūǀgoras di saos sadu aboxagu ge mâisa ūbē.
Koroǁî mîǀgaub
29 ǁÎn di sîsengu ǃnâ ǂansa ūhâ khoena mûts ra? ǁÎn ge gao-aoga nî ǃoaba; ǁîn ge ǁau khoena sîsenba tide.
