Advice to a King
1 These are the solemn words which King Lemuel's mother said to him:
2 “You are my own dear son, the answer to my prayers. What shall I tell you? 3 Don't spend all your energy on sex and all your money on women; they have destroyed kings. 4 Listen, Lemuel. Kings should not drink wine or have a craving for alcohol. 5 When they drink, they forget the laws and ignore the rights of people in need. 6 Alcohol is for people who are dying, for those who are in misery. 7 Let them drink and forget their poverty and unhappiness.
8 “Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless. 9 Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor and needy.”
The Capable Wife
10 How hard it is to find a capable wife! She is worth far more than jewels!
11 Her husband puts his confidence in her, and he will never be poor.
12 As long as she lives, she does him good and never harm.
13 She keeps herself busy making wool and linen cloth.
14 She brings home food from out-of-the-way places, as merchant ships do.
15 She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family and to tell her servant women what to do.
16 She looks at land and buys it, and with money she has earned she plants a vineyard.
17 She is a hard worker, strong and industrious.
18 She knows the value of everything she makes, and works late into the night.
19 She spins her own thread and weaves her own cloth.
20 She is generous to the poor and needy.
21 She doesn't worry when it snows, because her family has warm clothing.
22 She makes bedspreads and wears clothes of fine purple linen.
23 Her husband is well known, one of the leading citizens.
24 She makes clothes and belts, and sells them to merchants.
25 She is strong and respected and not afraid of the future.
26 She speaks with a gentle wisdom.
27 She is always busy and looks after her family's needs.
28 Her children show their appreciation, and her husband praises her.
29 He says, “Many women are good wives, but you are the best of them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive and beauty disappears, but a woman who honors the Lord should be praised.
31 Give her credit for all she does. She deserves the respect of everyone.
Gao-ao-e ǀapemās
1 Nēdi ge gao-aob Lemueli ge ǁîb îsa xu a hō ǀapemāde:
2 “Ti ôatse! Ti ǁhās di ôatse!
Ti mîmâisa xu ge hā ǀgôatse!
3 Tā sa ǀgaiba tarekhoedi ai dītoa,
tsî sa ûiba ǁnādi gao-aogu tsîna ra hîkākāde mā.
4 Lemueltse, anu tama i ge hâ gao-aoga ǂauxûi-e āsa,
tamas ka io ǂgaeǂgui-aoga ǀgaisa āxūna āsa.
5 Ā gu ka, o gu ge ǂnûiǂgāde ǃûǂam
tsî huio khoen ǃgâib ǃoa hâ ǂhanuga ra ūbē.
6 ǁŌǁga ra khoe-e xûi-e mā
tsî kaise ǃgomsigu xa ǃkhōhe hâ khoe-e ǂauxûiba mā.
7 An ǂauxûiba ā tsî hâǃnân a ǀgâsiba ǀuru,
în mâsib hîan hâǃnâba tā ǂâiǂâisen.
8 ǃHoabasen ǁoa khoena ǃhoaba,
î huio khoen ǂhanuga ǁkhauba.
9 ǁÎna khâimâba, ǂhanu-aise ǀgoraǃgâ,
î ǀgâsan tsî ǂhâsib ǃnâ hân hoan di ǂhanuga ǂnoaba.”
ǃGâi taras di koahes
10 ǃGâi tara-e hōs ge a ǃgom,
ǁîs ge ǃgomǀgausa ǀuidi xa a ǀō-aisa.
11 ǁÎs aob ge ǁîs ai ra ǂgomaiǂnûi
tsîb ge xū-e tôasi tide.
12 ǁÎs ge ûitsēdi âs ǃnâ ǃgâin ǀguina ra dība bi,
xawe tsūba tama.
13 ǁÎs ge gūǀûn tsî ǃapin
tsîn ǀkha turaxase ra sîsen.
14 ǁÎs ge ǂharugu-aogu doe-omdi khami
ǃnūseba xu ǂûn âsa ra ǀkhī-ū.
15 ǁÎs ge ganupe i ǃkhae hîa khâimâ,
omaris âsa ǂûmā tsî ǃgādi âsa sîsenna ra ǁgui-ai.
16 ǁÎs ge ǃhūsa ǂâiǃgâ tsî ǀgui ra ǁama;
ǁîs ge hōǂgās âs ǀkha draibeǃhanaba ra ǂgā.
17 ǁÎs ge ǀgaib ǀkha kamanab âsa ǃgae
tsî ǁôakha âsa ra ǀgaiǀgai.
18 ǁÎs ge ǂharugub âs a ǃgâi ǃkhaisa ǂan.
ǃAmǀaes âs ge tsuxuba ǃnâǀû tama hâ.
19 ǁÎs ge tsau tamase
ǃomkha âs ǀkha sarana ra ǂom.
20 ǀGâsa khoen ǃaroma kha ge ǁîs ǃomkha a ǁkhowa-amsa
tsîs ge ǂhâb ǃnâ hâ khoena ra hui.
21 ǁÎs omaris din ǃaromas ge ǁîsa tsamaros di hāsa ǂhomisenba hâ,
ǁîn ǃgomǀgausa saran ǀkha ǂhomitoahe hâ xui-ao.
22 ǁÎs ge îsa lapigu kharo-aib diga ra ǂombasen;
ǁîs saran ge tsaura ǂhoaǀapa lapin ǀkha a ǂomsa.
23 ǁÎs aob ge ǃās di ǂgâ-amdi tawa a ǂansa,
ǃhūb di kai khoegu ǁaegub ga sī ǂnû ǁaeb ai.
24 ǁÎs ge saragu tsî ǃgaesengu tsîga ǂom
tsî ǂharugu-aogu ai ra ǁamaxū.
25 ǁÎs ge ǀgaib tsî ǃgôasib tsîkha ǀkha anasen
tsî sao ra tsēs xa ǀnai ra ǃgâiaǂgao.
26 Gā-aisib ǀkhas ge ǁîsa ams âsa ra ǁkhowa-am
tsî ǀnamǀnamsa ǁkhāǁkhās ge nammi âs ai hâ.
27 ǁÎs ge hoaǁae ǁîs omarisa ra kōǃgâ
tsîs ge ǀopesasiba xu ǁîs pereba ǂû tama hâ.
28 ǁÎs ôan ge khâimâ tsî ǀkhaehesas ti ra ǀonǂgai si;
ǁîs aob tsîn ge ǁnāti ǂgai si tsî ra ǃkhōǀkhā si.
29 “ǂGui taradi ge ǂoaǂamsase ge tanisen,
xawe sas ge ǁîdi hoade īǂam hâ.”
30 Îsasib ge ǂgaeǂhapu, ǁîb ge ra kā,
xawe ǃKhūba ra ǃaoǃgâ taras ge nî koahe.
31 ǁÎsa dītoas go xūn ǃaroma ǃgôasiba mā,
a gu ǁîs sîsenga ǃās di ǂgâ-amdi tawa ǁîsa koa.
