The Benefits of Wisdom
1 My children, listen to what your father teaches you. Pay attention, and you will have understanding. 2 What I am teaching you is good, so remember it all. 3 When I was only a little boy, my parents' only son, 4 my father would teach me. He would say, “Remember what I say and never forget it. Do as I tell you, and you will live. 5 Get wisdom and insight! Do not forget or ignore what I say. 6 Do not abandon wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will keep you safe. 7 Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Whatever else you get, get insight. 8 Love wisdom, and she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will bring you honor. 9 She will be your crowning glory.”
10 Listen to me, my child. Take seriously what I am telling you, and you will live a long life. 11 I have taught you wisdom and the right way to live. 12 Nothing will stand in your way if you walk wisely, and you will not stumble when you run. 13 Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life—guard it well. 14 Do not go where evil people go. Do not follow the example of the wicked. 15 Don't do it! Keep away from evil! Refuse it and go on your way. 16 Wicked people cannot sleep unless they have done something wrong. They lie awake unless they have hurt someone. 17 Wickedness and violence are like food and drink to them.
18 The road the righteous travel is like the sunrise, getting brighter and brighter until daylight has come. 19 The road of the wicked, however, is dark as night. They fall, but cannot see what they have stumbled over.
20 My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen to my words. 21 Never let them get away from you. Remember them and keep them in your heart. 22 They will give life and health to anyone who understands them. 23 Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. 24 Never say anything that isn't true. Have nothing to do with lies and misleading words. 25 Look straight ahead with honest confidence; don't hang your head in shame. 26 Plan carefully what you do, and whatever you do will turn out right. 27 Avoid evil and walk straight ahead. Don't go one step off the right way.
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.
