The Responsibility of Rulers
1 So then, you kings, you rulers the world over, listen to what I say, and learn from it. 2 You govern many lands and are proud that so many people are under your rule, 3 but this authority has been given to you by the Lord Most High. He will examine what you have done and what you plan to do. 4 You rule on behalf of God and his kingdom, and if you do not govern justly, if you do not uphold the law, if you do not live according to God's will, 5 you will suffer sudden and terrible punishment. Judgment is especially severe on those in power. 6 Common people may be mercifully forgiven for their wrongs, but those in power will face a severe judgment. 7 The Lord of all is not afraid of anyone, no matter how great they are. He himself made everyone, great and common alike, and he provides for all equally, 8 but he will judge the conduct of rulers more strictly. 9 It is for you, mighty kings, that I write these words, so that you may know how to act wisely and avoid mistakes. 10 These are holy matters, and if you treat them in a holy manner, you yourselves will be considered holy. If you have learned this lesson, you will be able to defend yourselves at the Judgment. 11 So then, make my teaching your treasure and joy, and you will be well instructed.
The Value of Wisdom
12 Wisdom shines bright and never grows dim; those who love her and look for her can easily find her. 13 She is quick to make herself known to anyone who desires her. 14 Get up early in the morning to find her, and you will have no problem; you will find her sitting at your door. 15 To fasten your attention on Wisdom is to gain perfect understanding. If you look for her, you will soon find peace of mind, 16 because she will be looking for those who are worthy of her, and she will find you wherever you are. She is kind and will be with you in your every thought.
17 Wisdom begins when you sincerely want to learn. To desire Wisdom is to love her; 18 to love her is to keep her laws; to keep her laws is to be certain of immortality; 19 immortality will bring you close to God. 20 This desire for Wisdom can prepare you to rule a kingdom. 21 So then, you that rule the nations, if you value your thrones and symbols of authority, honor Wisdom so that you may rule forever.
Solomon Wishes to Share His Wisdom
22 I will tell you what Wisdom is, and how she came to be. I will not keep anything secret. I will trace her history from the beginning and make knowledge of her open to all. I will not ignore any part of the truth. 23 No jealous desire to guard my own knowledge will make me hold back anything. Wisdom has nothing in common with such an attitude. 24 No indeed—the more wise people there are, the safer the world will be. A sensible king can be depended on to give his people this kind of security. 25 So then, learn what I am about to teach you, and you will profit from it.
ǂGaeǂgui-aogu ge ǃereamsa nî tani
1 Sago gao-aogo tsî ǂgaeǂgui-aogo ǃhūbaib digo, tare-e ta ra mîba go ǃkhaisa ǃgâ, î ǁnāpa xu ǁkhāǁkhāsen. 2 Sago ge ǂgui ǃhūga ǂgaeǂgui tsî ǂgui khoen sago ǂgaeǂguis ǃnaka hâ ǃkhais ǂama a ǂnīsa, 3 xawe go ge nē ǂgaeǂguis di ǁkhāsiba ǃKhūb, Hoaǀgaixab xa ge māhe. ǁÎb ge tarena go ge dīs tsî tarena do dī go nîse ǀapeǁgui hâs tsîna nî ôaǃnâ. 4 Sago ge Elob tsî ǁîb gaosib di soas ǃnâ ra ǂgaeǂgui. Tsî ǂhanuse ǂgaeǂgui tama i, Elob di ǂhanuba ǃkhōǀgaipe tama i tsî go ga ǃKhūb ǂâis ǃoa ûi tama i, 5 o go ge ǃhae tsî ǃaorosa ǁkharaba nî tsâ. ǀGoraǃgâs ge ǃgōsase ǁnān hîa ǂgaeǂguis ǃnâ mân ai a ǁkhōǁkhōsa. 6 Elob ge nau khoen hîa ǂgaeǂgui-aon ǃnaka hâna ǁîn di tsūdīn ǃaroma ǀkhomxa tsî nî ǀûba, xawe ǁnān hîa ǂgaeǂguis ǃnâ mânab ge ǁkhōǁkhōsase nî ǁkhara. 7 ǃKhūb ge mâtikōse iga kai, xawe ǀguis khami ī khoe-i tsîna ǃao tama hâ. ǁÎb ge kain tsî ǂkharin tsîn hoana ge kuru tsîb ge hoana ǀguitikōse ra mā, 8 xaweb ge ǂgaeǂgui-aogu di dīga ǁkhōse nî ǀgoraǃgâ. 9 Sa ǀgaisa gao-aogo ǃaroma ta ge nē mîde ra xoa, î go mâti go nî gā-aise sîsen tsî tsū xūna xu ǃûisen ǀgausa ǂan. 10 Nēn ge ǃanu xūna tsî go ga ǁîna ǃanu ǀgaub ǃnâ sîsenū, o go ge sago ǂûgo ǃanugo ase nî ǃgapaǀîhe. Nē ǁkhāǁkhāǃâsa go ga ǁkhāǁkhāseno, o go ge ǀGoraǃgâs ǃnâ aitsama ǂnoabasen ǁkhā. 11 ǁNā-amaga ti ǁkhāǁkhāsa sago ǁui tsî ǃgâiaǂgaose dī, o go ge ǃgâise nî ǁkhāǁkhāsa.
Gā-aisib di harebes
12 Gā-aisib ge ǃgāsase ra ǃnâ tsî tātsē ǀari tama hâ. ǁNān ǁîba ǀnam tsî ra ôan ge supuse a hō bi ǁkhā. 13 ǁÎb ge aitsama ǁîba ra tura-i hoa-i tawa ǃnoesase ra ǂanǂansen. 14 ǃNauǁgoaga khâi ǁîbats nî hōse, ots ge ǃgomsi-i xare-e ūhâ tide. ǁÎbats ge sa dao-ams tawab ǂnôase nî hō. 15 Sa ǂâisats ga Gā-aisib ai ǂnûi, ots ge ǀoasa ǁnâuǃāba ra hō. ǁÎbats ga ôa, ots ge ǂâis âts ǃnâ sâsasiba ra hō, 16 ǁîb nî ǁnān ǁîba harebeba hâna ôa xui-ao. Mâ ǃkhai-i ǀgui-i aits ga hâ xaweb ge nî hō tsi. ǁÎb ge a khoexaǃnâ tsî mâ ǂâis hîats ūhâs hoas ǃnâ sats ǀkha nî hâ.
17 Gā-aisib ge amabes ǃnâts ga ǁkhāǁkhāsen ǂgao, o ra tsoatsoa. Gā-aisiba turas ge ǁîba ǀnamsa. 18 ǁÎba ǀnams ge ǁîb di ǂhanuga ǃkhōǀgaipesa tsî ǁîb di ǂhanuga ǃkhōǀgaipes ge ǁōǁoasib xa ǂanǁaposiba ūhâsa. 19 ǁŌǁoasib ge Elob tawa nî ǀgūǀgū tsi. 20 Gā-aisib ǃoa hâ turab ge satsa gaosiba ǂgaeǂguis ǃaroma aiǂhomi ǁkhā. 21 ǁNā-amaga, sago ǁaedi ǂgaeǂgui-aogo ga ǃgâiǃgâibasensa sago ǀgaib ǃnâ ūhâ tsî ais ǃoa ǂgaeǂgui ǂgao, o go ge Gā-aisiba ǃgôasiba nî mā, î go ǀamose ǂgaeǂgui ǁkhā.
Salomob ge ǁîb Gā-aisiba ǀgoragusa ra ǁkhore
22 Gā-aisib a tare tsî mâtib ge hā ǃkhaisa ta ge nî mîba du. Xū-i xare-e ta ge ǂganǃgâsase ūhâ tide. Tita ge hoa xūn Gā-aisib dina kurus tsoatsoasa nî ôaǃnâ, tsî mâ-i hoa-e ǁîba i nî ǂanse, nē xūna ǃgāsase nî mîǃgāǃgāba. Tita ge ǀgui ǃâ-i amab di-i tsîna ǁnāxūǂui tide. 23 Ti ǂansa ǁkhaubas di surixa turab ge nau khoen ǀkha ta ǁîba nî ǀgoragu ǃkhaisa ǁkhae te tide. Gā-aisib ge nēti ī tanisenǀgaub ǀkha dīxū-i xare-e ūhâ tama hâ. 24 ǂGui gā-ai khoen ga ǃhūbaib ai a hâ, ob ge ǃhūbaiba ga ǃnorasa ǃkhai hâ. Gā-ai gao-aob ge ǂgomǃgâhe ǁkhā ǁîb khoenab nēti ī ǁaposasiba nî mā ǃkhaisa. 25 ǁNā-amaga, tita nî ǁkhāǁkhā go xūna xu ǁkhāǁkhāsen, o go ge ǁnāpa xu ǃgâiba nî ǀama.
