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.”
Ounongo wa kalelela alushe puKalunga tau shivi ovanhu
1 Ounongo itau ingida mbela, eendunge itadi yelula mbela ondaka yado? 2 Oo tau kala ofika koxulo yoikulundudu pondjila, pomatukaukilo omalila, 3 peemhito doshivelo shoshilando, moluvanda peenhu, oo tau ingida pombada: 4 “Ohandi mu ifana, nye ovalumenhu, ondaka yange tai lombwele ovana vovanhu. 5 Onye ovashima lilongeni eendunge, nomalai lilongeni okushiiva omayele. 6 Udeni, osheshi ame ohandi ka popya oinima iwaelela, ndele handi makulile omilungu dange kwaashi sha yuka. 7 Osheshi ondakona yange tai popi oshili, nouhenakalunga oo oixuna komilungu dange. 8 Eendjovo adishe dokanya kange oda yuka, mudo kamu na nande ekengelelo noipupulu, 9 odo adishe da yela da yelelela ovanaendunge, noda yuka kwaava va mona eshiivo. 10 Tambuleni outekuduliko wange, ndele haisiliveli; neshiivo ponhele yoshingoldoelela sha hoololwa. 11 Osheshi ounongo u dule okorali, noinima aishe i nondilo itai yelekwa nao. 12 Ame, Ounongo, nda koneka omayele, ame nda mona eshiivo nediladilo la yuka. 13 Etilo lokutila Omwene olo okutonda osho shii. Ame ohandi tondo elinenepeko nelitumbo, okweenda kwii nokanya koipupulu. 14 Ame ndi nepukululo nomayele. Aame eendunge. Eenghono odange! 15 Kekwafo lange eehamba tadi pangele, novapangeli tava pangele eemhangela da yuka. 16 Okekwafo lange ovapangeli nomalenga novatokoli aveshe kombada yedu tava pangele. 17 Ame ndi hole ava ve hole nge, naava hava kongo nge tava ka mona nge. 18 Oupuna nefimano li li pwaame, emona ihali xulu po nouyuki. 19 Oiimati yange i dule oshingoldo, heeno oshingoldoelela, neliko lange li dule oshisiliveli sha hoololwa. 20 Ame ohandi ende nondjila youyuki, pokati komalila oshili, 21 opo ndi pe ava ve hole nge efyuululo tali kalelele, ndele ndi yadife omalimba avo emona.
22 “Omwene okwa longekida nge ngaau wotete woilonga yaye, komesho yoilonga yaye, omafimbo ounyuni manga inaa shitwa. 23 Ye okwa ma nge moukwaalushe, opehoveloelela, komesho yomafimbo ounyuni, 24 omaule oposhi fimbo inaa kala po, ame nda dalwa, fimbo eefifiya di yadi omeva diha li ko, 25 eemhunda fimbo inadi dikwa mo komesho yoikulundudu ame nda dalwa, 26 fimbo Ye ina ninga natango edu nomapya neendwi adishe dounyuni. 27 Ye eshi a longekida eulu, ame nda li ko. Fimbo ina findila oule omufinda, 28 Ye eshi a pameka oilemo yopombada, eefifiya domokule eshi da mona eenghono, 29 Ye eshi a ningila efuta ongaba yalo, omeva aha tauluke oshipango shaye. Ye eshi a pameka omakanghameno edu, 30 opo nee ame nda li puye ngaashi omunongoelela, nda nyakukwa pombada efiku nefiku, ndele nda danauka moipafi yaye alushe, 31 ndele nda danauka kongonga yedu laye, ndele nda nyakukilwa ovana vovanhu.
32 “Ovamwange, pwilikinei nge hano, osheshi ovanelao ovovo hava diinine eendjila dange. 33 Pwilikineni outekuduliko ndele mu mone ounongo, ndele inamu u ekelashi. 34 Omunelao omunhu ou ta pwilikine nge, ou ta kala oupafi poivelo yange efiku nefiku, ou ta nangele peemhanga deenhu dange. 35 Osheshi ou ta mono nge, okwa mona omwenyo ndele te limonene okuhokwa kOmwene. 36 Ndelenee ou ta di pwaame, ota pongeke okukalamwenyo kwaye. Aveshe ovo hava tondo nge, ve hole efyo.”
