1 Ozonḓe nḓa koka ze worisa naze zunḓa omaze omavawa monya; nouyova ouṱiṱi u nomasa pounongo na pondjozikiro.
2 Omutima wonongo u mu twara kousemba, nu imbwi weyova u mu twara kombandjarero. 3 Nandarire eyova tji mari kayenda mondjira ri raisa kutja kari nozondunge; ri tjivisa kovandu avehe kutja oro eyova.
4 Omuhona woye tje ku pindikire, o isa oviungura vyoye; orondu ozondataiziro ozonene ze isirwa tji wa porimana.
5 Pe nouvi mbu mba muna mouye, ondataiziro ndji tjitwa i ovanauvara: 6 Ovandu omayova ve zikwa motuveze otunanḓengu twounane, imba ovatumbe ngunda ave tuwa motuveze twokehi. 7 Ami mba muna ovakarere mbaa ve kavire oukambe, ozohivirikwa ngunda aaze ka wondja pehi otja ovakarere.
8 Ngu ma se otjitoto ma wire mu tjo; nu ingwi ngu ma haṋa orumbo ma rumatwa i onyoka. 9 Ngu ma teya omawe ma hihamisiwa i wo; ngu ma ke ozonguṋe ma yenene okumuna otjipo. 10 Ekuva roye tji ri ri eṱi, nove tji u hi nokuriupika, mo ungura nomasa tjinene komeho; nungwari okutenga okuripura oko ounongo. 11 Onyoka tji ya rumata ngunda ai hiya worerwa, inga omaworero kaye nombatero. 12 Omambo nge hungirwa i omundu onongo ye mu etera otjari, nungwari omundu eyova u nyonwa i omambo we omuini. 13 Eye u uta okuhungira omambo wouyova na kayanda ama hungire omambo wovizeze. 14 Eyova ri nyomborora tjinene; kape na ngu tjiwa kutja mape katjitwa tjike moruveze ndu maru ya; nu kape na ngu ma serekarerere indi eyova imbi mbi mavi katjitwa kombunda yonḓiro yaro.
15 Ovandu omayova ve muna oviungura ovizeu mbi ve putauza; ingwi ngu hi nokutjiwa ondjira kamaa sora okuyenda kotjihuro.
16 O wee kove, hi, tji u nombara ndji ri otja okanatje, nu tji u nozohivirikwa nḓe tjita omikandi omuhuka omunene! 17 Omuṋingandu ove, hi, tji mo kara nombara oingona, nu tji u nozohivirikwa nḓe rya omariro wawo moruveze orusemba kutja ve hare omasa, nokutja ave he ripurukisa oveni nomavinu.
18 Omundu tje notjirweyo tjinene okuṱuna omututu wondjuwo ye, owo mau roko nu ondjuwo mai wire.
19 Omikandi vi tjitirwa ombyarero, omavinu owo omayorokise wehupiro, nu ovimariva ombi eta oviṋa mbi avihe.
20 O sengi ombara nangarire momeripuriro woye, nu o yamba ko omutumbe nangarire tji u ri metuwo roye romara, tjapo ozonḓera zeyuru ngaaze twara ombuze, naze karaera ovandu imbi ove mbi wa hungire.
1 A few dead flies in perfume
make all of it stink,
and a little foolishness
outweighs a lot of wisdom.
2 Sensible thoughts lead you
to do right;
foolish thoughts lead you
to do wrong.
3 Fools show their stupidity
by the way they live;
it's easy to see
they have no sense.
4 Don't give up your job
when your boss gets angry.
If you stay calm,
you'll be forgiven.
5 Rulers do some things that are terribly unfair: 6 They honor fools, but dishonor the rich; 7 they let slaves ride on horses, but force slave owners to walk.
8 If you dig a pit,
you might fall in;
if you break down a wall,
a snake might bite you.
9 You could even get hurt
by chiseling a stone
or chopping a log.
10 If you don't sharpen your ax,
it will be harder to use;
if you are wise,
you'll know what to do.
11 The power to charm a snake
does you no good
if it bites you anyway.
12 If you talk sensibly,
you will have friends;
if you talk foolishly,
you will destroy yourself.
13 Fools begin with nonsense,
and their stupid chatter
ends with disaster.
14 They never tire of talking,
but none of us really know
what the future will bring.
15 Fools wear themselves out—
they don't know enough
to find their way home.
16 A country is in for trouble
when its ruler is childish,
and its leaders
party all day long.
17 But a nation will prosper
when its ruler is mature,
and its leaders
don't party too much.
18 Some people are too lazy
to fix a leaky roof—
then the house collapses.
19 Eating and drinking
make you feel happy,
and money can buy
everything you need.
20 Don't let yourself think about
cursing the king;
don't curse the rich,
not even in secret.
A little bird might hear
and tell everything.
