Gā-aisiba ǃkhōǀkhās
1 Gā-aisi tamaba ǂgaiǂui raba,
tsî ǁnâuǃā tamaba ǁîb domma ra ǁnâu kaiba?
2 ǁÎb ge daob xōǀkhā ǁgoe ǃnâugu ai,
tsî daogu ǀgoradi tawa mâǃhūs âba ra ū;
3 ǃās di ǂgâ-amdi tawa
tsî dao-amdi tawab ge mâ tsî ra ǂgaiǂui:
4 “Khoedo, sado ta ge ra ǂgai;
ûitsama khoen hoana ta ge ra ǂgai.
5 Sa ǁauxūdo, gā-aisiba hō re;
sa gâredo, ǁnâuǃāba hō re.
6 ǃGâ te re, ǃgâi xūna ta nî ǃhoa xuige,
tsî ǂhanu xūn ǀguin ge ti amǁgaukha-u nî ǂoaxa.
7 Ti ams ge amaba nî ǃhoa,
ti amǁgaukha ui-uisasiba ǁkhan hâ amaga.
8 Ti ams di mîdi hoadi ge a ǂhanu-ai;
ǂhumi-i tamas ka io ǀhôagaosi-i ge ǁîdi ǃnâ a ǀkhai.
9 ǁNâuǃāxa khoen ǃaroma di ge ǁîde a ǃgāsa
tsî ǂansa ūhân ǃaroma di ge a ǂhanu.
10 ǀHaiǀuribats nî ūs xa ti ǁgauǃnâsa ūǃoa,
ǃhuniǀurib ǃās ǃnâ ǂansa ǁhûibasen.
11 “Gā-aisib ǃgomǀgausa ǀuin xa ǂoaǂamsa xui-ao
tsî sats ra ǁkhore xūn hoan ge ǁîb ǀkha ǀguirohe ǁoa.
12 Tita gā-aisita ge ǁnâuǃāba ūhâ
tsî tita ge ǂans tsî ǀgoraǃgâǁkhāsib tsîra ūhâ.
13 ǃKhūba ǃaoǃgâs ge ǂkhababa ǁkhansa.
Tita ge ǁîǁâsens tsî ǁîǃgôasens,
ǂkhaba daogu tsî ǀhôagao ǃhoa-ain tsîna ǃhuisa.
14 Tita ge ǃgâi ǀapes tsî ǀoasa gā-aisib tsîra ūhâ;
tita ge ǁnâuǃāb tsî ǀgaib tsîkha ūhâ.
15 Tita ge gao-aoga ra ǂgaeǂgui kai
tsî ǂgaeǂgui-aoga ǂhanu-aisiba ra dī kai.
16 Tita ge gaoǀgôaga ra ǂgaeǂgui kai
tsî ǂamkhoegu tsî ǂgaeǂguigu hoaga.
17 Tita ǀnamna ta ge a ǀnam
tsî tita ra ôan ge amase nî hō te.
18 ǃKhūsib tsî ǃgôasib tsîkha ge tita tawa hâ,
hâhâ ra ǃkhūsib tsî ǁuib tsîkha.
19 Tita ra mā ǁuib ge ǂoaǂamsa ǃhuniǀurib xa a ǃgâi,
ǂoaǂamsasets ǁhûiǂui hâ ǀhaiǀurib xa.
20 ǂHanu-aisib daob ǃnâ ta ge ra ǃgû,
ǃgangu ǂhanu-ai khoen digu ǃnâ.
21 Tita a ǀnamna ta ge ra ǃkhū kai
tsî ta ge ǁîn sâuǃnâ-omga ra ǀoaǀoa.
22 “ǃKhūb ge kurus âb di tsoatsoas ǃnâ tita ge kuru,
kuru ge xūn hoan aiǃâb ge tita ge ǂnubi.
23 ǀNai ta ge tsoatsoas ǃnâ ge ǁgaumâihe,
ǃhūbaib di tsoatsoas aiǃâ.
24 Kai ǁgamgu nî hās aiǃâ ta ge ge hâ i,
ǀaudi ǁgam-i xa nî ǀoaǀoahes aiǃâ.
25 ǃHomgu nî kuruhes aiǃâ ta ge ge hâ i,
ǃnâugu nî ǃgaoǃgaohes aiǃâ ta ge ge ǃnae.
26 ǃHūbaib ǂgāgu âb ǀkhab nî kuruhes aiǃâ,
tamas ka io ǂguro ǃhū-eb nî kurus aiǃâ.
27 ǀHommab ge ǂnubi, o ta ge ǁnāpa ge hâ i,
ǃāǂuisabab ge hurib ǂamai a ǃāǂuis tsîna.
28 ǃĀǂuisabab ge ǀgapise ǁaposase a ǂnubio,
hurib di ǀaudeb ge ǀgaisase dâuǂoaxa kaio.
29 Huribab ge ǁkhaeǂnamib âba kuruba, o ta ge ge hâ i,
ǁgamgu ǁîb tawa ǃkharu tidese;
ǃhūbaib ǃgaoǃgaogab ge ǁgui ǁaeb ai.
30 Tita ge dana xūkuru-aob khami ǁîb ǀgūse ge hâ i,
tsēkorobe ta ge ge ǁîb ǃgâiaǂgao i,
hoaǁae ǁîb aiǃâ ra dâse.
31 Hoaraga ǃhūbaib ǃnâ ra dâse
tsî khoesib ǂama ra ǃgâiaǂgaose.
32 “Xawe nēsi ti ôado ǃgâ te re,
ǀkhaehen ge hâ ǁnān ti daoga ra ǃkhōǀgaipena.
33 Ti ǁgauǃnâsa ǁnâuǀnam, î gā-ai
î ǁîsa tā ǁnāxū.
34 ǀKhaehe i ge hâ, ǁnā-i tita ra ǃgâ-e;
tsēkorobe ti ǂgâ-amdi tawa ra hâ-i,
ti dao-amdi tawa ra ǃâu-e.
35 Tita ra hō-i ge ûiba ra hō
tsî ǃKhūba xu ǀkhomma nî ǃkhōǃoa.
36 Xawe tita ga ǂoaǃnâ-i ge aitsama ra ǂkhôasen,
tita ǁkhan hân hoan ge ǁōba a ǀnam.”
In Praise of Wisdom
1 With great understanding,
Wisdom is calling out
2 as she stands at the crossroads
and on every hill.
3 She stands by the city gate
where everyone enters the city,
and she shouts:
4 “I am calling out
to each one of you!
5 Good sense and sound judgment
can be yours.
6 Listen, because what I say
is worthwhile and right.
7 I always speak the truth
and refuse to tell a lie.
8 Every word I speak is honest,
not one is misleading
or deceptive.
9 “If you have understanding,
you will see that my words
are just what you need.
10 Let instruction and knowledge
mean more to you than silver
or the finest gold.
11 Wisdom is worth much more
than precious jewels
or anything else you desire.”
Wisdom Speaks
12 I am Wisdom —Common Sense
is my closest friend;
I possess knowledge
and sound judgment.
13 If you respect the Lord,
you will hate evil.
I hate pride and conceit
and deceitful lies.
14 I am strong, and I offer
sensible advice
and sound judgment.
15 By my power kings govern,
and rulers make laws
that are fair.
16 Every honest leader rules
with help from me.
17 I love everyone who loves me,
and I will be found by all
who honestly search.
18 I can make you rich and famous,
important and successful.
19 What you receive from me
is more valuable
than even the finest gold
or the purest silver.
20 I always do what is right,
21 and I give great riches
to everyone who loves me.
22 From the beginning,
I was with the Lord.
I was there before he began
23 to create the earth.
At the very first,
the Lord gave life to me.
24 When I was born,
there were no oceans
or springs of water.
25 My birth was before
mountains were formed
or hills were put in place.
26 It happened long before God
had made the earth
or any of its fields
or even the dust.
27 I was there when the Lord
put the heavens in place
and stretched the sky
over the surface of the sea.
28 I was with him when he placed
the clouds in the sky
and created the springs
that fill the ocean.
29 I was there when he set
boundaries for the sea
to make it obey him,
and when he laid foundations
to support the earth.
30 I was right beside the Lord,
helping him plan and build.
I made him happy each day,
and I was happy at his side.
31 I was pleased with his world
and pleased with its people.
32 Pay attention, my children!
Follow my advice,
and you will be happy.
33 Listen carefully
to my instructions,
and you will be wise.
34 Come to my home each day
and listen to me.
You will find happiness.
35 By finding me, you find life,
and the Lord will be pleased
with you.
36 But if you don't find me,
you hurt only yourself,
and if you hate me,
you are in love with death.
