Elob di kaisib
1 ǃKhūb, ǀamose ûi hâb ge hoaraga xūna ge kuru 2 tsî ǁîb ǀguib ge a ǂhanu-ai. 4 Khoe-i xare-eb ge ǁîb ge dī xūna ǂanǂuis di ǁkhāsiba mā tama hâ, khoe-i xare-i ge ǁîb di sîsenga ǀoasase ôaǃnâ ǁoa. 5 Tari-e ǁîb di ǁkhāsiba ǀgopeǀnō ǁkhā? Tari-e ǁîb di ǀkhomxaǃnâ sîsengu di hoaraga ǂhôasa a ǃhoa ǁkhā? 6 Sada ge xū-e ǁnāpa ǀaro tamas ka io ūbē ǁoa. ǃKhūb ge dī buruxa dīn ge a ôaǃnâheǁoasa. 7 ǁNā ǂhôas di ǀunis kōse da ga sī, o da ge noxopa tsoatsoas tsîna hî tama hâ, o da ge ǀûsens ǀguisa nî hî.
Khoen ge ǁaus ǀguisa i
8 Khoena a tare? Tare-en harebe hâ? ǃGâib ǁîn ra dīb, ǂkhabab ǁîn ra dīb; nēn hoana tare-en ra ǂâibasen? 9 ǀGuikaidisi kuriga ge ûi khoe-i ge ǁnaetisa tama gaxu ǁaeba ge ûi, 10 xawe ǀamosib ǀkha i ga ǀgopeǀnōhe, o gu ge ǁnā kuriga ǁgamǂhoro-i hurib ǃnâ hâ i tsî tsararo-i khami ǀgui ī. 11 ǁNā-amagas ge ǃKhūb ǁnātikōse taniǀnamxasa tsî ǁîb di ǀkhomma, ǁaeba xu ǁaeb ǁga ǁîna ra māsa. 12 ǁÎb ge sada ǃoa ra kō tsî ǁōba ǃoa da ǀgoraǃgâhe hâ ǃkhaisa a ǂan tsî ǁnā-amaga ra ǀûba da ǂgao. 13 Khoe-i ge ǁanǁare-ao-e ra tsâbaǁhao, xawe ǃKhūb ge hoaraga khoesiba ra tsâbaǁhao. ǁÎb ge sada ǂhanuǂhanu, ǁgauǃnâ tsî ra ǁkhāǁkhā. Gūǃûi-aob ra ǁîb di gūna ǃûi, khamib ge sada ǁîb ǃoa ra oahā-ū. 14 ǁÎb ge ǁîb di ǂgaeǂguisa da ga ūǃoa, o sada ǀkha nî tsâbaǁhao tsî a turaxa sada mâpa da tsū ǃkhaisa ǁgausa.
Khoexaǃnâsib tsî ǀnammi
15 Ti ôatse, khoe-ets ga hui, o ta ǁkhā ǁaeb ai ǁî-e ǃgabe. ǀKhaets ka, o ta tsûtsû ra xū-i xare-e mî. 16 Sa mîdi ge māts ra xū-i xa ǃnāsase ra ǃgôa. Tsî di ge ǀaub hîa ǀgamsa tsēs khaoǃgâ ra karakarab khami ī. 17 Ā, ama mîdi ge ǃnāsa sîsenǂuiǁkhāsiba ǃgâi ǀkhaexūn ǃgâ-ai ūhâ, tsîts ge ama ǂâiǂhansents ka, o hoa ǀgamna nî mā. 18 Amaoǃnâsib tsî ǃkhāǃkhās tsîn ge a gâresi. ǀGîxaǃnâ khoeb di ǀkhaexūn ge mûde ra ǂkhabu kai.
ǁÎ-aitsama ǃâisens
19 ǃHoats nîs aiǃâ tare-i xats ra ǃhoa ǃkhaisa ǂan tsî ǀaets nîs aiǃâ sa ǂurusib ai ǂâisa ǂnûi. 20 Sa ǂgaoǂansa sa Elob xats nî ǀgoraǃgâhes aiǃâ ǃâi, ob ge ǁnā ǁaeb ga ǀoa, o nî ǀûba tsi. 21 ǀAeb ǀkhats nî ǁkharahes aiǃâ ǃgamǃgamsen tsî ǁorets ga hâ, o ǃhobasen. 22 Mîmâi-ets ga ǃKhūb ǀkha dī, o ǁkhāts as kōse ǃhaeǁaeb ǃnâ ǁî-e dīǀoaǀoa. 23 Xawe ǁnāti ī mîmâi-ets ga dī, o ǁî-e ūǃoas ǃoa ǂhomisen. Tā ǃKhūb di taniǀnamxasiba ǃâitsâ. 24 ǂÂis ǀguisa hî re! Sats ǀkhab nî ǁōts ka tsēs ai ǁaixa ǃkhaisats ǂhâba hâ? ǁÎb ga ǀgoraǃgâ tsi, ob nî satsa xu dabasen ǃkhaisats ǂhâba hâ? 25 Hoa xūn sats ǂhâba hânats ga hō, o ǂâis ǀguisa hî re, ǃâsa tsîts ga ǀgâsa, o i mâti īsa. 26 Xūn hoan ge ǀgui tsēs ǃnâ ǀkhara ǁkhā. ǃKhūb ge ǃhaese a dī-unu ǁkhā. 27 Gā-aits ka, ots ge dīts ra xūn hoan ǃnâ nî ǂanbasen. ǁOreb ga sa ǂnamipe hâ, o ǂanbasen îts tā ǀhapixa. 28 Gā-ai khoe-i hoa-i ge gā-aisiba mûǂan tsî mâ-i hoa-i ǁnāsa ra ǁgau-e nî ǃgôa. 29 Gā-aisibats ga ǁnâuts kao gangan, ots ge ǁî-aitsama nî gā-ai tsî di ge sa mîde ǀnî khoen ǃaroma nî gā-aisib di ǁui.
ǁÎ-aitsama ǃkhō-aisens
30 Tā sa turab xa gaoǂamhe, î sa turaga ǃkhō-oa. 31 Mâ turab hoaba ǂkhîǂkhîsats ga mā-am, ots ge sa khākhoen aiǃâ xorexūse nî ī. 32 Māǂuis ge nî hîkākā tsi xuige tā ǃkhūsib ǃnâ māǁnâsen. 33 ǀKhope-ao kaits nî xuige tā ǂâu hâ mari-ets ūhâ tama hîa, ǀkhupimari-i ǀkha kai ǂûǁarede dī.
The Greatness of God
1 The Lord, who lives forever, created the whole universe, 2 and he alone is just. 4 He has given no one enough power to describe what he has done, and no one can investigate it completely. 5 Who can measure his majestic power? Who can tell the whole story of his merciful actions? 6 We cannot add to them; we cannot subtract from them. There is no way to comprehend the marvelous things the Lord has done. 7 When we come to the end of that story, we have not even begun; we are simply at a loss for words.
Human Beings Are Nothing
8 What are human beings? Of what use are we? The good that we do—the evil that we do—what does it all mean? 9 If we live a hundred years, we have lived an unusually long time, 10 but compared with all eternity, those years are like a drop of water in the ocean, like a single grain of sand. 11 That is why the Lord is so patient with us, why he is so free with his mercy. 12 He looks at us and knows that we are doomed to die; that is why he is so willing to forgive us. 13 We can show compassion to someone we know, but the Lord shows compassion for all humanity. He corrects us; he disciplines us; he teaches us. Like a shepherd tending sheep, he brings us back to himself. 14 He will have compassion on us if we accept his guidance and are eager for him to show us where we are wrong.
Kindness and Charity
15 My child, when you help someone, don't reprimand him at the same time. When you make a gift, don't say anything that hurts. 16 Your words count for more than what you give. Even dew gives some relief during a spell of hot weather. 17 Yes, kind words are more effective than the best of gifts, and if you are really concerned, you will give both. 18 It is stupid to be unkind and insulting. No one's eyes are going to sparkle at a gift that you resent giving.
Self-examination
19 Know what you are talking about before you speak, and give attention to your health before you get sick. 20 Examine your conscience before the Lord judges you; then when that time comes, he will forgive you. 21 Humble yourself before you are punished with sickness. When you have sinned, show repentance. 22 If you make a promise to the Lord, keep it as soon as you can. Don't wait until you are about to die to set things straight. 23 But before you make such a promise, be prepared to keep it. Don't try to test the Lord's patience. 24 Think! Do you want him to be angry with you on the day you die? When you face his judgment, do you want him to turn his back on you? 25 When you have all you want, think what it is like to be hungry, what it is to be poor. 26 Things can change in a single day; the Lord can act very quickly. 27 If you are wise, you will be careful in everything you do. When sin is all around you, be especially careful that you do not become guilty. 28 Every intelligent person can recognize wisdom and will honor anyone who shows it. 29 If you appreciate wisdom when you hear it, you will become wise yourself, and your words will be a source of wisdom for others.
Self-control
30 Don't be controlled by your lust; keep your passions in check. 31 If you allow yourself to satisfy your every desire, you will be a joke to your enemies. 32 Don't indulge in luxurious living; the expense of it will ruin you. 33 Don't make yourself a beggar by borrowing for expensive banquets when you don't have enough money of your own.
