Omatumbulodiladilo taa popi oinima i lili nai lili
1 Eedi da fya tadi mbutike ndele tadi nyono po omaadi omupiluli womiti. Oulai munini u dule eendunge nefimano. 2 Omutima womunaendunge u li kolulyo, ndelenee omutima welai okolumosho. 3 Heeno, mokweenda kwalo nondjila elai kali neendunge. Tali hololele keshe umwe nokutya, lo elai. 4 Ehandu lomupangeli ngeenge tali ku xwamene, ino efa oshilonga shoye, osheshi elididimiko tali kelele omanyono mahapu. 5 Oku nomupya nde u mona koshi yetango nokutya, epuko la dja komupangeli: 6 Oulai tau tulwa pombada u fimanekwe, noipuna i nokukala omutumba poshi. 7 Ame nda mona ovapika va londa eenghambe, ndelenee eehamba da enda ngaashi ovapiya kolupadi pedu. 8 Ou ta fe elambo, ota wile mulo, ou ta ngumauna po ekuma, ota lika keyoka.
9 Ou ta pande omamanya, ote lilengula nao, ndele ou ta pande oikuni, ta tuwa oipute kuyo. 10 Oshivela ngeenge sha fimha, nomunhu ina upika ombinga yeememo, ye e nokulonga neenghono dihapu. Hano okudiinina oilongifo okwo eendunge. 11 Eyoka ngeenge tali li omunhu, fimbo inali fipwa, ounongo wokufipa uhe na vali oshilonga.
12 Eendjovo domokanya komunamayele odiwa, ndelenee elai tali ponwa po komilungu dalo vene. 13 Ehovelo leendjovo dokanya kalo olo oulai, nexulilo lokupopya kwalo oushima. 14 Elai tali popi eendjovo dihapu, ndelenee omunhu iha shiiva oshike tashi ke uya. Olyelye te mu hololele osho tashi holoka konima yaye. 15 Elai olo itali shiiva okuya koshilando, osheshi la lolokifwa koupyakadi walo. 16 Woo ove oshilongo! Ohamba yasho okaana, nomalenga asho eshi taa kala poitelekela eengula dinene nokuli. 17 Akutu oshilongo ove shi nelao! Ngeenge ohamba yasho omunedina, ndele ngeenge omalenga asho taa kala poililo pefimbo la wapala ngaashi ovalumenhweelela, hangaashi ovafinyuni. 18 Omolwoundede oikonde yongulu tai teka po, nongulu tai lokifwa molwounye womake. 19 Oitelekela tai telekelwa okuhafifa, nomaviinyu taa hafifa omwenyo; ndelenee aishe tai etwa po koimaliwa. 20 Ino tuka nande ohamba momadiladilo oye, ndele monduda yoye yokunangala, ino tuka oshipuna. Osheshi eedila dokeulu tadi twala ondaka yoye, naai i nomavava tai holola eendjovo doye.
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.
