Malasu 4
1 Nagofelali! Dilia ada adi olelesea noga: le nabima! Amasea dili da Bagade Dawa: su Hou ida: iwane gala dawa: mu.
My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
2 Na adi olelebe amo da moloi houdafa. Amaiba: le, dili da eso huluane dawa: laloma.
What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
3 Amola na mano fonobahadiga na da na ada ea mano afadafa galu.
When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
4 Amola na ada e da nama moloidafa hou olelesu. E da amane sia: su, “Dawa: ma! Amola na sia: mae gogolema amola na sia: defele hamoma. Amasea, dili da esalusu lamu.
my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
5 Bagade Dawa: su Hou hogoi helema. Na sia: mae gogolema amola mae higama!
Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
6 Dili da Bagade Dawa: su Hou ida: iwane gala amoma mae higama. Amasea, amo hou da dilia gaga: su agoane ba: mu. Bagade Dawa: su Hou asigiwane ba: ma. Amasea, amo hou da dili gaga: mu.
Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.
7 Amola Bagade Dawa: su Hou lamu amo hou da ida: iwanedafa gala. Amola liligi oda amoga Bagade Dawa: su Hou da baligi dagoi.
The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.
8 Bagade Dawa: su Hou amoma hanama amola amane hou hamosea, dili da dunu hahawanedafa esalumu amola asigi dawa: su bagade dawa: su lamu.
If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.
9 Amo Bagade Dawa: su Hou da dunu huluane ba: ma: ne hamoma, amo hou ida: iwane gala amo ea dilia hou bagade dawa: su ba: mu.
If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].
10 Nagofe! Noga: le nabima amola dafawane sia: sa noga: le lalegaguma. Amasea di da osobo bagadega fifi masunu.
[So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
11 Na Bagade Dawa: su Hou olelei amo noga: le dawa: ma. Amasea, di da fifi asi helemu amo logo ganodini.
I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
12 Dima eno hou hame doaga: mu di moloi ahoanea da. Amola dia hehenasea da hame dafamu.
If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
13 Eso huluane dima hou olelei amoma dawa: ma amola amo da maedafa gogolema amoga dia esalalasu fidimu amola noga: le ouligima.
Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.
14 Wadela: le hamosu dunu ilia ahoabe amoga mae masa. Amola wadela: le hamosu dunu ilia hou amoga mae lama.
Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].
15 Amane mae hamoma wadela: i hou amoma gasigama. Amola amoma higale amola dia moloi logoga masa.
Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
16 Wadela: le hamosu dunu ilia da wadela: le hame hamosea, hamedafa golasa. Ilia da wadela: le hamomusa: nedigili ouesala amola eno dunuma wadela: le hamonanu fawane golasa.
because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.
17 Wadela: i hou amola gegesu hou da ilia ha: i manu amola hano nasu agoai gala.
What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
18 Moloidafa dunu ilia logo da eso mabe defele ba: sa, hahawane bagade. Amola hadigi da misini, dialea, eso dogoa defele ba: sa.
The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.
19 Be wadela: le hamosu dunu ilia logo da gasi bagade ba: sa amola hedolo dafasa amola ili soi amo da ili hame ba: sa.
[But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.
20 Nagofe! Na sia: dia noga: le nabima.
My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
21 Amo dia maedafa gogolema, eso huluane dawa: loma, dia dogo ganodini.
Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
22 Na sia: da nowa dunu da amo noga: le dawa: sea, amo da esalusu imunu, amola ea da: i fidimu.
because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.
23 Dawa: ma! Dia asigiga dawa: su noga: le ouligima. Bai dia esalusu da dia asigi dawa: su dawa: i liligi amo defele ba: mu.
It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
24 Sia: dafawane hame, ogogole maedafa sia: ma. Amola ogogosu hou amoma mae gilisima.
Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
25 Mae beda: iwane molole ba: le gusuma! Dia da hou moloiwane hamobeba: le, dia dialuma da gogosiane fili sa: imu da defea hame.
Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
26 Dia adi hamosea, noga: le dawa: lu hamoma amola adi hou dia hamobe amo da bu sinidigili hahawane ba: mu.
Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.
27 Wadela: i hou dawa: ma! Moloiwane ahoanoma! Amola sadena: ne dafasa: besa: le dawa: ma.
Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.
