Miyambo 17
1 Nʼkwabwino kudya mkute koma pali mtendere, kuposa kuchita madyerero mʼnyumba mʼmene muli mikangano.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 Kapolo wanzeru adzalamulira mwana wochititsa manyazi, ndipo kapoloyo adzagawana nawo cholowa ngati mmodzi mwa abale.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 Siliva amamuyesa mʼngʼanjo ndipo golide amamuyesa mʼngʼanjo, koma Yehova amayesa mitima.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 Munthu woyipa amamvera malangizo oyipa; munthu wabodza amatchera khutu mawu osakaza.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 Iye amene amalalatira mʼmphawi amanyoza mlengi wake; amene amakondwerera tsoka la mnzake sadzakhala osalangidwa.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Zidzukulu ndiye ulemu wa anthu okalamba, ndipo makolo ndiye ulemerero wa ana.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Kuyankhula bwino sikuyenerana ndi chitsiru, nanji kuyankhula bodza kungayenerane kodi ndi mfumu?
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Chiphuphu chili ngati mankhwala amwayi kwa wochiperekayo; kulikonse kumene amapita zinthu zimamuyendera.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 Iye amene amakhululukira zolakwa za wina, amafunitsitsa chikondi; wobwerezabwereza nkhani amapha chibwenzi.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 Munthu wanzeru amamva kamodzi kokha, munthu wopanda nzeru ndi samvamkunkhu.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Munthu woyipa maganizo ake ali pa kuwukira basi; ndipo bwana adzamutumizira wamthenga wankhanza.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Nʼkwabwino kukumana ndi chimbalangondo cholandidwa ana ake kusiyana ndi kukumana ndi chitsiru mu uchitsiru wake.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 Ngati munthu abwezera choyipa kusinthana ndi zabwino, ndiye choyipa sichidzachoka mʼnyumba mwake.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Chiyambi cha mikangano chili ngati kukhamulira madzi, choncho uzichokapo mkangano usanayambe.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 Kumasula munthu wolakwa kapena kumanga munthu wosalakwa, zonse ziwirizi Yehova zimamunyansa.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 Ndalama zogulira nzeru zili ndi phindu lanji mʼmanja mwa chitsiru poti iyeyo mutu wake sumayenda bwino?
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 Bwenzi lako limakukonda nthawi zonse, ndipo mʼbale wako anabadwa kuti azikuthandiza pamavuto.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Munthu wopanda nzeru amavomereza zopereka chikole ndipo iyeyo amasanduka chikole cha mnansi wake.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 Wokonda zolakwa amakonda mkangano, ndipo wokonda kuyankhula zonyada amadziyitanira chiwonongeko.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 Munthu wamtima woyipa zinthu sizimuyendera bwino; ndipo woyankhula zachinyengo amagwa mʼmavuto.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 Mwana wopusa amamvetsa chisoni abambo ake, abambo a chitsiru sakhala ndi chimwemwe.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Mtima wosangalala uli ngati mankhwala abwino, koma mtima wokhumudwa umafowoketsa mafupa.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Munthu woyipa amalandira chiphuphu chamseri kuti apotoze chiweruzo cholungama.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Munthu wozindikira zinthu, maso ake amakhala pa nzeru, koma chitsiru chimwazamwaza maso ake pa dziko lonse lapansi.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 Mwana wopusa amamvetsa chisoni abambo ake ndipo amapweteketsa mtima amayi ake.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Sibwino kulipitsa munthu wosalakwa, kapena kulanga anthu osalakwa.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Munthu wosunga pakamwa ndiye wodziwa zinthu, ndipo wodekha mtima ndiye womvetsa bwino zinthu.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 Ngakhale chitsiru chimakhala ngati chanzeru chikakhala chete; ndipo chikatseka pakamwa chimakhala ngati munthu wochenjera.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
