Miyambo 26
1 Ngati chisanu choti mbee nthawi yachilimwe kapena mvula nthawi yokolola, ndi momwe zilili ndi ulemu wowulandira chitsiru.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Ngati timba wokhalira kuwuluka kapena namzeze wokhalira kuzungulirazungulira, ndi mmenenso limachitira temberero lopanda chifukwa, silichitika.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Mkwapulo ndi wokwapulira kavalo, chitsulo ndi cha mʼkamwa mwa bulu, choncho ndodo ndi yoyenera ku msana wa chitsiru.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Usayankhe chitsiru monga mwa uchitsiru wake, kuopa kuti ungadzakhale ngati chitsirucho.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Koma nthawi zina umuyankhe monga mwa uchitsiru wake, kuopa kuti angamadziyese yekha wanzeru.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Kutuma chitsiru kuti akapereke uthenga kuli ngati kudzidula mapazi ndipo kumakuyitanira mavuto.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Monga miyendo ya munthu wolumala imene ilibe mphamvu ndi mmene ulili mwambi mʼkamwa mwa chitsiru.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Kupereka ulemu kwa chitsiru zili ngati kukulunga mwala mʼlegeni.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Monga umachitira mtengo waminga wobaya mʼdzanja la chidakwa ndi mmene ulili mwambi mʼkamwa mwa chitsiru.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Munthu amene amalemba ntchito chitsiru chongoyendayenda, ali ngati woponya mivi amene angolasa anthu chilaselase.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Chitsiru chimene chimabwerezabwereza uchitsiru wake chili ngati galu amene amabwerera ku masanzi ake.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Munthu wa uchitsiru aliko bwino popeza pali chiyembekezo kuposana ndi munthu amene amadziyesa yekha kuti ndi wanzeru.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Munthu waulesi amati, “Mu msewu muli mkango, mkango woopsa ukuyendayenda mʼmisewu!”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Monga chitseko chimapita uku ndi uku pa zolumikizira zake, momwemonso munthu waulesi amangotembenukatembenuka pa bedi lake.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Munthu waulesi akapisa dzanja lake mu mʼbale; zimamutopetsa kuti alifikitse pakamwa pake.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Munthu waulesi amadziyesa yekha wanzeru kuposa anthu asanu ndi awiri amene amayankha mochenjera.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Munthu wongolowera mikangano imene si yake ali ngati munthu wogwira makutu a galu wongodziyendera.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Monga munthu wamisala amene akuponya sakali zamoto kapena mivi yoopsa,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 ndi momwe alili munthu wonamiza mnzake, amene amati, “Ndimangoseka chabe!”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Pakasowa nkhuni, moto umazima; chomwechonso pakasowa anthu amiseche mkangano umatha.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Monga alili makala pa moto wonyeka kapena mmene zimachitira nkhuni pa moto, ndi mmene alili munthu wolongolola poyambitsa mikangano.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Mawu a munthu wamiseche ali ngati chakudya chokoma; chimene chimatsikira mʼmimba mwa munthu.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Monga mmene chiziro chimakutira chiwiya chadothi ndi mmene mawu oshashalika amabisira mtima woyipa.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Munthu wachidani amayankhula zabwino pamene mu mtima mwake muli chinyengo.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Ngakhale wotereyu mawu ake ali okoma, koma usamukhulupirire, pakuti mu mtima mwake mwadzaza zonyansa.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Ngakhale amabisa chidani mochenjera, koma kuyipa kwakeko kudzaonekera poyera pa gulu la anthu.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Ngati munthu akumba dzenje, adzagweramo yekha; ngati munthu agubuduza mwala, udzamupsinja iye mwini.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Munthu wonama amadana ndi amene anawapweteka, ndipo pakamwa poshashalika pamabweretsa chiwonongeko.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
