Olcueih 26
1 Khohal kah vuelsong neh cangah vaengkah khotlan baghui la, thangpomnah khaw hlang ang neh rhoeprhui tangloeng pawh.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 Vaa a rhaehba bangla, pumpil a ding bangla, rhunkhuennah he lunglilungla la a thoeng moenih.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 Marhang ham rhuihet, laak ham kamrhui, aka ang rhoek kah a nam ham cungcik om.
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 Hlang ang kah a anglat te doo boeh, namah khaw anih bangla na om ve.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Hlang ang te a anglat bangla a doo dae, a mikhmuh ah hlang cueih la om hae mahpawh.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Hlang ang kut ah ol aka pat tah a kho a kuet tih kuthlahnah aka mam la om.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 Aka khaem kah a kho sut a bat banghui la, hlang ang rhoek ka kah thuidoeknah he khaw om.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Hlang ang taengah thangpomnah paek he, payai dongah lungto mop banghui la om tangloeng.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Hlang ang ka kah thuidoeknah he khaw yurhui kut dongah aka pha mutlo hling bangla om.
Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
10 Hlang ang aka paang boeih khaw aka cetpaitai a paang tih lithen a poeih banghui la om.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Ui loh a lok a paan banghui la hlang ang loh a anglat te a khoep.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
12 Hlang he amah mikhmuh ah tah aka cueih la na hmuh. Anih lakah hlang ang ham ngaiuepnah om ta.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 Kolhnaw loh, “Longpuei ah sathueng ca, toltung ah sathueng om,” a ti.
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 thohkhaih loh thohrhui dongah a tinghil bangla, kolhnaw khaw amah thingkong dongah suvaih.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 Kolhnaw loh bael dongah a kut a puei te, a ka dongla koep a khuen ham pataeng a ngak.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 Kolhnaw he amah mikhmuh ah tah, omih neh aka thuung hlang parhih lakah aka cueih la ngaiuh.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Amah hut pawt ah tuituknah khuiah aka kun khaw, aka cetpaitai loh ui hna a doek banghui la om.
He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
18 Thaltang neh dueknah hmaipom aka dong loh hlang a khah bangla,
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 A hui aka phok hlang van loh, “Ka luem mailai moenih a?,” a ti.
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Thing a tlum atah hmai a thi bangla a thet pawt daengah ni olpungkacan a paa.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 Hmai-alh dongah hmaisa-aek, hmai dongah thing a pup vanbangla, hohmuhnah neh olpungkacan aka saii hlang loh tuituknah a puek sak.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 Thet ol he didii tih bungko khui la suntla.
The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
23 Lungbuei thae neh a lai hmai la aka alh tah, paikaek dongkah cakhli a ben banghui ni.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 A hmuilai dongkah a hmuhuet te a ka dongah loha coeng dae, a khui kah hlangthai palat te a thuh bal pueng.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 A ol tah rhen koemboei la om dae, anih te tangnah boeh. A lungbuei ah tueilaehkoi parhih om.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 hmuhuetnah te thailainah neh dah cakhaw, hlangping taengah a boethae ni a. yan eh.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Vaam aka vuet khaw amah loh a cungku thil vetih, lungto aka palet khaw amah soah koep mael ni.
He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
28 Laithae ol loh amah aka hnaep aka hnap te a hmuhuet tih, a ka aka hnal khaw a ponah ni a. saii.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
