Cingthuilawk 17
1 Kâyue kâoun laihoi im dawk yikkawi e pawitonae bu hlakvah karoumcalah lahoi bukaro kam touh ca e ahawihnawn.
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 A lungkaang e san ni yeirai ka phawt e capa hah a uk teh, hmaunawnghanaw hoi cungtalah râw a coe han.
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 Ngun sôlêi nahanelah manang, sui sôlêi nahanelah takhuenhmai, hatei BAWIPA ni lungthin a tanouk.
[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 Thoenae kasaknaw ni teh laithoe dueng a thai ngai awh teh, laithoe kadeinaw ni hai laithoe lawk a thai ngai awh.
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 Tamimathoe ka dudam e ni kasakkung a dudam teh, ayânaw runae a kâhmo navah a lungkahawi e tami hai hlout mahoeh.
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 Mincanaw teh matawngnaw e bawilukhung doeh, camonaw bawilennae teh a napanaw doeh.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Lawkkanem hoi tamipathu kamcu hoeh, laithoe deinae pahni teh bawi hoi hoe kamcu hoeh.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Tadawnghno teh ka dâw e tami koe talung phukaawm hoi a kâvan, a kangvawi tangkuem koe hawinae a hmu.
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 Lawkeknae ka ramuk pouh e ni lungpatawnae a tawng, hatei boutbout ka dei pouh e tami ni teh huiko a kapek.
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 Tamipathu avai cum touh hem e hlak tamilungkaang vai touh yue e aphuohnawn.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Tamikahawihoeh ni kâtaran nahane dueng doeh a tawng, hatdawkvah patoune kathout hoi a kâhmo han.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Tamipathu a pathu lahun nah kâhmo e hlak teh, a ca kahmat e tavom hoi kâhmo pawiteh bet ahawihnawn.
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 Hawinae hah thoenae hoi ka pathung e tami teh hnokathout ni a imthung tâcawt takhai mahoeh.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Kâyuenae teh tuiim dawk hoi tui ka yu e patetlah ao, hatdawkvah kâyue hoehnahlan kâounnae hah roun lawih.
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 Tamikayon a yon ka ngaithoum e tami hoi, tamikalan yon kapen e tami hah BAWIPA ni a panuet
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 Tamipathu ni lungangnae a ngai hoeh dawkvah, lungangnae ran nahane hnopai hah bangkongmaw ahni kut dawk poe han vaw.
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 Hui ni teh nâtuek hai lung na pataw teh, hmaunawngha teh runae kâhmo tueng nahanelah doeh a khe.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Thaipanueknae ka tawn hoeh e niteh kuttabei kâtambei hoi a hui hmalah lawk a kam.
[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 Lawkeknae ka ngai e ni teh kâyuenae hai a ngai, a longkha ka rasangsak e ni rawknae hah a tawng.
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 Dumyennae lungthin ka tawn e ni hnokahawi hmawt mahoeh, laithoe ka dei e tami teh runae hoi a kâhmo han.
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 Tamipathu ka khe e tami teh amahoima a lungmathoe sak, ka pathu e capa ka tawn e tami teh konawmnae tawn hoeh.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Lungthin konawm e heh kahawipoung e tâsi hoi a kâvan teh, lungthin reknae ni hru a ke sak.
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 Tamikathout ni lannae lamthung phen hanelah a hnukkhu lahoi hno ouk a lawp.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Lungangnae teh thaipanueknae katawnkung hmalah ao teh, tamipathu e mit ni teh talai pout totouh ouk a khet.
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 Capa pathu e teh na pa lung kamathoutsakkung lah ao teh, kakhekung manu hanelah hai ka khat poung e lah ao.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Tamikalan rek hanelah awm hoeh, ka talue e hai a hawi nahlangva hem hanelah awm hoeh.
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 Panuenae ka tawn e ni lawk a kâsum teh, thaipanueknae ka tawn e teh roumnae muitha ka tawn e doeh.
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 Tamipathu hai duem awm pawiteh, tamilungkaang patetlah pouk e lah ao, a pahnicakuep pawiteh thaipanueknae ka tawn patetlah pouk e lah ao.
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.
