Cingthuilawk 26
1 Kawmpoi e tadamtui hoi canganae kho patetlah, tamipathu hoi barinae kamcu hoeh.
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 Kamleng rumram e pusu hoi pingpit patetlah, a khuekhaw awm laipalah thoebo e teh api koehai bawt mahoeh.
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 Marang hanelah ruibongpai, la hanelah kammoumrui, tamipathu e keng hanelah bongpai teh a kamcu doeh.
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 Tamipathu teh a pathunae patetlah pato hanh, hoehpawiteh ama patetlah na awm payon vaih.
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 Tamipathu teh a pathunae patetlah pato, hoehpawiteh a lungkaang lah kâpouk payon vaih.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Tamipathu koe lawk ka thui e tami teh amae khok ka tâtueng ni teh rawknae tui ka net e lah ao.
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 Khokkhem e khoktakan a kânging hoeh e patetlah, tamipathu e pahni dawk cingthuilawk teh ao.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Tamipathu bari e teh tâyaicung dawk hluemhluem kawm e patetlah doeh ao.
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 Tamipathunaw ni dei e cingthuilawk teh yamuhri kut dawk ka um e pâkhing hoi a kâvan.
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 Bangpuengpa kasakkung lentoe Cathut ni tamipathu hoi kâtapoe kung aphu a poe.
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 Ui ni a palo bout a ca e patetlah tamipathu ni a pathunae hah a kamnue sak.
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 Ama pouknae dawk tamilungkaang lah ka kâpouk e na hmu ou. Hote tami koehoi hlak teh tamipathu koehoi ngaihawinae bet aohnawn.
[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 Tami pangak ni, lam dawk sendek ao, thongma vah sendek ao telah a ti.
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Tho teh takhang dawk a kâhei e patetlah tami pangak teh ikhun dawk a kâhei.
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 Tami pangak ni rawca a kâyap teh a kâtu hane boehai ngai hoeh.
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 Ka pangak e ni, kahawicalah khopouk thai e tami sari touh hlak ka lunganghnawn telah a kâpouk.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Yuengyoe cei lahoi ayânaw e kong dawk ka bawk e tami teh ui hnâ ka kuen e hoi a kâvan.
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 Na pacai e doeh na a tihoi, a imri ka dum e tami teh,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 hmaito, pala, duenae hoi ka ka e tamipathu hoi a kâvan.
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Thing awm hoehpawiteh hmai a roum e patetlah, tamcueklawk deinae awm hoehpawiteh kâyuenae hai a roum.
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 Hmaisaan ni hmaisaei a kamtawi sak, thing ni hmai a kak sak e patetlah, kâoun ka ngai e ni kâyuenae a kamtawi sak.
[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 Tamcueklawk teh katuipounge rawca patetlah ao teh, von thung a kâen.
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 Apâhni pâhnan hoi lungthinkathout e tami teh, talai hlaam ngun hoi pâbing e hoi a kâvan.
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 Tami hmuhmanae ka tawn e tami ni a pahni hoi a hro teh, a lung thung dumyennae hah a hro.
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 Pahren lahoi, ati ei nakunghai yuem hanh, bangkongtetpawiteh a lungthung vah panuettho e sari touh ao.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 A hmuhmanae hah dumnae lahoi ka hrawk nakunghai, thoenae teh tamimaya ni panuenae koe kamnue sak lah ao han.
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 Tangkom kataikung teh a tai e tangkom dawk a bo han, talung kapaletkung koe talung bout a kamlei han.
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 Laithoe ka dei e ni a rektap e naw hah ouk a hmuhma, oupnae kaphawk ni rawknae a tâcokhai.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
