Ngeche 25
1 Magi e ngeche mamoko mag Solomon, mane jo-Hezekia ruodh Juda ondiko.
Here are more wise sayings/words that Solomon [wrote]. Some men who worked for Hezekiah, the king of Judah, copied them [from a scroll that Solomon had written].
2 Wamiyo Nyasaye duongʼ kuom gik ma opando; to lero tiend weche en duongʼ ni ruodhi.
[We consider] God to be great because he (acts in mysterious ways/does things that we cannot understand); [we consider] kings to be great because they explain things.
3 Mana kaka polo bor kendo piny tut, e kaka chuny ruodhi ngʼeyo tek.
[It is not possible for anyone to measure] how high the sky is or how deep the earth/ocean is; likewise [SIM], it is not possible for us to know [all] that kings are thinking.
4 Ka ogol chilo kuom fedha, to jatheth koro nigi gimoro mar theth;
[If workers] burn out the impure bits that are in silver, a man who makes things from silver can make something beautiful from the silver.
5 ka ogol ngʼat marach e nyim ruoth, eka kom ruodhe ibiro guro motegno e tim makare.
[Similarly, if] wicked [advisors] are taken away from a king, his government will remain secure, because [the king will be able to] act justly.
6 Kik imiri duongʼ iwuon e nyim ruoth, kata bedo kar jomadongo,
When you stand in front of a king, do not try to (impress him/honor yourself) and do not (act like you are important/ask to sit where important people sit; )
7 nimar ber moloyo owachni niya, “Bi ka,” moloyo ka igoli e nyim jomadongo.
it is better if someone tells you to sit closer [to the king] than for [someone to tell you], while the king is listening, to sit further away in order that someone who is more important [may sit closer to the king].
8 Gima wangʼi oseneno kik ikel mapiyo kirikni e nyim od bura; nimar ibiro timo angʼo achien ka jabuti oketi e wichkuot?
Do not quickly go to a court [to tell the judge about] something that you have seen, because another witness may later [say something that proves that you are wrong, and as a result] you will be disgraced/ashamed. If that happens, (what will you do?/you will not know what to do.) [RHQ]
9 Ka iloso wach manie kindi gi jabuti, to kik idhi ihul wach malingʼ-lingʼ mar ngʼato;
If you and someone else think differently about some matter, settle it between yourselves, and do not tell others any secret [that he has told you].
10 nono to ngʼat moro mowinji biro keti e wichkuot; mi huma mari marach ok nogiki.
If others find out that you have told secrets, you will be ashamed, and from that time on, (you will have a bad reputation/people will think badly about you).
11 Wach mowach e kinde mowinjore, chalo gi olemo mar dhahabu moketie tawo molos gi fedha.
Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
12 Mana kaka tere mar dhahabu kata tigo mar dhahabu maber e kaka siem mar ngʼat mariek mokwerogo ngʼat machiko ite.
When a wise person rebukes/warns someone [SYN] who is willing to listen, that is [as valuable as] [SIM] a gold ring or a gold chain.
13 Mana kaka ngʼich mar pe e kinde mar keyo, e kaka jaote ma ja-adiera chalo ne ngʼat moore, omoro chuny ruodhe.
A messenger who (is reliable/tells someone else exactly what he was told to say) refreshes [the spirits of] his bosses who sent him like [SIM] (snow/cold water) refreshes [the ground] at the time that [people] harvest crops.
14 Kaka boche polo gi yamo maonge koth, e kaka ngʼat mawuorore gi mich ma ok dochiw.
When someone promises to give a gift to us but never gives it, [that disappoints us] as much as [SIM] clouds and wind that come but do not bring any rain.
15 Horuok mos nyalo loko chuny ruoth, to lep mamuol nyalo toyo chogo.
If someone keeps requesting a ruler long enough to do something, he will [often] agree to do it; similarly, by speaking [MTY] gently we can [often] convince [others that what we say is right] [IDM].
16 Ka iyudo mor kich, to cham mana moromo, mathoth ahinya, nyalo miyo ingʼogi.
If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
17 Kik iter tiendi pile e od jabuti, dhiyo kuno pile, biro miyo ochayi.
Do not go to your neighbor’s house very often [to talk with him]; if you go [very] often, he will get tired of listening to you and start to hate you.
18 Mana kaka arungu kata ligangla; kata asere mabith, e kaka ngʼatno machiwo neno ma ok adiera kuom ngʼat ma gidakgo machiegni.
To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 Mana kaka lak marach kata tielo mongʼol e kaka keto geno kuom jogo ma ok jo-adiera e kinde mag chandruok.
Depending on unreliable people when you have troubles is [as bad] as [trying to eat when] you have a bad/hurting tooth or [trying to walk when] your foot is crippled.
20 Mana ka ngʼat ma lonyo law midongʼ duk e ndalo ngʼich, kata kaka olo chumbi e adhola, e kaka ngʼat ma wero wende ne chuny mool.
Singing to someone who is depressed [just causes him to feel worse]; it is like [SIM] taking off clothes on a very cold day or like putting vinegar on a wound.
21 Ka jasiki odenyo, to miye chiemo ocham; ka riyo oloye, miye pi omodhi.
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
22 Ka itimo kamano, ibiro choko chuk mach maliel e wiye, kendo Jehova Nyasaye biro miyi pok.
doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
23 Kaka yamb nyandwat kelo koth, e kaka lep mafuongʼo wach kelo miero.
When wind blows from the right direction, it will rain; [similarly] [SIM], if we gossip about others, that causes them to look at us very angrily.
24 Ber dak e kona mar wi ot moloyo dak gi dhako maralep.
It is better to live ([alone/by yourself]) in the corner of an attic/housetop than to live inside the house with a wife who is [always] nagging.
25 Mana kaka pi mangʼich chalo ne chuny mool, e kaka wach maber moa e piny mabor chalo.
Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
26 Mana kaka soko motimo chwodho kata aora moduwore chalo e kaka ngʼat makare machiwo thuolo ne jaricho.
When a righteous/good person (gives in/yields) to wicked [people], that is [as bad] as [SIM] a spring that becomes muddied or a fountain that becomes polluted.
27 Ok ber chamo mor kich mathoth, kata ok en gima longʼo mondo ngʼato odwar luor monego miye owuon.
It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
28 Mana kaka dala maduongʼ ma ohingane omukore mogore piny e kaka ngʼatno ma ok nyal ritore owuon.
People who (cannot control their tempers/quickly become very angry) [are unable to defend their behavior]; that is like [having] a city without a wall around it, [with the result that no one can defend it].
