Ngeche 26
1 Mana kaka pe e ndalo oro kata koth e kinde keyo, e kaka luor ok owinjore ni ngʼat mofuwo.
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 Mana kaka oyundi mafuyo kata ka opija maringo e kaka kwongʼ maonge gimomiyo kadho akadha.
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 Kaka faras owinjore gi chwat, to dho punda owinjore gi tweyo e kaka ngʼe joma ofuwo owinjore gi goch.
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 Kik idwok ngʼat mofuwo machalre gi fupe, to dipo ka ibiro bedo machal kode.
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 Dwok ngʼat mofuwo koluwore gi fupe, dipo ka obiro nenore e wangʼe owuon ni oriek.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Mana kaka ingʼado tiend ngʼato kata kelo masira, chalo gioro ngʼama ofuwo mondo oter ote.
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 Mana ka tiend ngʼat mongʼol mawengni, e kaka ngero moa e dho ngʼat mofuwo.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Mana kaka keto kidi e orujre e kaka miyo ngʼat mofuwo luor.
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 Mana kaka bungu mar kudho e lwet ngʼat momer, e kaka ngero moa e dho ngʼat mofuwo.
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 Mana kaka ngʼama thoro diro aserni adira ema chalo gi ngʼat mandiko ngʼat mofuwo kata ngʼato angʼata moyudo e tich.
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 Kaka guok dok e ngʼokne mosengʼogo e kaka ngʼat mofuwo nwoyo fupe.
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 Bende ineno ngʼato ma paro owuon ni oriek? Ngʼat mofuwo nitiere gi geno moloye.
[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 Jasamuoyo wacho niya, “Sibuor ni e wangʼ yo, sibuor mager bayo e yore mag dala!”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Mana kaka dhoot marundore e pata, e kaka jasamuoyo lokore aloka e kitandane.
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 Jasamuoyo luto lwete malal ei tawo; onyap ahinya ma ok onyal gole oko moduoge e dhoge.
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 Jasamuoyo paro e chunye ni oriek moloyo ji abiriyo ma dwoko wach gi rieko.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Mana kaka ngʼat mamako guok gi ite, e kaka ngʼat makadho akadha madonjo e dhawo ma ok mare.
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 Mana kaka ngʼat ma janeko madiro pil mach kata aserni mager,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 e kaka ngʼato mawuondo jabute kowacho niya, “Ne angeri angera!”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Ka yien onge to mach tho; ka kuoth onge dhawo rumo.
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 Kaka makaa miyo mach ngʼangʼni, to yien bende miyo mach liel, e kaka ngʼat makwiny kelo miero.
[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 Weche mag kuoth chalo gi chiemo mamit; gidhiyo e chuny dhano ma iye.
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 Mana kaka range mangʼangʼni mowir e agulu mochwe chalo e kaka lep mager mar chuny mopongʼ gi richo.
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 Jasigu wuondore koumore kod dhoge, to ei chunye okano miriambo.
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 Kata bed ni wechene lombo chuny, kik iyie kode, nimar gik maricho abiriyo opongʼo chunye.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Onyalo wuondore ni oonge wuond, to timbene maricho biro nenore ratiro e nyim oganda.
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 Ka ngʼato okunyo bur, obiro lutore e iye; to ka ngʼato ngʼielo kidi, to kidino biro ngʼielore kaduogo ire.
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 Lep mariambo mon kod jogo mohinyo, to dhok mawuondo ji kelo kethruok.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
