Proverbs 17
1 Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.
Tuituknah hmueih im dongkah a bae lakah a ommongnah buhkak kamat te then.
2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.
Hlang aka cangbam sal loh hlang yah aka bai capa te a taemrhai vetih, pacaboeina taengah rho a tael ni.
3 A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
Cak hamla cak am, sui hamla hmai-ulh om, tedae BOEIPA long tah lungbuei ni a noem.
4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
Thae aka huet loh boethae hmuilai kah a honghi te a hnatung tih, talnah ol te hna a kaeng thil.
5 He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
Khodaeng aka tamdaeng tah amah aka saii kung ni a veet, rhainah soah ko aka hoe khaw hmil mahpawh.
6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
Ca rhoek kah a ca rhoek tah patong rhoek kah rhuisam la om tih a napa rhoek te khaw ca rhoek kah a boei a mang la om.
7 Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!
Hlangrhuel hmuilai he a ang ham a rhoeprhui moenih. A honghi kah hmuilai khaw hlangcong hamla koih loeng loeng van pawh.
8 A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
Kapbaih he a kungmah kah mik ah lungto mikdaithen bangla boeih a hoilae tih a cangbam.
9 Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.
Hlang kah dumlai aka dah loh lungnah a toem dae, olka dongah aka thovael loh a boeihlum khaw a paekboe sak.
10 A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.
Aka ang voei yakhat n'ngawn lakah aka yakming ham tah tluungnah mah a tlaeh pah coeng.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
Boekoek loh boethae bueng a tlap dae, anih taengah puencawn muenying muenyang ni a tueih pa eh.
12 It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
Hlang kah a dueidah a laemhong sak vom neh ka hum uh palueng eh, aka ang kah a anglat nen tah ka hum uh boel eh.
13 If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
A then te thae la aka thuung tah a im lamkah a thae te nong rhoe nong mahpawh.
14 To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
Olpungkacan a tongnah tah tui a cae sak. Te dongah tuituknah a puek hlanah huu laeh.
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.
Halang aka tang sak neh hlang dueng aka boe sak, amih rhoi bang te BOEIPA kah a tueilaehkoi ni.
16 Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
Cueihnah lai ham hlang ang kut dongkah a phu te ba ham lae, a lungbuei neh a om hae moenih.
17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
A tue boeih dongah a hui aka lungnah loh, citcai vaengkah ham manuca a cun.
18 A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
Lungbuei aka talh hlang loh kut a yuh tih, a hui mikhmuh ah mingphanah rhi a khang.
19 He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
Boekoek aka lungnah loh olpungnah te a lungnah, a thohka te a sang sak tih pocinah a tlap.
20 The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
Lungbuei aka voeldak loh hnothen hmu pawt tih, a ol neh hlang aka maelh khaw yoethae ah cungku.
21 A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
Amah kah a pha-ueknah ham hlang ang te a cun, te dongah hlang ang kah a napa tah a ko a hoe moenih.
22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Lungbuei kohoe he si la a hoeih sak tih, mueihla a rhawp vaengah songrhuh khaw a koh sak.
23 A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
Laitloeknah a caehlong te phaelh sak ham, halang loh a huep ah kapbaih a loh.
24 Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
Cueihnah he aka yakming ham tah amah mikhmuh ah a om pah tih, aka ang kah a mik ah tah diklai khobawt la a om pah.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
Capa aka ang tah a napa ham konoinah la om tih, anih aka cun khaw hmuetphawtnah ni.
26 It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.
Hlang dueng te lai a sah sak khaw, a dueng dongah hlangcong taam ham then pawh.
27 A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
A ol aka tuem tah mingnah te aka ming la om tih, mueihla phu tlo aka dingsuek tah hlang lungcuei ni.
28 Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.
Hlang ang pataeng a hil a phah atah aka cueih la, a ka a buem atah aka yakming la a ngai coeng.
