Proverbs 24
1 Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
Thlakchekhqi koeh oet nawh, aming lakawh ngawih koeh nai.
2 for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
Amik kawlungawh amak leek poeknaak doeng cawng unawh, amim kha ing thawlh sainaak doeng teng uhy.
3 A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
Cyihnaak im taw sakna awm nawh, simnaak ing cak sak hy.
4 Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
Simnaak ing imkhui awh khawh a phuk tlo tlo bee sakna awm hy.
5 If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
Cyihnaak ak ta thlang taw a qym awm nawh, simnaak ak ta thlang taw ak thaawmnaak pung hy.
6 for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
Ceem tlyk hlanawh ak leek soeih khawkhannaak taak leek nawh, cainaak ak leek taak ing qaal noeng sak hy.
7 Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
Thlakqaw ham cyihnaak sang aih nawh, thlang kqeng haiawh ak kqawn kawi awi am ta hy.
8 Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
Them amak leek sai ham khawkpoeknaak ak ta taw thlang ing seet ak saikung tina kawm uh.
9 Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
Thlakqaw poeknaak taw thawlh ni, thlang husit taw thlang ham sawhnaak kawi ni.
10 If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
Kyinaak na huhawh nang ngaam awhtaw tha amak ta thlang ni.
11 Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
Him ham a mi sawikhqi ce hul lah. Himna ak awm hly khqi ce ang tawnna thawng.
12 If you say, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.
“Ngai lah vetaw am sim nyng” na ti awhtaw, kawlung ak khinkung ing am sim hly nawh aw? Na hqingnaak ak doenkung ing am sim hly nawh aw? Thlang boeih, ami bibi amyihna thungna am awm hly nawh aw?
13 My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
Ka capa, khawitui ak leek soeih aw lah; khawilutui na hamna ak aawi dikdik ce aw.
14 In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
Cawhce na hqingnaak ham cyihnaak taw cemyih nani ti sim nawh; na huhawh, na hamna hai ben ngaih-uunaak awm nawh, nang ngaih-uunaak ing am boet tlaih kaw.
15 Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
Aw, thlakche pa, thlakdyng a im koeh muk, a awmnaak koeh hqee pe.
16 Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
Thlakdyng taw voei khqih tlu seiawm tho tlaih kaw; thlakche ang tluuk awhtaw am tho thai voel kaw.
17 Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
Na qaal ang tluuk awh koeh zeel nawh, bo sakna a awmawh nak kaw koeh zeel sak;
18 otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
Cekkaataw Bawipa ing ni hu kawm saw, am zeel kawm saw, ak khan awh ak kawsonaak ce qeem kaw.
19 Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
Thlakchekhqi caming koeh ly nawh, thlang thawlh koeh oet.
20 for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
Thlangthawlh ham kutdo am awm kawm saw, thlakche a maihchoei cetaw him pekna awm kaw.
21 My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
Ka capa, Bawipa ingkaw sangpahrang ce kqih nawh, kawhaa ak toenkhqi ce koeh pyi na;
22 for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
Ami ham seetnaak thoeng law tawk kawm saw, a mi qeengnaak hly kum uing nu a sim hly?
23 These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
Ve tloek awm thlakcyi ak awi kqawn ni, awi tlyk awh thlang hai toek am leek hy.
24 Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
Ak bo thlang venawh, “Na thawlhnaak am awm hy,” ak ti naak taw thlang boeih ing tamlawh kawm usaw, khawqam ing hoet kaw.
25 while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
Ak toeltham ak thlangkhqi taw zeel kawm usaw, amik khanawh zoseennaak pha law kaw.
26 An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
Awih thym ing ak hlatkung taw pyi leek ni.
27 Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
Kawngmaa awh bi na sai ham toen boeih nawh, na lo maa awh toen nawh, cecoengawh na im ce sa.
28 Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
Lehcainaak a awm kaana na imcengkhqi a kawnglamawh simpyikungna koeh awm nawh, nam kha ingawm koeh thalat na.
29 Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”
“Kak khanawh a sai amyihna ak khanawh sai lawt kawng nyng saw, a bi sai amyihna pe kawng nyng,” koeh ti.
30 I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
Thlak thakdam lona cet nyng, simnaak amak ta misur dumna awm;
31 It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
Ngai lah, hling hqoengna awm nawh, dek awm bei hqoengna be nawh, a vawng chungnak lung khoeng awm tlu boeih hy.
32 As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
Ka huh awh, ak dungna poek qunyng, a ni cawngpyinaak ce hu nyng saw pawm thai nyng.
33 You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
Na ngaih awhtaw zaih, ip nawh, na kut khooem nawh dym poek poek,
34 and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
Na ih hlanawh khawdeng kawm ti saw, voetvainaak ing ceemqal amyihna thoeng law tawk kaw.
