Proverbs 18
1 He who is separated seeks [his own] desire, He interferes with all wisdom.
Minawk hoi angkom ai kami loe, angmah koehhaih to pazui moe, minawk lok takroekhaih aek thaih kami ah oh.
2 A fool does not delight in understanding, But in uncovering his heart.
Kamthu loe palunghahaih nuiah anghoehaih tawn ai moe, angmah poekhaih nui khue ah ni anghoe.
3 Contempt has also come with the coming of the wicked, And with shame—reproach.
Kahoih ai kami angzoh naah, hnaphnaehaih to oh; ahmin sethaih oh naah, azathaih doeh oh.
4 The words of a man’s mouth [are] deep waters, The fountain of wisdom [is] a flowing brook.
Kami pakha thung hoi tacawt lok loe tuili baktiah thuk, toe palunghahaih loe tuibap baktiah puek.
5 Favoring of the face of the wicked [is] not good, To turn aside the righteous in judgment.
Lokcaek naah kahoih kami to sungsak hanah, kami kasae to angdoet haih han om ai.
6 The lips of a fool enter into strife, And his mouth calls for stripes.
Kamthu ih pahni mah angzoehhaih to tacawtsak, anih ih pakha hoiah angbohhaih to ohsak.
7 The mouth of a fool [is] ruin to him, And his lips [are] the snare of his soul.
Kamthu ih pakha loe angmah amrohaih ah oh moe, anih ih pahni loe a hinghaih pakhra amanhaih dongh baktiah oh.
8 The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.
Minawk kasaethuihaih lok loe ahmaa kana baktiah, kami ih zok thung khoek to akun tathuk.
9 He also that is remiss in his work, He [is] a brother to a destroyer.
Thasae kami loe hmuenmae tahmat thaih kami ih nawkamya ah oh.
10 The Name of YHWH [is] a tower of strength, The righteous runs into it, and is set on high.
Angraeng ih ahmin loe kacak abuephaih sipae ah oh; katoeng kami loe to imthung ah cawnh moe, to ah monghaih to hnuk.
11 The wealth of the rich [is] the city of his strength, And as a wall set on high in his own imagination.
Hmuenmae hoi angraeng kami loe angmah ih angraenghaih to vangpui kacak baktih, kasang parai sipae baktiah poek.
12 The heart of man is high before destruction, And humility [is] before honor.
Amoekhaih mah amrohaih to phaksak; toe kami tlim ah khosakhaih loe pakoehhaih loklam tuhkung ah oh.
13 Whoever is answering a matter before he hears, It is folly to him—and shame.
Lok tahngai hmaloe ai ah pathim ih lok loe, amthuhaih hoi azathaih ah oh.
14 The spirit of a man sustains his sickness, And who bears a struck spirit?
Kami ih palung mah ngannathaih to khaang thaih; toe palungsethaih loe kawbangmaw khaang thai tih?
15 The heart of the intelligent gets knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Khopoek thaih kami ih palung loe palunghahaih to tawnh; palungha kami ih naa mah loe palunghahaih to pakrong.
16 The gift of a man makes room for him, And it leads him before the great.
Kami mah sin ih tangqum mah, kalen kaminawk hmaa ah caeh haih loklam to paawh pae.
17 The first in his own cause [seems] righteous, [But] his neighbor comes and has searched him.
Angmah kawng thui hmaloe kami loe katoeng kami baktiah amtueng; toe a imtaeng kami to angzoh moe, anih ih akawng to thuih naah ni, katoeng hoi katoeng ai to amtueng.
18 The lot causes contentions to cease, And it separates between the mighty.
Tahamsae kahoih khethaih phoisa vahhaih mah lok angaekhaih to dipsak moe, lokaek thaih thacak kaminawk doeh pathlaeng thaih.
19 A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.
Lok angaek thaih nawkamya loe pazawk hanah kacak vangpui tuk pongah doeh rai kue; nihnik lok angaekhaih loe misatoep kami ohhaih sipae hoiah anghmong.
20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth is his belly satisfied, [From the] increase of his lips he is satisfied.
Kami loe angmah ih pakha hoi tacawt thingthai to caa ueloe, zok amhah tih; a pahni hoi tacawt hmuen hoiah zok amhah tih.
21 Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.
Palai loe duekhaih hoi hinghaih tha to tawnh; palai palung kaminawk loe palai ih athaih to caa o tih.
22 [Whoever] has found a wife has found good, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
Zu la kami loe kahoih hmuen to a hnuk moe, Angraeng koehhaih to a tongh.
23 The poor speaks [with] supplications, And the rich answers fierce things.
Amtang kami loe tahmenhaih hnik thaih; toe angraeng loe lok kaham hoiah minawk ih lok to pathim.
24 A man with friends—to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!
Ampui kapop ah tawn kami loe angmah amrohaih ah oh; toe nawkamya pongah palung cak kue ampui doeh oh.
