< Proverbs 17 >

1 It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
Ber bangʼo kuon gi kwe kod mor moloyo ot mopongʼ gi chiemo mathoth kod dhawo.
2 A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
Misumba mariek biro bedo gi loch kuom wuowi makwodo wich, kendo obiro yudo pok mar girkeni machal mana gi owetene.
3 [Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
Dhahabu gi fedha itemo gi mach, to Jehova Nyasaye ema temo chuny.
4 Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
Ngʼat ma timbene richo chiko ite ne dhok mopongʼ gi richo, ja-miriambo winjo lep mar ajara.
5 Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
Ngʼat ma jaro jochan ochayo Jachwechgi; ngʼat mamor gi masira ok notony ne kum.
6 Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
Nyikwayo gin osimbo ne joma oti, to jonywol e mor mar nyithindgi.
7 Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
Lep mar sunga ok owinjore ne ngʼama ofuwo, to en rach maromo nadi lep mariambo ne jaloch!
8 People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
Asoya en bilo ne ngʼat machiwe, kamoro amora modhiye, odhi maber.
9 If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
Ngʼat ma umo ketho mewo hera, to ngʼat mamedo timo gima kamano pogo osiepe moherore.
10 Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
Puonj mar kwer konyo ngʼat mariek, moloyo chwat nyadi mia ni ngʼat mofuwo.
11 [Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
Ngʼat ma jaricho ohero mana miero, jaote makwiny ema ibiro orone.
12 A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
Ber romo gi ondiek madhako moma nyithinde, moloyo romo gi ngʼat mofuwo ei fupe.
13 If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
Ka ngʼato chulo rach kar ber, rach ok nowe ode.
14 Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
Chako dhawo chalo gimuko yawo, emomiyo we wach kapok dhawo owuok.
15 There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
Jehova Nyasaye mon-gi ngʼama chwako jaketho kata kumo ngʼat maonge ketho.
16 It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
Ere tiende mondo ngʼat mofuwo obed gi pesa nimar oonge gi dwaro mar bedo mariek?
17 Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
En adier ni osiepni nyalo heri kinde duto, to owadu ema konyi e chandruok.
18 [If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
Ngʼat maonge gi rieko ema keto gir singo ne jabute.
19 Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
Ngʼat mohero dhawo ohero richo; ngʼat mogero ohinga mabor kelo mana hinyruok.
20 Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
Ngʼat man-gi chuny marach ok nyal dhi maber; ngʼat ma lewe riambo podho e chandruok.
21 Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
Bedo gi ngʼat mofuwo kaka wuowi kelo kuyo; onge mor ni wuoro ma wuon ngʼat mofuwo.
22 Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
Chuny mamor en yath maber, to chuny mool tuoyo choke.
23 Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
Ngʼat ma timbene richo yie asoya kama opondo mondo oketh gima kare.
24 Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
Ngʼat mariek keto rieko mondo otel, to wenge ngʼat mofuwo bayo nyaka giko piny.
25 Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
Wuowi mofuwo kelo kuyo ni wuon mare kod chuny lit ne ngʼat mane onywole.
26 It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
Ok en gima ber kumo ngʼat maonge ketho kata goyo joote nikech dimbruokgi.
27 Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
Ngʼat man-gi ngʼeyo konyore gi weche kotangʼ; to ngʼat man-gi winjo wach to ritore maber.
28 People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
Kata ngʼat mofuwo ikwano ka ngʼat mariek ka olingʼ thi; kendo ka ngʼat mongʼeyo ka orito lewe.

< Proverbs 17 >