Proverbs 18
1 Those who separate themselves [from other people] think [only] about those things that they are interested in; [if they would continually associate with] those who have good judgment/sense, they would constantly disagree/quarrel with them.
Minawk hoi angkom ai kami loe, angmah koehhaih to pazui moe, minawk lok takroekhaih aek thaih kami ah oh.
2 Foolish people do not want to understand [anything]; they only want to (express their [own] opinions/say what they think) [IDM].
Kamthu loe palunghahaih nuiah anghoehaih tawn ai moe, angmah poekhaih nui khue ah ni anghoe.
3 Whenever people do wicked things, others will despise them; when people do things that cause themselves to no [longer] be honored, they will be disgraced [also].
Kahoih ai kami angzoh naah, hnaphnaehaih to oh; ahmin sethaih oh naah, azathaih doeh oh.
4 What wise people say is [like] a deep ocean [that you can never get to the bottom of] [MET], and it [refreshes us like water from] a rapidly flowing stream.
Kami pakha thung hoi tacawt lok loe tuili baktiah thuk, toe palunghahaih loe tuibap baktiah puek.
5 It is not good [for a judge] to decide matters in favor of those who (are guilty/have done wicked things) and to not do what is just for those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
Lokcaek naah kahoih kami to sungsak hanah, kami kasae to angdoet haih han om ai.
6 When foolish people [SYN] start arguments, [it is as though] they [SYN] are requesting/inviting someone to flog/whip them.
Kamthu ih pahni mah angzoehhaih to tacawtsak, anih ih pakha hoiah angbohhaih to ohsak.
7 What foolish people [MTY] say causes them to be ruined; their [own] words are [like] a trap [MET] [that catches/seizes] them.
Kamthu ih pakha loe angmah amrohaih ah oh moe, anih ih pahni loe a hinghaih pakhra amanhaih dongh baktiah oh.
8 [People enjoy listening to] what gossips say like [SIM] [they enjoy] tasty food; they [accept what gossips tell them like] [MET] they swallow tasty food.
Minawk kasaethuihaih lok loe ahmaa kana baktiah, kami ih zok thung khoek to akun tathuk.
9 People who are lazy while they work are [just as bad] as [IDM] those who destroy things.
Thasae kami loe hmuenmae tahmat thaih kami ih nawkamya ah oh.
10 Yahweh [MTY] is [like] a strong tower [MET]; righteous people [can] go to him and be safe [like they can run to a tower to be safe].
Angraeng ih ahmin loe kacak abuephaih sipae ah oh; katoeng kami loe to imthung ah cawnh moe, to ah monghaih to hnuk.
11 Rich people [are protected because they have] a lot of money [PRS] like a city is protected because it has a high wall surrounding it [SIM].
Hmuenmae hoi angraeng kami loe angmah ih angraenghaih to vangpui kacak baktih, kasang parai sipae baktiah poek.
12 Proud people are on the road to being ruined, but being humble leads to being honored.
Amoekhaih mah amrohaih to phaksak; toe kami tlim ah khosakhaih loe pakoehhaih loklam tuhkung ah oh.
13 Those who reply to someone before that person has finished speaking are foolish; doing that is disgraceful.
Lok tahngai hmaloe ai ah pathim ih lok loe, amthuhaih hoi azathaih ah oh.
14 A desire to [continue to] live can sustain someone when he is sick; if he loses that desire, he (cannot endure it/will become very discouraged) when he is sick [RHQ].
Kami ih palung mah ngannathaih to khaang thaih; toe palungsethaih loe kawbangmaw khaang thai tih?
15 Intelligent people [are always wanting to] learn more; wise people [SYN] are not content with what they already know.
Khopoek thaih kami ih palung loe palunghahaih to tawnh; palungha kami ih naa mah loe palunghahaih to pakrong.
16 If you take a gift to an important person, that will open the way to allow you to talk to him.
Kami mah sin ih tangqum mah, kalen kaminawk hmaa ah caeh haih loklam to paawh pae.
17 The first person to present his case in court seems right, but when (someone else/his opponent) begins to ask him questions, [it may become clear that what he said was not true].
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 If two influential/important people are arguing, [someone can] settle the matter by (casting lots/throwing marked stones to decide who is right).
Tahamsae kahoih khethaih phoisa vahhaih mah lok angaekhaih to dipsak moe, lokaek thaih thacak kaminawk doeh pathlaeng thaih.
19 If you help relatives, they will [protect you] like [SIM] a strong wall [protects a city], but if you quarrel with them, [that will separate you from them] like bars on a city gate [separate the city from those who want to enter it] [MET].
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 People are happy when they hear others say [MTY] something that is good, [like] they are happy when they eat food that is good [MET].
Kami loe angmah ih pakha hoi tacawt thingthai to caa ueloe, zok amhah tih; a pahni hoi tacawt hmuen hoiah zok amhah tih.
21 What you say can cause others to be killed or it can cause them to [continue to] live; [so] those who like [to talk a lot] must (accept the consequences/realize that what they say can cause much harm).
Palai loe duekhaih hoi hinghaih tha to tawnh; palai palung kaminawk loe palai ih athaih to caa o tih.
22 If you marry a [good] woman, that is [like] finding a wonderful thing; [it shows that] Yahweh is pleased with you.
Zu la kami loe kahoih hmuen to a hnuk moe, Angraeng koehhaih to a tongh.
23 [It is necessary for] poor [people] to speak politely when they request [rich people to do something for them], but rich [people] reply very impolitely when poor people speak to them.
Amtang kami loe tahmenhaih hnik thaih; toe angraeng loe lok kaham hoiah minawk ih lok to pathim.
24 There are [some] people who [only] pretend to be friends [with us], but there are [some] friends who are more loyal than members of our families.
Ampui kapop ah tawn kami loe angmah amrohaih ah oh; toe nawkamya pongah palung cak kue ampui doeh oh.
