Proverbs 23
1 When you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.
Ukkung hoi buh nawnto caak han nang hnut naah, na tuinuen to kahoihah angsum ah;
2 [Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.
buhcaak nam oeh hmoek nahaeloe, na qawnh to haita hoi aah baktiah ni oh.
3 Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.
Kakhraem anih ih buh to khit hmah; to buh loe alinghaih buh ah ni oh.
4 Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,
Angraeng thai hanah toksah hmah; na palunghahaih to oep hmah.
5 because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.
Nawnetta ah anghma thaih hmuen to na khet maw? Tangtang ni van bangah kazawk tahmu baktih toengah, angraenghaih doeh pakhraeh tawnh moe, azawk ving.
6 [If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,
Uthaih tawn kami ih buh to caa pae hmah; anih ih kahoih caaknaek doeh khit pae hmah;
7 because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.
anih loe a palung thung hoi poek ih baktih toengah oh; caa ah loe nae ah, tiah ang naa, toe palung tang hoiah thui ai.
8 [When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.
Zetta na caak ih buh to palok roep ueloe, kahoih loknawk to na sung moeng tih.
9 (Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.
Kamthu khaeah lokthui hmah; anih loe na thuih ih palunghahaih lok to patoek tih.
10 Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,
Canghnii ih prae angzithaih ramri to pathui hmah; naqah ih lawk to lomh pae hmah;
11 because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.
anih krangkung loe thacak; Angraeng mah nihcae kawng pongah na thuitaek tih.
12 Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.
Thuitaekhaih bangah palung paek ah loe, palunghahaih lok bangah na naa to patueng ah.
13 Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,
Nawkta to thuitaek hanah paquem hmah; anih to cung hoiah na boh cadoeh dueh mak ai.
Hell thung hoiah anih to pahlong hanah, cung hoiah bop ah. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.
Ka capa, palunghahaih na tawnh nahaeloe, ka palung hae anghoe tih.
16 I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.
Ue, na pahni mah katoeng hmuen to thuih naah, ka palung hae anghoe tih.
17 Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.
Kazae kaminawk to awt hmah; Angraeng zithaih khue to palung thung hoi poek ah.
18 [If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.
Na oephaih loe hmabang ah oh, na oephaih loe boeng mak ai.
19 My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).
Ka capa, tahngai ah loe palungha ah; katoeng loklam ah na poekhaih palung to suem ah.
20 Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),
Mu coih kami, moi caak koeh hmoek kami hoi angkom hmah.
21 because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).
Mu coih kami hoi caaknaek amoeh kaminawk loe amtang tih; iih koeh hmoek kami loe amtanghaih mah khuk hmoek tih.
22 Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.
Na tapenkung nam pa ih lok to tahngai ah, nam no mitong naah hnap hmah.
23 Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.
Loktang to qan ah, zaw let hmah; palunghahaih, thuitaekhaih hoi panoekhaih to talawk ah.
24 Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.
Katoeng kami ih ampa loe paroeai anghoe tih; palungha caa tapen ampa loe a caa nuiah anghoe tih.
25 [Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.
Nam no hoi nam pa to anghoe tih, nang tapenkung loe anghoehaih tawn tih.
26 My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.
Ka capa, palung to na paek ah loe, ka loklamnawk hae na mik hoiah khen ah.
27 Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].
Tangzat zaw nongpata loe kathuk tangqom baktih, minawk zoek thaih nongpata loe tamcaek tuikhaw baktiah oh.
28 They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.
Mingcah baktiah kami to angang moe, nongpanawk zaehaih to pungsak.
29 I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.
Khosak bing kami loe mi maw? Mi maw palungsae? Mi maw patangh? Mi maw amoek? Tidoeh na ai ah mi maw nganbawh kana hak? Mi maw mik kamlingh?
30 [It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.
To baktih kaminawk loe mu naek angsum thai ai kami, tasi hoi atok ih mu naek hanah pakrong kaminawk ni.
31 Do not look with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,
Mu kathim maw, boengloeng pong lawn naah rong kampha mu maw, naek naah akun kahoih mu kathim maw to khen hmah.
32 because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].
Boenghaih ah loe pahui baktiah kami to patuk moe, pahui sae ih kasoetui baktiah oh.
33 You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.
Na mik mah kahoih ai nongpata to khen ueloe, na poekhaih palungthin to amkhraengsak ving tih.
34 You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.
Ue, nang loe tuipui um ah iip kami baktih, palong paehhaih qui nuiah iip kami baktiah na om tih.
35 You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”
Nihcae mah ang boh o, toe kana panoek ai; ang caep o, toe tidoeh ka panoek ai! Kang thawk naah, naek hanah mu to pakrong let han vop, tiah ni na thui tih.
