Proverbs 4
1 My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
Pa kah thuituennah te ca rhoek loh hnatun saeh lamtah yakmingnah dang hamla hnatung saeh.
2 What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
Nangmih taengah aka then rhingtuknah kam paek coeng dongah ka olkhueng he hnoo boeh.
3 When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
Ka camoe vaengah a pa taengah mongkawt la, a nu mikhmuh ah oingaih cangloeng la ka om.
4 my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
Te vaengah kai n'thuinuet tih kamah taengah, “Ka ol he na lungbuei ah dueh lamtah ka olpaek ngaithuen neh hing puei.
5 Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
Cueihnah te lai lamtah yakmingnah khaw lai lah. Ka ka dong lamkah olthui he hnilh boeh, phaelh boeh.
6 Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.
Cueihnah te hnoo boeh, na lungnah daengah ni namah te n'ngaithuen vetih nang te n'kueinah eh.
7 The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.
Cueihnah he ni tanglue, cueihnah he lai lamtah na hnopai boeih nen khaw yakmingnah he lai lah.
8 If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.
Cueihnah te picai lamtah namah te n'pomsang bitni. Namah te n'thangpom atah amah te kop van.
9 If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].
Na lu dongah mikdaithen kah lukhueng la om vetih nang taengah boeimang rhuisam han tloeng ni.
10 [So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
Ka ca ka hnatun lamtah ka olthui he doe lah. Te daengah ni na hingnah ah kum loh nang hamla a puh eh.
11 I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
Cueihnah longpuei neh nang te ka thuinuet vetih namtlak then ah nang te kan cuuk sak ni.
12 If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
Na caeh vaengah na khokan loh puenca pawt vetih na yong vaengah tongtah mahpawh.
13 Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.
Thuituennah te tu lamtah hlong boeh, na hingnah hamla kueinah.
14 Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].
Halang kah caehlong ah pongpa boeh, boethae rhoek kah longpuei dongah uem puei boeh.
15 Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
Te te dul laeh, a taengla paan boeh. A taeng lamloh taengphael lamtah khum tak.
16 because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.
Thaehuet pawt atah ip uh tloel dae a ih loh a hmil atah hlang paloe sak ham te paloe sak uh thai pawh.
17 What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
Halangnah buh te a ang uh tih kuthlahnah misurtui tul uh thae.
18 The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.
Khothaih kah koshae a cikngae vanbangla aka dueng kah caehlong khaw khosae kah a aa bangla a thoeng pah.
19 [But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.
Halang rhoek kah longpuei tah khohmuep bangla om tih mebang neh a tongtah khaw ming uh pawh.
20 My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
Ka ca, ka ol he hnatung lamtah ka olthui he na hna kaeng lah.
21 Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
Na mik long khaw khohmang boel saeh lamtah na thinko khui ah te te ngaithuen.
22 because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.
Te te aka hmuh rhoek ham tah amamih kah hingnah neh a pumsa boeih ham khaw hoeihnah la om.
23 It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
Na lungbuei te kueinah khingrhing lah hingnah kah a dawn tah te lamkah ni.
24 Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
Ka dongkah olhmaang te na taeng lamloh thaek lamtah hmuilai dongkah olrhong oling khaw namah lamloh lakhla sak.
25 Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
Na mik loh phek paelki saeh lamtah na mikkhu loh namah hmaiah buelh dueng saeh.
26 Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.
Na kho ham namtlak te saelh pah saeh lamtah na longpuei khaw boeih cikngae saeh.
27 Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.
Banvoei bantang la phael boeh, na kho te a thae dong lamloh hoeptlang lah.
