Soakas 28
1 Mwet koluk uh kaing finne wangin mwet ukwalos, a sie mwet suwoswos el pulaik oana soko lion.
Wicked [people] run away [even] when no one is pursuing them, but righteous/good [people are not afraid]; they are as brave as lions.
2 Sie mutunfacl fah arulana ku ac oan paht mwet kol we uh fin mwet etauk ac lalmwetmet. A sie mutunfacl fin oru ma koluk, ac fah fusus ayaol lun mwet leum we.
When [the people of] a nation sin, they will have one ruler after another; but when their leaders are wise and have good sense, their government will last for a long time.
3 Sie mwet leum su akkeokye mwet sukasrup, ac oana af matol ma kunausla fokin ima uh.
A poor person who oppresses [other] poor [people] is [like] [MET] a very heavy/hard rain that [destroys the crops], with the result that there is no food [for people to eat].
4 Kom fin pilesru ma sap, kom akkeye layen lun mwet koluk; a kom fin akos, na kom lain mwet koluk.
Those who reject/disobey [God’s] laws always speak well of wicked [people]; but those who obey [God’s] laws [always] oppose what wicked people do.
5 Mwet koluk tia etu lah mea suwohs ac nununku suwohs, a elos su suk ma lungse lun LEUM GOD elos kalem kac.
Evil people do not understand what it means to act justly, but those who try to obey/worship Yahweh understand that very well.
6 Wo in sukasrup ac suwohs, liki na in kasrup ac sesuwos.
It is better to be honest [even] though you are poor than to be dishonest [even] though you are rich.
7 Sie mwet fusr su akos ma sap el lalmwetmet. El su asruoki nu sin mwet pukafukwel, el akmwekinye papa tumal.
Young people who obey the laws are wise [IDM]; parents whose children associate with those who (carouse/go to wild parties) are humiliated/disgraced because of what their children do.
8 Kom fin akkasrupye kom sifacna ke ma laesla yohk ma kom eisla sin mwet, na mwe kasrup lom an ac fah ma lun mwet su kulang nu sin mwet sukasrup.
When people become very rich by charging very high interest [DOU], their money will [eventually] go to someone who does kind things for the poor.
9 Kom fin tia akos ma sap uh, God El ac fah arulana srunga in lohng pre lom.
If people do not obey [MTY] [God’s] laws, [God] (detests their prayers/considers that their prayers stink).
10 Kom fin kiapwela sie mwet suwoswos in oru ma koluk, kom ac fah putatyang nu in mwe kwasrip lom sifacna. Mwet wangin mwata ac fah oasr ma lacna nu sel.
Those who cause honest/good [people] to do what is evil will fall into their own pits/traps, but good things will happen to those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
11 Mwet kasrup uh sifacna nunku mu elos lalmwetmet, a sie mwet sukasrup su oasr etauk yoro el akilen lah elos tiana lalmwetmet.
[Many] rich people think that they are wise, but poor people who have good sense will find out whether rich people really are wise or not.
12 Ke pacl sie mwet wo el kol, na mwet nukewa elos engan, a ke mwet koluk uh kol, mwet uh ac wikelik.
When righteous/good [people] (succeed/win [elections]), everyone (celebrates/is happy); but when wicked [people win], everyone hides [because they are afraid of what the wicked people will do].
13 Kom fin okanla ma koluk lom, kom tia ku in kapkapak. Kom fin fahkak ma koluk lom ac forla liki, na God El ac fah pakoten nu sum.
Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper, but [God] acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.
14 Insewowo mwet se su sensenkakunul liki ma koluk. Kom fin likkeke, kom ac musalla.
[God] is pleased with those who always revere him, but those who are stubborn [IDM] will experience disasters.
15 Sie mwet leum koluk el mwe sensen nu sin mwet sukasrup, oana soko lion ngutngut, ku soko bear ma forfor in sukok ma elan kang.
Wicked people who [mistreat] poor people whom they rule are [as dangerous to them as] [SIM] a lion roaring [at them] or a bear springing up [to attack them].
16 Sie leum su wangin etauk yoro fah arulana akupaye kemkatu lun mwet lal. A el su srunga eis ma laesla ke inkanek kutasrik ac fah leum paht.
Rulers who do not have good sense cruelly oppress [the people they rule], but rulers who do not want to become rich by cheating/deceiving [people] will live (OR, rule) for a long time.
17 Sie mwet su oasr mwata ke akmas el sifacna pikin lufin misa kial. Nimet srike in ikolol.
Those who are guilty of murdering [MTY] another person will (be fugitives/keep running away) until they die; do not help them to escape.
18 Oru ma suwohs ac pwaye, ac kom ac fah muta in misla. Kom fin oru ma sesuwos, kom ac sa na ikori.
Those who [continually] do what is right will be safe/protected, but those who are dishonest will [suddenly] be ruined.
19 Sie mwet ima alken ac fah oasr sunun mwe mongo yorol, a sie mwet sisi pacl el ac sukasrup pacl nukewa.
Farmers who work [hard] in their fields will [produce good crops and always] have plenty of food [to eat], but those who spend all their time (on useless projects/doing things that do not benefit anyone) will become very poor.
20 Mwet su moul suwohs ac fah insewowo in moul lalos. Tusruktu kom fin sulaklak in suk mwe kasrup, kom ac fah sun kai.
[God] will greatly bless those who (are trustworthy/always do what they say that they will do), but he will certainly punish [LIT] those who try to become rich quickly.
21 Tia wo in wiwimwet. Tusruktu kutu mwet nununku uh elos oru ma sesuwos tuh elos in eis molin eyeinse na srisrik.
It is not good [for judges] to decide matters unfairly/unjustly, but [some] people will do what is wrong [even] if they receive [only] a very small bribe [HYP] [for doing it].
22 Mwet srowohsr elos arulana sulaklak in kasrupi, oru elos tia akilen lah elos ac sa na sukasrupla.
Selfish people [IDM] are very eager to become rich quickly; they do not realize that they will [soon] become poor.
23 Sang kas in aksuwos nu sin sie mwet, ac tok el fah insewowo sum liki na ke kom aklukukyal.
Those who rebuke someone will be appreciated/thanked more than those who [say nice things to others merely] to (flatter them/cause them to feel good).
24 Sie mwet su kiapu papa ac nina kial, ac pangon mu tia koluk, el oana mwet pisrapasr na pwaye.
Anyone who steals things from his father or his mother and says “That is not sinful” is as bad as a bandit.
25 Rapku pwanak lokoalok pacl nukewa. Ac wo nu sum kom in filiya lulalfongi lom in LEUM GOD.
Greedy people cause trouble/strife; those who trust in Yahweh will prosper [IDM].
26 Ma lalfon se kom fin lulalfongi nunak lom sifacna. Kom in fahsr tukun kas in luti lun mwet lalmwetmet na kom ac fah moul misla.
Those who believe that what they think [is always right] are foolish; those who act wisely will (escape danger/be safe).
27 Sang kasru nu sin mwet sukasrup ac kom ac fah tiana kwacola. Kom fin kaliya motom liki mwet enenu, mwet puspis ac fah selngawi kom.
Those who give things to poor [people] will not become poor, but many [people] will curse those who refuse to help [IDM] poor people.
28 Ke pacl mwet koluk tuyak in kol, mwet uh ac wikelik. Na ke pacl elos tila kol, mwet suwoswos puspis ac sifil folokeni.
When wicked [people] become rulers, people hide [because they are afraid of what those wicked people will do]; but when wicked people are no longer rulers, good/righteous [people will] become the rulers.
