Engero 17
1 Okulya akamere akaluma awali emirembe, kisinga okuba mu nnyumba ejjudde ebyassava nga mulimu entalo.
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.
2 Omuddu omugezi alifuga omwana wa bowo akwasa ensonyi, era alifuna ebyobusika ng’omu ku baana b’awaka.
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.
3 Entamu erongoosa yakolebwa lwa ffeeza, n’ekikoomi ky’okulongoosa lwa zaabu, naye Mukama agezesa emitima.
[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].
4 Omubi assaayo omwoyo eri eby’obulimba, era n’omulimba awuliriza olulimi olukuusa.
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.
5 Oyo akudaalira omwavu avvoola eyamutonda, n’oyo asanyukira obuyinike bw’abalala talirema kubonerezebwa.
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].
6 Abazzukulu ngule ya bajjajjaabwe, era n’abaana beenyumiririza mu bakadde baabwe.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Enjogerannungi teba ya musirusiru, ng’oweekitiibwa bw’atasaana kwogera bya bulimba.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Enguzi eri ng’ejjinja ery’omufuusa mu maaso g’oyo agigaba, alowooza nti buli gy’akyukira eneemuyamba.
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.
9 Okwagala tekulondoola nsobi, naye oyo atasonyiwa nsobi akyawaganya ab’omukwano enfirabulago.
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.
10 Okunenya kuyamba nnyo omuntu ategeera, okusinga okukuba omusirusiru embooko ekikumi.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Omukozi w’ebibi anoonya bujeemu bwereere, era kyaliva asindikirwa omubaka omukambwe.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Okusisinkana eddubu enyagiddwako abaana baayo, kisinga okusisinkana omusirusiru mu busirusiru bwe.
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.
13 Omuntu bw’asasula ekibi olw’obulungi, ekibi tekiriva mu nnyumba ye.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Okutandika oluyombo kuli ng’omuntu bw’asumulula omudumu gw’amazzi, noolwekyo vvaawo ng’oluyombo terunnatandika.
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.
15 Eyejjeereza omukozi w’ebibi n’oyo avumirira omutuukirivu, bombi ba muzizo eri Mukama.
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.
16 Omusirusiru agasibwa ki okuba ne ssente ezisasulibwa amagezi, ng’ate ye talina mutima gwegomba magezi?
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.
17 Omukwano ogw’amagezi guba gwa lubeerera, era owooluganda yeesigibwa mu biro eby’ennaku.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Omuntu atalina magezi awa obweyamo ne yeetema okusasula amabanja ga muliraanwa we.
[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.
19 Oyo ayagala ekibi anyumirwa ennyombo, n’oyo akola omulyango omunene ogw’omu maaso gwa bbugwe ye nga guyitiridde obunene gulimuteganya nnyo.
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.
20 Omuntu ow’omutima omubambaavu takulaakulana, n’oyo ow’olulimi olulimba agwa mu katyabaga.
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.
21 Omwana omusirusiru aleetera kitaawe obuyinike, kitaawe w’omusirusiru taba na ssanyu.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Omutima ogw’essanyu ddagala ddungi, naye omwoyo omunyiikaavu gukozza omubiri.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Omuntu omubi alya enguzi mu kyama, alyoke aziyize amazima okweyoleka.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Omuntu omutegeevu, ebirowoozo abissa eri amagezi, naye amaaso g’omusirusiru gasamaalirira ensi gy’ekoma.
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].
25 Omwana omusirusiru buyinike eri kitaawe, era aleeta ennaku eri nnyina eyamuzaala.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Si kirungi okuweesa omutuukirivu engassi ey’obwereere wadde okukuba ab’ekitiibwa embooko olw’obwesimbu bwabwe.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Omuntu omwegendereza mu bigambo bye abeera n’okutegeera, n’oyo alina omwoyo omuteefu aba muntu wa magezi.
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.
28 Omusirusiru bw’asirika alowoozebwa okuba n’amugezi, era aba mutegeevu bw’afuga akamwa ke.
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.
