Engero 20
1 Omwenge mukudaazi, ekitamiiza muleekaanyi, era buli alaga mu kkubo ekyamu olw’ebyo talina magezi.
Drinking a lot of wine or [other] strong drinks causes people to start fighting; it is foolish to become drunk/intoxicated.
2 Obusungu bwa kabaka buli ng’okuwuluguma kw’empologoma, n’oyo amusunguwaza yeefiiriza bulamu bwe.
Being afraid of a king when he is angry is like [SIM] being afraid of a lion when it growls/roars; if you cause the king to become angry, he may execute you.
3 Kya kitiibwa omuntu okwewala entalo, naye buli musirusiru ayagala okuyomba.
[People] respect those who stay away from disputes/arguments; foolish people [love to] quarrel.
4 Omugayaavu talima mu budde butuufu, kyanaavanga anoonya eby’amakungula nga talina kantu.
[If] a lazy man does not plow [his fields at the right/proper time], he will look for [crops] at harvest [time], but there will be nothing there.
5 Ebigendererwa ebiba mu mutima gw’omuntu biba ng’amazzi ag’ebuziba, naye omuntu alina okutegeera alibiggyayo.
[Just] as it is difficult to bring up water from a deep well, it is difficult to know what people are thinking, but someone who has good sense/insight will be able to find out what people are thinking.
6 Abantu bangi bagamba nti balina okwagala okutaggwaawo, naye ani ayinza okuzuula omuntu omwesigwa?
Many people proclaim that they can be trusted [to do what they say that they will do], but it is very difficult to find [RHQ] someone who can really be trusted.
7 Omuntu omutuukirivu, atambulira mu bulamu obutaliiko kyakunenyezebwa; ba mukisa abaana be abalimuddira mu bigere.
If parents conduct their lives as they should, [God] blesses their children (OR, their children are very happy/fortunate).
8 Kabaka bw’atuula ku ntebe ye ey’obwakabaka ng’asala emisango, amaaso ge gasunsulamu ne gaggyamu ebibi byonna.
A king who sits on his throne to judge people can [easily] [MTY] find out what things that people have done are good and what things are evil.
9 Ani ayinza okugamba nti, “Ntukuzza omutima gwange, ndi mulongoofu era sirina kibi?”
There is no one [RHQ] who can truthfully say, “I do not know of any wrong things that I have done; I have (gotten rid of all my sinful behavior/quit doing what is sinful).”
10 Ebipima obuzito ebitatuuka n’ebigera ebikyamu, byombi bya muzizo eri Mukama.
Yahweh detests people who use weights that are not right and measures that are not correct.
11 Omuvubuka naye amanyibwa olw’ebikolwa bye, obanga birongoofu era nga birungi.
Even children show by what they do whether they are good or not; they show whether (what they do/their behavior) is honest and right [or not].
12 Okutu okuwulira n’eriiso eriraba byombi Mukama ye y’abikola.
Two of the things that Yahweh has created [for us] are ears to hear things and eyes to see things.
13 Toyagalanga kwebaka oleme kwavuwala, tunula, obeerenga n’ebyokulya bingi.
If you want to sleep [all the time], you will become poor; if you stay awake [and work], you will have plenty of food.
14 “Si kirungi, si kirungi,” bw’ayogera agula; naye bw’agenda n’alyoka yeenyumiririza mu ky’aguze.
People [look at things that they are about] to buy, [and in order to get it for a lower price sometimes they] say, “(It is no good/It is poor quality),” but [after they buy it], they go and boast [about having bought it for a cheap price].
15 Zaabu n’amayinja ag’omuwendo weebiri, naye emimwa egyogera eby’amagezi kye ky’omuwendo ekisingako.
Gold and precious stones are [valuable], but wise words [MTY] are more valuable.
16 Omuntu bw’aleeta ekyambalo kye ne yeeyimiririra gw’atamanyi, kitwalire ddala, na ddala bw’abanga yeeyimiririra omukazi omubambaavu.
If you foolishly promise to a stranger that you will pay what he owes if he is unable to pay it [DOU], [you deserve to] have someone take your coat from you.
17 Emmere enfune mu bukyamu ewooma mu kulya, naye emufuukira amayinja mu kamwa.
People [may] think that food that they acquire by doing what is dishonest will taste very good, but later [they will not enjoy what they have done any more than they would enjoy] eating gravel/sand.
18 Kola entegeka nga weebuuza ku magezi, bw’oba onoolangirira olutalo sooka weebuuze.
When people give you good advice, [if you do what they suggest], your plans will succeed; so be sure to get good advice from wise people before you start fighting a war.
19 Oyo agenda ng’asaasaanya olugambo abotola ebyama, noolwekyo weewale omuntu ayogerayogera ennyo ebitaliimu.
Those who go around telling gossip are [always] telling secrets to [others]; so stay away from people who foolishly talk [too much].
20 Omuntu akolimira kitaawe oba nnyina, ettabaaza ye erizikizibwa n’asigala mu kizikiza ekikutte ennyo.
If someone curses his father or his mother, his life will be ended, [just] like a lamp is extinguished.
21 Eby’obusika ebifune ng’ekiseera kyabyo tekinnatuuka, ku nkomerero tebiba na mukisa.
If you very quickly take the property that your parents promise will be yours after they die, you will not receive any good/blessing from it.
22 Toyogera nti, “Nzija kukusasula olw’ekibi kino!” Lindirira Mukama alikuyamba.
Do not say, “I will do evil to those who do evil to me;” wait for Yahweh [to do something about it], and he will (help you/[do what is right]).
23 Ebipima ebikyamu bya muzizo eri Mukama, ne minzaani ez’obulimba tezisanyusa.
Yahweh detests [those who use] dishonest scales and weights that are not accurate/correct.
24 Amakubo g’omuntu gategekebwa Mukama, omuntu ayinza atya okutegeera ekkubo lya Mukama?
Yahweh is the one who has decided what will happen to us, so (how can we (understand/know) what will happen before it happens?/we humans certainly cannot (understand/know) what will happen before it happens.) [RHQ]
25 Kyambika eri omuntu okwanguyiriza okweyama eri Mukama, naye oluvannyuma n’afumiitiriza ku bye yeeyamye.
You should think carefully before you solemnly promise to dedicate something to God, because later you might be sorry you have promised to do it.
26 Kabaka omugezi asengejja n’aggyamu abakozi b’ebibi, n’ababonereza awatali kusaasira.
Wise kings find out [MET] which people have done what is wrong, and they punish them very severely [IDM].
27 Ettabaaza ya Mukama ekebera omwoyo gw’omuntu, n’enoonya mu bitundu eby’omunda ennyo.
Our consciences are [like] lamps that Yahweh [has given to us to enable us to know what we are thinking] [MET]; they reveal what is hidden deep in our (minds/inner beings).
28 Okwagala n’obwesigwa bikuuma kabaka mu butebenkevu, era obufuzi bwe bunywezebwa na kwagala.
Kings will continue to rule as long as they faithfully love their people and are loyal to them and as long as they rule righteously/fairly.
29 Amaanyi kye kitiibwa ky’abavubuka, envi kye kitiibwa ky’abakadde.
We honor/admire young people because they are strong, but we respect [MTY] old people more because they are wise.
30 Emiggo n’ebiwundu biggyawo ebibi, n’embooko zitereeza ebifo eby’omunda ennyo.
When we are beaten or whipped, it [can] cause us to quit doing what is evil in our lives; when someone wounds us [by punishing us], it [can] cause our behavior to become good.
