Engero 23
1 Bw’otuulanga okulya n’omufuzi, weetegerezanga ebiri mu maaso go;
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well who is before thee;
2 era weegendereze bw’obanga omanyi ng’olulunkanira ebyokulya.
and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Tolulunkanira mmere ye ennungi, kubanga erimbalimba.
Be not desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food.
4 Teweemalangako mirembe ng’oyaayaanira obugagga; weefuge obeere mukkakkamu.
Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from thine own intelligence:
5 Eby’obugagga obikubako eriiso limu nga by’agenze dda, kubanga ddala bimera ebiwaawaatiro ne bibuuka mu bbanga ng’empungu.
wilt thou set thine eyes upon it, it is gone; for indeed it maketh itself wings and it flieth away as an eagle towards the heavens.
6 Tolyanga mmere ya muntu mukodo, wadde okwegomba ebirungi by’alya.
Eat thou not the food of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties.
7 Kubanga ye muntu abalirira ensimbi z’asaasaanyizza, n’akugamba nti, “Weeriire, weenywere,” naye ng’omutima gwe tegukusanyukira.
For as he thinketh in his soul, so is he. Eat and drink! will he say unto thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Akatono k’onooba olidde onookasesema, ebigambo byo ebirungi eby’okwebaza bibe bya bwereere.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou vomit up, and thou wilt have wasted thy sweet words.
9 Totegana kubuulirira musirusiru, kubanga ajja kunyooma ebigambo byo eby’amagezi.
Speak not in the ears of a foolish [man], for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Tojjululanga nsalo ey’edda, so toyingiriranga nnimiro za bamulekwa,
Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11 kubanga abalwanirira w’amaanyi, alikuggulako omusango.
for their redeemer is mighty; he will plead their cause against thee.
12 Ossangayo omwoyo eri okuyigirizibwa, n’amatu go eri ebigambo by’okutegeera.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Tolekangayo kukangavvula mwana, bw’omubonereza n’akaggo tekimutta.
Withhold not correction from the child; for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die:
thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Mwana wange, bw’oba n’omutima ogw’amagezi, kinsanyusa.
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine;
16 Nnaajjaguzanga okuva ku ntobo y’omutima gwange, bw’onooyogeranga ebituufu.
and my reins shall exult, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Omutima gwo gulemenga okukwatirwa aboonoonyi obuggya, kyokka nyiikira okutya Mukama ebbanga lyonna.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day;
18 Mazima ddala onoobanga n’essuubi mu biseera eby’omu maaso, n’essuubi lyo eryo teririggwaawo.
for surely there is a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Mwana wange wulirizanga, obeerenga n’amagezi, okumenga omutima gwo mu kkubo ettuufu.
Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct thy heart in the way.
20 Teweegattanga ku abo abeekamirira omwenge, n’abalulunkanira ennyama:
Be not among winebibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh.
21 Kubanga omutamiivu n’omuluvu baavuwala, n’okubongoota olutata kubambaza enziina.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth with rags.
22 Wulirizanga kitaawo eyakuzaala, so togayanga nnyoko ng’akaddiye.
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Gula amazima so togatunda, ffuna amagezi, n’okuyigirizibwa n’okutegeera.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and intelligence.
24 Kitaawe w’omutuukirivu alina essanyu lingi, n’oyo azaala omwana ow’amagezi amwenyumiririzaamu.
The father of a righteous [man] shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise [son] shall have joy of him:
25 Leka kitaawo ne nnyoko basanyuke, omukazi eyakuzaala ajaguzenga.
let thy father and thy mother have joy, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
26 Mwana wange mpa omutima gwo, n’amaaso go geekalirize amakubo gange,
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 kubanga omukazi omwenzi lukonko luwanvu, n’omukazi omubambaavu luzzi lufunda.
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Ateega ng’omutemu, n’ayongera ku muwendo gw’abasajja abatali beesigwa eri bakazi baabwe.
She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Ani alina obuyinike? Ani alina ennaku? Ani alina ennyombo? Ani alina okwemulugunya? Ani alina ebiwundu eby’obwereere? Ani amyuse amaaso?
Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes?
30 Abo abatava ku mwenge, nga bagenda baloza ku mwenge omutabule.
— They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
31 Totunuulira wayini ng’amyuse, bw’atemaganira mu ggiraasi ng’akka empolampola;
Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkleth in the cup, and goeth down smoothly:
32 ku nkomerero aluma ng’omusota, wa busagwa ng’essalambwa.
at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Amaaso go galiraba ebyewuunyo, n’omutwe gwo ne gulowooza ebitategeerekeka.
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall speak froward things;
34 Oliba ng’omuntu eyeebase wakati mu nnyanja, obanga oyo alengejjera waggulu ku mulongooti.
and thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, and as he that lieth down upon the top of a mast:
35 Olyogera nti, “Bankubye, naye sirumiddwa. Bankubye naye sirina kye mpuliddemu. Nnaazuukuka ddi, neeyongere okunywa?”
— “They have smitten me, [and] I am not sore; they have beaten me, [and] I knew it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
