Engero 23
1 Bw’otuulanga okulya n’omufuzi, weetegerezanga ebiri mu maaso go;
When you sit to eat with a ruler, Diligently consider that which [is] before you,
2 era weegendereze bw’obanga omanyi ng’olulunkanira ebyokulya.
And you have put a knife to your throat, If you [are] a man of appetite.
3 Tolulunkanira mmere ye ennungi, kubanga erimbalimba.
Have no desire to his delicacies, seeing it [is] lying food.
4 Teweemalangako mirembe ng’oyaayaanira obugagga; weefuge obeere mukkakkamu.
Do not labor to make wealth, Cease from your own understanding, Do you cause your eyes to fly on it? Then it is not.
5 Eby’obugagga obikubako eriiso limu nga by’agenze dda, kubanga ddala bimera ebiwaawaatiro ne bibuuka mu bbanga ng’empungu.
For wealth makes wings to itself, It flies to the heavens as an eagle.
6 Tolyanga mmere ya muntu mukodo, wadde okwegomba ebirungi by’alya.
Do not eat the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his delicacies,
7 Kubanga ye muntu abalirira ensimbi z’asaasaanyizza, n’akugamba nti, “Weeriire, weenywere,” naye ng’omutima gwe tegukusanyukira.
For as he has thought in his soul, so he [is]. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, And his heart [is] not with you.
8 Akatono k’onooba olidde onookasesema, ebigambo byo ebirungi eby’okwebaza bibe bya bwereere.
You vomit up your morsel you have eaten, And have marred your words that [are] sweet.
9 Totegana kubuulirira musirusiru, kubanga ajja kunyooma ebigambo byo eby’amagezi.
Do not speak in the ears of a fool, For he treads on the wisdom of your words.
10 Tojjululanga nsalo ey’edda, so toyingiriranga nnimiro za bamulekwa,
Do not remove a border of ancient times, And do not enter into fields of the fatherless,
11 kubanga abalwanirira w’amaanyi, alikuggulako omusango.
For their Redeemer [is] strong, He pleads their cause with you.
12 Ossangayo omwoyo eri okuyigirizibwa, n’amatu go eri ebigambo by’okutegeera.
Bring your heart to instruction, And your ear to sayings of knowledge.
13 Tolekangayo kukangavvula mwana, bw’omubonereza n’akaggo tekimutta.
Do not withhold discipline from a youth, When you strike him with a rod he does not die.
You strike him with a rod, And you deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Mwana wange, bw’oba n’omutima ogw’amagezi, kinsanyusa.
My son, if your heart has been wise, My heart rejoices, even mine,
16 Nnaajjaguzanga okuva ku ntobo y’omutima gwange, bw’onooyogeranga ebituufu.
And my reins exult when your lips speak uprightly.
17 Omutima gwo gulemenga okukwatirwa aboonoonyi obuggya, kyokka nyiikira okutya Mukama ebbanga lyonna.
Do not let your heart be envious at sinners, But—in the fear of YHWH all the day.
18 Mazima ddala onoobanga n’essuubi mu biseera eby’omu maaso, n’essuubi lyo eryo teririggwaawo.
For is there a posterity? Then your hope is not cut off.
19 Mwana wange wulirizanga, obeerenga n’amagezi, okumenga omutima gwo mu kkubo ettuufu.
Hear, my son, and be wise, And make your heart blessed in the way,
20 Teweegattanga ku abo abeekamirira omwenge, n’abalulunkanira ennyama:
Do not become drunk with wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
21 Kubanga omutamiivu n’omuluvu baavuwala, n’okubongoota olutata kubambaza enziina.
For the drunkard and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clothes with rags.
22 Wulirizanga kitaawo eyakuzaala, so togayanga nnyoko ng’akaddiye.
Listen to your father, who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she has become old.
23 Gula amazima so togatunda, ffuna amagezi, n’okuyigirizibwa n’okutegeera.
Buy truth, and do not sell, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
24 Kitaawe w’omutuukirivu alina essanyu lingi, n’oyo azaala omwana ow’amagezi amwenyumiririzaamu.
The father of the righteous rejoices greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoices in him.
25 Leka kitaawo ne nnyoko basanyuke, omukazi eyakuzaala ajaguzenga.
Your father and your mother rejoice, Indeed, she bearing you is joyful.
26 Mwana wange mpa omutima gwo, n’amaaso go geekalirize amakubo gange,
Give, my son, your heart to me, And let your eyes watch my ways.
27 kubanga omukazi omwenzi lukonko luwanvu, n’omukazi omubambaavu luzzi lufunda.
For a harlot [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, as catching prey, lies in wait, And she increases 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 has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaint? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 Abo abatava ku mwenge, nga bagenda baloza ku mwenge omutabule.
Those lingering by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
31 Totunuulira wayini ng’amyuse, bw’atemaganira mu ggiraasi ng’akka empolampola;
Do not see wine when it shows itself red, When it gives its color in the cup, It goes up and down through the upright.
32 ku nkomerero aluma ng’omusota, wa busagwa ng’essalambwa.
Its latter end—it bites as a serpent, And it stings as a viper.
33 Amaaso go galiraba ebyewuunyo, n’omutwe gwo ne gulowooza ebitategeerekeka.
Your eyes see strange women, And your heart speaks perverse things.
34 Oliba ng’omuntu eyeebase wakati mu nnyanja, obanga oyo alengejjera waggulu ku mulongooti.
And you have been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
35 Olyogera nti, “Bankubye, naye sirumiddwa. Bankubye naye sirina kye mpuliddemu. Nnaazuukuka ddi, neeyongere okunywa?”
“They struck me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake—I seek it yet again!”
