Engero 25
1 Zino nazo ngero za Sulemaani abasajja ba Keezeekiya kabaka wa Yuda ze baakoppolola.
Here are more wise sayings/words that Solomon [wrote]. Some men who worked for Hezekiah, the king of Judah, copied them [from a scroll that Solomon had written].
2 Okukisa ensonga kitiibwa kya Katonda, naye okunoonyereza ensonga kitiibwa kya bakabaka.
[We consider] God to be great because he (acts in mysterious ways/does things that we cannot understand); [we consider] kings to be great because they explain things.
3 Ng’eggulu bwe lyewanise waggulu ennyo n’ensi bw’ekka ennyo wansi, bwe gityo n’emitima gya bakabaka bwe gitategeerekeka.
[It is not possible for anyone to measure] how high the sky is or how deep the earth/ocean is; likewise [SIM], it is not possible for us to know [all] that kings are thinking.
4 Effeeza giggyeemu ebisejja, olyoke ofune omuweesi ky’anaakozesa.
[If workers] burn out the impure bits that are in silver, a man who makes things from silver can make something beautiful from the silver.
5 Ggyawo abakozi b’ebibi mu maaso ga kabaka, entebe ye ey’obwakabaka eryoke enywezebwe mu butuukirivu.
[Similarly, if] wicked [advisors] are taken away from a king, his government will remain secure, because [the king will be able to] act justly.
6 Teweekuzanga mu maaso ga kabaka, wadde okwewa ekifo mu bantu ab’ekitiibwa.
When you stand in front of a king, do not try to (impress him/honor yourself) and do not (act like you are important/ask to sit where important people sit; )
7 Kubanga okukugamba nti, “Jjangu wano mu maaso,” kisingako okukuswaza mu maaso g’ow’ekitiibwa.
it is better if someone tells you to sit closer [to the king] than for [someone to tell you], while the king is listening, to sit further away in order that someone who is more important [may sit closer to the king].
8 Amaaso go bye galabye tobyanguyirizanga kubireeta mu mbuga, kubanga oluvannyuma onookola otya munno bw’anaakuswaza?
Do not quickly go to a court [to tell the judge about] something that you have seen, because another witness may later [say something that proves that you are wrong, and as a result] you will be disgraced/ashamed. If that happens, (what will you do?/you will not know what to do.) [RHQ]
9 Bw’owozanga ne muliraanwa wo, tobikkulanga kyama kya muntu mulala,
If you and someone else think differently about some matter, settle it between yourselves, and do not tell others any secret [that he has told you].
10 akiwulira aleme okukuswaza; n’onyoomebwa ebbanga lyonna.
If others find out that you have told secrets, you will be ashamed, and from that time on, (you will have a bad reputation/people will think badly about you).
11 Ekigambo ekyogere nga bwe kisaanidde, kiba kya muwendo nnyo nga zaabu gwe batonye mu bintu bye bakoze mu ffeeza.
Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
12 Ng’empeta ey’omu kutu eya zaabu, oba akakomo aka zaabu ennungi, bw’atyo omuntu ow’amagezi anenya, bw’abeera eri okutu okuwuliriza.
When a wise person rebukes/warns someone [SYN] who is willing to listen, that is [as valuable as] [SIM] a gold ring or a gold chain.
13 Ng’obunnyogovu bw’omuzira bwe bubeera mu biseera eby’okukunguliramu, bw’atyo bw’abeera omubaka omwesigwa eri abo abamutuma, aweweeza emmeeme ya bakama be.
A messenger who (is reliable/tells someone else exactly what he was told to say) refreshes [the spirits of] his bosses who sent him like [SIM] (snow/cold water) refreshes [the ground] at the time that [people] harvest crops.
14 Ng’ebire n’empewo omutali nkuba, omuntu asuubiza ebirabo by’atagaba bw’abeera.
When someone promises to give a gift to us but never gives it, [that disappoints us] as much as [SIM] clouds and wind that come but do not bring any rain.
15 Okugumiikiriza okungi kuyinza okukkirizisa omufuzi, n’olulimi olw’eggonjebwa lumenya eggumba.
If someone keeps requesting a ruler long enough to do something, he will [often] agree to do it; similarly, by speaking [MTY] gently we can [often] convince [others that what we say is right] [IDM].
16 Bw’ozuula omubisi gw’enjuki, lyako ogwo gwokka ogukumala, si kulwa ng’ogukkuta nnyo n’ogusesema.
If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
17 Tokyalanga lunye ewa muliraanwa wo, si kulwa ng’akwetamwa n’akukyawa.
Do not go to your neighbor’s house very often [to talk with him]; if you go [very] often, he will get tired of listening to you and start to hate you.
18 Omuntu awa obujulizi obw’obulimba ku muliraanwa we, ali ng’embuukuuli, oba ekitala, oba akasaale akoogi.
To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 Okwesiga omuntu ateesigika, kiri ng’oli alina erinnyo eddwadde oba ekigere ekirema.
Depending on unreliable people when you have troubles is [as bad] as [trying to eat when] you have a bad/hurting tooth or [trying to walk when] your foot is crippled.
20 Ng’omuntu eyeeyambula engoye mu kiseera eky’obutiti, era ng’omwenge omukaatuufu bwe guteekebwako oluvu, bw’atyo bw’abeera ayimbira oyo ali mu buyinike.
Singing to someone who is depressed [just causes him to feel worse]; it is like [SIM] taking off clothes on a very cold day or like putting vinegar on a wound.
21 Omulabe wo bw’aba alumwa enjala, muwe emmere alye, bw’aba alumwa ennyonta muwe amazzi anywe.
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
22 Kubanga oliba otuuma amanda g’omuliro ku mutwe gwe, era Mukama alikuwa empeera.
doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
23 Ng’empewo ey’obukiikakkono bwereeta enkuba, n’olulimi oluyomba bwe luleetera omuntu obusungu.
When wind blows from the right direction, it will rain; [similarly] [SIM], if we gossip about others, that causes them to look at us very angrily.
24 Okusulanga mu kasonda waggulu ku nnyumba, kisinga okubeera n’omukazi omuyombi mu nnyumba.
It is better to live ([alone/by yourself]) in the corner of an attic/housetop than to live inside the house with a wife who is [always] nagging.
25 Ng’amazzi amannyogovu bwe gaba eri emmeeme erumwa ennyonta, bwe gatyo bwe gaba amawulire amalungi agava mu nsi ey’ewala.
Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
26 Ng’oluzzi olusiikuuse, oba ensulo eyonoonese, bw’atyo bw’abeera omutuukirivu eyeewaayo eri omukozi w’ebibi.
When a righteous/good person (gives in/yields) to wicked [people], that is [as bad] as [SIM] a spring that becomes muddied or a fountain that becomes polluted.
27 Si kirungi kulya mubisi gwa njuki mungi, bwe kityo si kirungi omuntu okwenoonyeza ekitiibwa.
It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
28 Omuntu ateefuga ali ng’ekibuga ekimenyeemenye ne kirekebwa nga tekirina bbugwe.
People who (cannot control their tempers/quickly become very angry) [are unable to defend their behavior]; that is like [having] a city without a wall around it, [with the result that no one can defend it].
