Engero 26
1 Ng’omuzira bwe gutasaana mu biseera bya kusiga oba enkuba mu makungula, n’ekitiibwa bwe kitasaanira musirusiru.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Ng’enkazaluggya ewabye, ng’akataayi akabuukabuuka, ekikolimo ekitasaanidde tekibaako kye kikola.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Embooko ya mbalaasi, n’olukoba lwa ndogoyi, n’omuggo gusaanira migongo gya basirusirusiru.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Toyanukulanga musirusiru ng’obusirusiru bwe, bwe buli, oleme kubeera nga ye.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Omusirusiru omuddangamu ng’obusirusiru bwe, bwe buli, si kulwa nga yeerowooza nti mugezi.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Omuntu atuma omusirusiru, aba ng’eyeetemyeko ebigere n’anywa obusungu.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Ng’amagulu g’omulema bwe galengejja obulengezzi, bwe lutyo n’olugero bwe lubeera mu kamwa k’omusirusiru.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Ng’atadde ejjinja mu nvuumuulo bw’aba, n’oyo awa omusirusiru ekitiibwa bw’atyo bw’abeera.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Ng’eriggwa bwe lifumita mu mukono gw’omutamiivu, bwe lutyo n’olugero bwe lubeera mu kamwa k’abasirusiru.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Ng’omulasi w’akasaale, amala galasa buli gw’asanze, bw’abeera bw’atyo apangisa omusirusiru oba omuyise yenna gw’asanze.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Ng’embwa bw’eddira ebisesemye by’ayo, bw’atyo bw’abeera omusirusiru adda mu nsobi ze.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Olaba omuntu omugezi mu maaso ge ye? Omusirusiru alina essuubi okumusinga.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Omugayaavu agamba nti, “Mu kkubo eriyo empologoma, empologoma enkambwe eyita mu luguudo!”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Ng’oluggi bwe lukyukira ku ppata zaalwo, bw’atyo omugayaavu bw’akyukira ku kitanda kye.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Omugayaavu akoza n’engalo ze mu kibya, naye olw’obunafu bwe n’atasobola kuzizza mu kamwa.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Omugayaavu alowooza nti mugezi, okusinga abantu omusanvu abaddamu ebibuuzo mu butuufu.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Ng’asika embwa amatu, omuyise bw’abeera eyeeyingiza mu luyombo olutali lulwe.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Ng’omulalu akasuka emmuli ez’omuliro oba obusaale obutta,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 bw’abeera omuntu alimba munne, n’agamba nti, “Mbadde nsaaga busaazi.”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Enku bwe zibula omuliro guzikira, awatali lugambo ennyombo ziggwaawo.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Ng’amanda ku gannaago agaliko omuliro, oba enku ku muliro, bw’abeera omusajja omuyombi mu kuwakula entalo.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Ebigambo by’omuntu ageya biri ng’emmere ewoomerera, bigenda mu bitundu by’omubiri eby’ewala.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Ng’ekintu eky’ebbumba ekibikkiddwako amasengere, bwe gibeera emimwa eminyiikivu egisibuka ku mutima omubi.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Omuntu ow’enkwe alimbalimba n’emimwa gye naye ng’aterese obulimba mu mutima gwe.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Wadde nga by’ayogera bisanyusa, tomukkiririzaamu kubanga eby’emizizo musanvu bijjuza mu mutima gwe.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Enkwe ze ziyinza okubikkibwa mu kubuzaabuuza, naye obutali butuukirivu bwe buliggyibwayo mu lukuŋŋaana.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Buli asima ekinnya y’alikigwamu, n’oyo aliyiringisa ejjinja gwe liriddira.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Olulimi olulimba lukyawa abo be lufumita, n’akamwa akawaanawaana kaleeta okuzikirira.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
