Ohabolana 17
1 Tsara ny sombi-mofo maina misy fiadanana Noho ny trano feno hena misy fifandirana.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 Ny mpanompo hendry dia hanapaka ny zanaka manao izay mahamenatra Sady hizara lova amin’ ny mpirahalahy.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 Ny memy ho an’ ny volafotsy, ary ny fatana fandrendrehana ho an’ ny volamena; Fa Jehovah ihany no Mpamantatra ny fo.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 Ny mpanao ratsy mampandry sofina amin’ ny molotra mandainga; Ary ny mpandainga mihaino ny lela mampidi-doza.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 Izay mihomehy ny malahelo manala baraka ny Mpanao azy; Ary izay faly amin’ ny fahorian’ ny sasany dia tsy maintsy hampijalina.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Satroboninahitry ny antitra ny zafiny; Ary voninahitry ny zanaka ny rainy.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Ny teny jadona tsy tandrifiny halahatry ny adala, Koa mainka fa tsy tokony ho an’ ny zanak’ andriana ny molotra mandainga.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Ny kolikoly dia toy ny vato soa eo imason’ izay mahazo azy, Ka na aiza na aiza alehany dia ambinina ihany.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 Izay te-ho be fitiavana dia manaron-keloka; Fa izay mamohafoha teny mampisaraka ny tena mpisakaiza.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 Ny anatra dia manan-kery kokoa amin’ ny hendry Noho ny kapoka injato amin’ ny adala.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Ny maditra dia fatra-pitady ny ratsy, Ka dia iraka lozabe no irahina hamely azy.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Aleo mifanena amin’ ny bera very anaka Toy izay amin’ ny adala feno hadalana.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 Izay mamaly ratsy ny soa, Ny ratsy tsy hiala ao an-tranony.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Ny fiandohan’ ny ady dia toy ny manata-drano, Koa ilaozy ny fifandirana, dieny tsy mbola mifandramatra.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 Izay manamarina ny meloka, na izay manameloka ny marina, Dia samy fahavetavetana eo imason’ i Jehovah.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 Hatao inona re ity vola an-tànan’ ny adala? Hamidy fahendrena va? tsy manan-tsaina izy.
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 Izay tena sakaiza tokoa dia tia amin’ ny andro rehetra, Sady miseho ho rahalahy hamonjy amin’ ny fahoriana.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Olona tsy ampy saina izay mifandray tanana Hiantoka eo anatrehan’ ny sakaizany.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 Izay tia ady dia tia heloka; Ary izay manao vavahady avo mitady fahasimbana.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 Izay madi-po tsy hahita soa; Ary izay manana lela mandainga hivarina any amin’ ny loza.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 Izay miteraka adala hahazo alahelo; Ary ny rain’ ny adala tsy ho faly.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Ny fo ravoravo mahasalama tsara; Fa ny fanahy kivy mahamaina ny taolana.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Ny ratsy fanahy mandray kolikoly avy any anaty lamba Ho entiny mamadika ny rariny.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Eo anoloan’ ny manan-tsaina ny fahendrena; Fa ny mason’ ny adala dia mibirioka any amin’ ny faran’ ny tany.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 Ny zanaka adala mampalahelo ny rainy Sady fahoriana mangidy amin’ ny reniny niteraka azy.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Tsy mety raha mampijaly ny marina, Na mamely ny manan-kaja noho ny fahamarinany.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Izay mahafihim-bava no manam-pahalalana; Ary izay mahatsindry fo no manan-tsaina.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 Na ny adala aza, raha tsy miteny, dia atao ho hendry, Ary izay mahafihim-bava dia toa manan-tsaina.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
