Ohabolana 26
1 Toy ny oram-panala amin’ ny lohataona, Ary toy ny ranonorana amin’ ny taom-pijinjana, Dia toy izany ny voninahitra tsy tandrifiny ho an’ ny adala.
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 Toy ny vorona mivezivezy sy ny sidintsidina manidina, Dia toy izany ny fanozonam-poana: tsy mba hihatra izany.
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 Ny karavasy ho amin’ ny soavaly ny lamboridy ho amin’ ny boriky, Ary ny tsorakazo kosa ho amin’ ny lamosin’ ny adala.
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 Aza mamaly ny adala araka ny hadalany, Fandrao mba adala tahaka azy koa ianao.
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 Valio ny adala araka ny hadalany, Fandrao dia manao azy ho hendry izy
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Manapaka ny tongony sady misotro loza Izay mampitondra teny ny adala.
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 Mikepikepika ny tongotry ny malemy tongotra, Dia toy izany ny ohabolana eo am-bavan’ ny adala.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Toy ny manisy vato eo amin’ ny antsamotady, Dia toy izany ny manome voninahitra ny adala.
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 Toy ny tsilo eny an-tànan’ ny olona mamo, Dia toy izany ny ohabolana eo am-bavan’ ny adala.
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 Ny mpiasa mahay dia mahavita ny zavatra isan-karazany; Fa izay manakarama ny adala dia toy ny manakarama izay sendra mandalo.
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 Toy ny amboa miverina amin’ ny loany, Dia toy izany ny adala miverina amin’ ny hadalany.
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 Hitanao va ny olona manao azy ho hendry? Ny adala misy hantenaina kokoa noho izy.
[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 Hoy ny malaina: Misy liona any an-dalana, Misy liona atsy an-dalambe.
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Toy ny varavarana mihodìna amin’ ny saviliny, Dia toy izany ny kamo eo amin’ ny fandriany,
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 Ny malaina mangarona ny eo an-doviany, Nefa ny hampakatra azy ho amin’ ny vavany dia mahasasatra azy.
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 Ny kamo manao ny tenany ho hendry mihoatra noho ny olona fito izay mahavaly tsara.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Izay mandalo ka mitsaraingona amin’ ny ady tsy azy Dia mandroritra amboa amin’ ny sofiny.
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 Toy ny adala izay manely afo sy zana-tsipìka ary fahafatesana,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 Dia toy izany ny olona mamitaka ny namany ka manao hoe: Tsy vosobosotra ihany va no ataoko?
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Raha tsy misy kitay intsony, dia maty ny afo; Ary raha tsy misy mpifosafosa intsony, dia mitsahatra ny fifandirana.
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 Toy ny arina atao amin’ ny vainafo sy ny kitay hazo atao amin’ ny afo, Dia toy izany, ny olona tia ady mandrehitra fifandirana.
[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 Ny tenin’ ny mpifosafosa dia toy ny hanim-py ka mikorotsaka ao anaty kibo indrindra.
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 Tavim-bilany misy ankosotra taim-bolafotsy ny molotra mihatsaravelatsihy sy ny fo ratsy.
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 Ny mpandrafy dia mody ho hafa amin’ ny molony Sady manafim-pitaka ao am-pony;
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 Koa na dia miteny soa aza izy, aza mino azy; Fa fahavetavetana fito no ao am-pony.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Ny lolompo dia miafina ao amin’ ny fitaka; Nefa ny haratsiany dia haharihary eo am-pahibemaso.
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 Izay mihady lavaka no ho latsaka ao, Ary izay manakodiadia vato no hikodiavany kosa.
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 Halan’ ny lela mandainga izay efa nampahoriny, Ary ny vava mandrobo dia mampidi-doza.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
