< Ohabolana 23 >

1 Ie miambesatse hitrao-pikama ami’ty mpifehe, biribirio ty añatrefa’o eo,
When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;
2 vaho tohoro meso ty tretra’o naho mpanao avetse irehe.
And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.
3 Ko lelalelae’o o raha mafiri’eo, fa mahakama mahatsikapy.
Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.
4 Ko mamokotse vatañe ho mpañaleale, ijihero am-pisafiri’o.
Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.
5 Ampihelañe’o fihaino hao ty tsy eo? fa toe mitsene elatse manahake ty vantio ty vara mitiliñe mb’an-dindiñe eñe.
Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.
6 Ko kamae’o ty hàne’ o matitio, ko irie’o o aze mafirio;
Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:
7 Fa hambañe ami’ty fañereñere’e añ’ova’e ao ty ie: hoe re ama’o; Mikamà naho minoma! fe tsy ama’o ty tro’e.
For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.
8 Hilañe’o i pilipito’e nitsopehe’oy, vaho hianto i fañandriaña’oy.
The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.
9 Ko misaontsy am-pitsa­noña’ ty seretse, fa ho sirikae’e ty hihi’ o enta’oo.
Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.
10 Ko avi’o ty nifaritsohañe haehae, vaho ko miaribañe ty tanem-bode-rae,
Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;
11 amy te maozatse ty mpijeba’ iareo; hitohaña’e ty ama’o.
For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.
12 Ampiantofo filie-batañe ty arofo’o, vaho volan-kilàla o ravembia’oo.
Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Ko ahànkañe ami’ty ana’o ty lilo; fa tsy mahavetrake ty lafan-kobaiñe.
Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.
14 Ie pisoe’o an-kobaiñe, ho haha’o an tsikeokeok’ ao ty tro’e. (Sheol h7585)
Give him blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 O anako, naho mahihitse ty tro’o, ho ehake ty troko,
My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;
16 vaho hirebeke ty añ’ovako ao naho mahafivolañe ty hiti’e o soñi’oo.
And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.
17 Ko apo’o ho tsikirihen-tro’o ty mpandilatse, fe imaneo lomoñandro ty fañeveñañe am’ Iehovà.
Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;
18 Toe ey ty ho avy, vaho tsy haitoañe ty fisalalà’o.
For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 O anako, mitsanoña naho mahihira, vaho avantaño mb’amy lalañey ty tro’o.
Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.
20 Ko mitraok’ amo mpitolom-pitrini-divaio, ndra amo mpamotseke henao;
Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:
21 fa songa hivarin-ko rarake ty mahake naho i jike; vaho hisikin-tsirodea ty poie.
For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.
22 Tsendreño ty rae nisamak’ azo, vaho ko injè’o ty rene’o t’ie bey.
Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.
23 Vilio ty hatò le ko aletake; ikalò hihitse naho anatse vaho hilala.
Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.
24 Handia taroba ty rae’ i mahitiy; vaho hifalea’e i ana-dahy karafito nampiareñe’ey.
The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.
25 Ampiehafo ty rae’o naho i rene’o; hampinembanembañ’ i nisamak’ azoy.
Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.
26 O anake, atoloro ahiko ty tro’o, le ampifaleo amo satakoo o maso’oo.
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.
27 Kadaha laleke ty tsimirirañe, vaho vovoñe maifitse ty karapilo.
For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.
28 Mivoñoñe ao re hoe malaso, vaho ampitomboe’e am’ondatio ty hatsivokarañe.
Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.
29 Ia ty mioremèñe, ia ty mihontoke? Ia ty ampoheke? Ia ty mitoreo? Ia ty vinonotroboke tsy amam-poto’e; Ia ty ama-maso mandofiry?
Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?
30 O mihenekeneke an-divaio, o mitolom-pitsopeke divay linaroo.
Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.
31 Ko hentea’o ty hamena’ ty divay, ty fimilomilo’e am-pitovy ao, ty falamam-pioriha’e.
Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:
32 Ie am-para’e mitifatse hoe lapetake vaho mihehetse hoe fandrefeala.
In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.
33 Hahaoniñe sahàtse o maso’oo, vaho hivolan-kamengohañe ty ron-doha’o.
Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.
34 Le hanahake ty mitsalalampatse aivo’ i riakey irehe, naho ty mandre ambone’ ty bodan-dain-dakañe eo.
Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.
35 Namofok’ ahy iereo, fe tsy manaintaiñe; linafa’e fe tsy nireiko! Ombia te ho tsekake hipaiako indraike?
They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.

< Ohabolana 23 >