Ohabolana 23
1 Ie miambesatse hitrao-pikama ami’ty mpifehe, biribirio ty añatrefa’o eo,
When you sit to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you,
2 vaho tohoro meso ty tretra’o naho mpanao avetse irehe.
and put a knife to your throat if you are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.
3 Ko lelalelae’o o raha mafiri’eo, fa mahakama mahatsikapy.
Do not crave his delicacies, for it is the food of lies.
4 Ko mamokotse vatañe ho mpañaleale, ijihero am-pisafiri’o.
Do not work too hard to gain wealth; be wise enough to know when to stop.
5 Ampihelañe’o fihaino hao ty tsy eo? fa toe mitsene elatse manahake ty vantio ty vara mitiliñe mb’an-dindiñe eñe.
Will you let your eyes light upon it? It will be gone, for it will surely take up wings like an eagle and fly off to the sky.
6 Ko kamae’o ty hàne’ o matitio, ko irie’o o aze mafirio;
Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye— and do not crave his delicacies,
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 he is the kind of man who counts the price of the food. “Eat 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.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten and you will have wasted your compliments.
9 Ko misaontsy am-pitsanoña’ ty seretse, fa ho sirikae’e ty hihi’ o enta’oo.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Ko avi’o ty nifaritsohañe haehae, vaho ko miaribañe ty tanem-bode-rae,
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of orphans,
11 amy te maozatse ty mpijeba’ iareo; hitohaña’e ty ama’o.
for their Redeemer is strong and he will plead their case against you.
12 Ampiantofo filie-batañe ty arofo’o, vaho volan-kilàla o ravembia’oo.
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Ko ahànkañe ami’ty ana’o ty lilo; fa tsy mahavetrake ty lafan-kobaiñe.
Do not withhold instruction from a child, for if you discipline him, he will not die.
It is you who must beat him with the rod and save his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 O anako, naho mahihitse ty tro’o, ho ehake ty troko,
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart also will be glad;
16 vaho hirebeke ty añ’ovako ao naho mahafivolañe ty hiti’e o soñi’oo.
my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
17 Ko apo’o ho tsikirihen-tro’o ty mpandilatse, fe imaneo lomoñandro ty fañeveñañe am’ Iehovà.
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.
18 Toe ey ty ho avy, vaho tsy haitoañe ty fisalalà’o.
Surely 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.
Hear—you!—my son, and be wise and direct your heart in the way.
20 Ko mitraok’ amo mpitolom-pitrini-divaio, ndra amo mpamotseke henao;
Do not associate with drunkards, or with gluttonous eaters of meat,
21 fa songa hivarin-ko rarake ty mahake naho i jike; vaho hisikin-tsirodea ty poie.
for the drunkard and the glutton become poor and slumber will clothe them with rags.
22 Tsendreño ty rae nisamak’ azo, vaho ko injè’o ty rene’o t’ie bey.
Listen to your father who begot you and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Vilio ty hatò le ko aletake; ikalò hihitse naho anatse vaho hilala.
Buy the truth, but do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24 Handia taroba ty rae’ i mahitiy; vaho hifalea’e i ana-dahy karafito nampiareñe’ey.
The father of the righteous person will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will be glad in him.
25 Ampiehafo ty rae’o naho i rene’o; hampinembanembañ’ i nisamak’ azoy.
Let your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice.
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 observe my ways.
27 Kadaha laleke ty tsimirirañe, vaho vovoñe maifitse ty karapilo.
For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an immoral woman is a narrow well.
28 Mivoñoñe ao re hoe malaso, vaho ampitomboe’e am’ondatio ty hatsivokarañe.
She lies in wait like a robber and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.
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 has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has fights? Who has complaining? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 O mihenekeneke an-divaio, o mitolom-pitsopeke divay linaroo.
Those who linger over wine, those who try the mixed wine.
31 Ko hentea’o ty hamena’ ty divay, ty fimilomilo’e am-pitovy ao, ty falamam-pioriha’e.
Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 Ie am-para’e mitifatse hoe lapetake vaho mihehetse hoe fandrefeala.
In the last it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder.
33 Hahaoniñe sahàtse o maso’oo, vaho hivolan-kamengohañe ty ron-doha’o.
Your eyes will see strange things and your heart will utter perverse things.
34 Le hanahake ty mitsalalampatse aivo’ i riakey irehe, naho ty mandre ambone’ ty bodan-dain-dakañe eo.
You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas or lies on the top of a mast.
35 Namofok’ ahy iereo, fe tsy manaintaiñe; linafa’e fe tsy nireiko! Ombia te ho tsekake hipaiako indraike?
“They hit me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not feel it. When will I wake up? I will seek another drink.”
