Ohabolana 24
1 Ko kirañe’o o lo-tserekeo, ko mañiry ho mpiam’ iareo.
Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
2 Fa mikitroke hapiaroteñe ty ron-doha’iareo, vaho mivolan-tsiroe-tafatoe o soñi’eo.
for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
3 Hihitse ty mahafonitse anjomba, vaho hilàla ty añorizañe aze;
A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
4 Fahafohinañe ty mahapea o efe’eo amy ze hene vara soa naho mahafale.
Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
5 Maozatse t’indaty mahihitse, manovon-kafatrarañe ty mahilala;
If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
6 amy te fiaoloañe mahihitse ty ifanehafa’o amo ali’oo, vaho minday fandrebahañe ty hamarom-piaolo.
for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
7 Loho ambone’ i seretsey ty hihitse; ie tsy manoka-palie an-dalam-bey eo.
Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
8 Hatao mpikitro-draha ty mikilily hanao raty.
Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
9 Hakeo ty mikitro-kagegeañe, vaho tiva am’ondatio ty mpañinje.
Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
10 Vata’e tsy an-kaozaran-drehe t’ie mitoirañe añ’andron-kaemberañe.
If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
11 Hahao o kozozotem- bam-pandentañe mb’eoo, ie midaliendalieñe mb’am-panjamanañe mb’eo, Ehe, kalaño!
Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
12 Aa naho manao ty hoe irehe, Inao! tsy napota’ay ‘nio!— Tsy mahatsikarake izay hao i Mpandanja arofoy? tsy arofoana’ i Mpañambem-piai’oy hao? Tsy havaha’e am’ondatio hao o sata’eo?
If you say, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.
13 O anako, mihinana tantele, amy te soa, eka, mamy an-dañilañy ao ty tantele boak’ am-papi’ey.
My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
14 Maharendreha te izay ty hihitse ami’ty fiai’o; ie trea’o le ho tendrek’ ama’o ty ho avi’o, vaho tsy haitoañe ty fisalalà’o.
In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
15 Ko vandroñe’o, ty tsereheñe tia, ty anjomba’ i vañoñey; ko joie’o ty akiba imoneña’e;
Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
16 fa mikorovoke im-pito ty vantañe, le mbe mitroatse avao; fe mivembeñe añ’andron-kankàñe o lo-tserekeo.
Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
17 Ko irebeha’o ty fihotraha’ o rafelahi’oo, vaho ko ado’o hifalea’ ty tro’o i fitsikapia’ey.
Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
18 fa ho vazoho’ Iehovà naho ho alihe’e vaho havì’e tsy ho ama’e i haviñera’ey.
otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
19 Ko angovita’o o tsivokatseo, le ko itsikiriha’o o lo-tserekeo;
Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
20 fa tsy aman-ko tamae’e ty tsereheñe; le hakipe ty failo’ i borololoy.
for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21 O anake, mañeveña am’ Iehovà naho amy mpanjakay, le ko mitraok’ amo mpiolao,
My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
22 fa hivovoa’ ty feh’ ohatse, vaho ia ty hahafohiñe ty fifetsaham-piantoañe hanoe’ i roroey?
for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
23 Manoly o tsara retoañe ka o mahihitseo: Tsy mete an-jaka ao ty firihiañe.
These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
24 Ze manao ty hoe amo aman-kakeoo: ‘Vantan-drehe,’ ro honjira’ i màroy; vaho ho heje’ o fifeheañeo;
Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
25 fe ho ehake o mahafañendakeo vaho ho soa tata.
while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
26 Orofeñe o fivimby mahatoiñe an-kahiti’eo.
An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
27 Henefo heike ty fitromaha’o alafe’e ao naho halahalao o tete’oo, vaho ranjio amy zao ty akiba’o.
Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
28 Ko sesehe’o, tsy amam-poto’e t’indaty; vaho ko mamañahy am-pivimby.
Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
29 Ko manao ty hoe: Hanoako hambañe amy nanoa’e ahikoy; sindre havahako ty amy sata’ey.
Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”
30 Niozàko ty tete’ i tembo, niariako ty tanem-balobo’ i seretse;
I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
31 hehe t’ie nioboñobom-patike; nilafihan-kisatse i taney, vaho narobake ty kijolim-bato’e.
It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
32 Ie nitreako le naereñereko, nenteako vaho nitendrek’ anatse.
As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
33 Firotse kede, mandre betebeteke, mañohom-pitañe hiroro,
You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
34 le hikovovoke mb’ama’o ty hararahañe, vaho hoe lahin-defoñe ty hapoia’o.
and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
