Fakkeenya 17
1 Mana nyaataa dhugaatiin guutame kan lola qabuu mannaa, iddoo nagaan jirutti hurraaʼaa buddeena goggogaa wayya.
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 Garbichi hubataan ilma salphaa bulcha; obboloota gidduuttis dhaala qooddata.
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 Okkoteen waa itti baqsan meetiif, boolli ibiddaa immoo warqeef; Waaqayyo garuu garaa namaa qora.
[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 Namni hamaan dubbii gowwoomsaa dhaggeeffata; sobaanis arraba balaʼamaadhaaf gurra kenna.
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 Namni hiyyeeyyiitti qoosu kan isaan Uume sana tuffata; kan badiisa namaatti gammadu utuu hin adabamin hin hafu.
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 Nama jaare tokkoof ilmaan ilmaan isaa gonfoo dha; haadhaa fi abbaanis ijoollee isaaniitiif ulfina.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Dubbiin baʼeessi nama gowwaatti hin tolu; hidhiin sobu immoo hammam bulchaa tokkotti haa hammaatu ree!
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Mattaʼaan namicha kennuuf miʼa falfalaa ti; inni lafa dhaqu kamitti iyyuu ni milkaaʼa.
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 Namni balleessaa namaaf dhiisu jaalala guddisa; namni waan tokko irra deddeebiʼu, garuu michoota walitti dhiʼaatan gargar baasa.
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 Hamma gowwaan yeroo dhibba garafamee itti dhagaʼamu caalaa ifannaan nama waa hubatutti dhagaʼama.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Namni hamaan fincila qofa barbaada; ergamaan namaa hin naane isatti ni ergama.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Gowwaa gowwummaa isa keessa jiruun walitti dhufuu mannaa amaaketa dhaltuu ilmaan ishee jalaa fudhatamaniin walitti dhufuu wayya.
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 Nama qooda gaarii hamaa deebisu, hamminni mana isaa keessaa hin baʼu.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Lola jalqabuun akkuma bishaan cabsanii yaasuu ti; kanaafuu utuu lolli hin hoʼin dubbii dhiisi.
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 Waaqayyo waan kana lachuu ni balfa; kunis nama yakka qabu qulqulluu gochuu fi nama balleessaa hin qabnetti muruu dha.
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 Sababii inni ogummaa argachuuf fedhii hin qabneef, maallaqni harka gowwaa jiru faayidaa maalii qaba?
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 Michuun yeroo hunda nama jaallata; obboleessi immoo guyyaa rakkootiif dhalata.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Namni qalbii hin qabne harka dhaʼee waa namaaf kakata; fuula ollaa ofii isaa durattis wabii taʼa.
[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 Namni lola jaallatu cubbuu jaallata; namni karra ol dheeraa ijaarus badiisa waama.
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 Namni yaada hamaa qabu hin milkaaʼu; kan arrabni isaa nama gowwoomsus rakkoo keessa seena.
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 Ilmi gowwaan abbaa isaatti gadda fida; abbaan ilma gowwaas hin gammadu.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Garaan gammadu qoricha gaarii dha; hafuurri cabe immoo lafee gogsa.
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 Namni hamaan karaa murtii qajeelaa jalʼisuuf jedhee dhoksaadhaan mattaʼaa fudhata.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Namni hubataan fuula isaa gara ogummaatti deebifata; iji gowwaa garuu hamma handaara lafaatti joora.
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 Ilmi gowwaan abbaa isaatti gadda fida; haadha isa deessettis jireenya hadheessa.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Nama balleessaa hin qabne tokko adabuun gaarii miti; qondaaltota amanamoo rukutuunis sirrii miti.
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 Namni beekaan of qusachaa dubbata; namni hubataanis hafuura qabanaaʼaa qaba.
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 Gowwaan iyyuu yommuu calʼisu ogeessa fakkaata; yommuu arraba isaa toʼatus hubataa fakkaata.
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.
