Fakkeenya 26
1 Akkuma cabbii yeroo bonaa yookaan bokkaa yeroo haamaa, nama gowwaaf ulfinni hin malu.
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 Akkuma simbirri barriftu yookaan daaloteen barriftu abaarsi sababii malee dhufu nama irra hin buʼu.
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 Alangaan fardaaf, luugamni harreef, uleen immoo dugda gowwaatiif mala!
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 Gowwaadhaaf akka gowwummaa isaatti hin deebisin; yoo akkas goote ati mataan kee iyyuu akkuma isaa taata.
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 Gowwaadhaaf deebii gowwummaa isaatiif malu kenni; yoo kanaa achii inni ogeessa of seʼaa.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Harka nama gowwaatti ergaa ergachuun, akkuma miilla ofii irraa muruu yookaan summii dhuguu ti.
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 Afaan nama gowwaa keessatti, fakkeenyi akkuma miilla naafaa ti.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Namni gowwaadhaaf ulfina kennu, akkuma nama furrisaatti dhagaa guduunfuu ti.
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 Fakkeenyi afaan gowwaa keessatti akkuma qoraattii harka nama machaaʼee keessaa ti.
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 Namni gowwaa yookaan kara deemaa qaxaratu akkuma adamsaa nama hunda xiyyaan madeessuu ti.
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 Akkuma sareen diddiga isheetti deebitu sana, gowwaan gowwummaa isaa irra deddeebiʼa.
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 Ati nama akka ilaalcha ofii isaatti ogeessa taʼe argitaa? Isa irra gowwaatu abdii caalu qaba.
[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 Dhibaaʼaan, “Leenci karaa irra jira; leenci sodaachisaan daandii irra jira!” jedha.
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Akkuma saanqaan muchoo isaa irra naannaʼu, dhibaaʼaan siree ofii irra gaggaragala
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 Dhibaaʼaan harka isaa waciitii keessa kaaʼa; gara afaan isaatti deebifachuuf ni dhibaaʼa.
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 Dhibaaʼaan namoota hubannaadhaan deebii kennan torba caalaa ogeessa of seʼa.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Namni lola nama biraa keessa seenu, akkuma nama harkaan gurra saree qabuu ti.
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 Akkuma maraatuu ibidda yookaan xiyya namatti gad dhiisu tokkoo
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 namni, “Ani nan qoose!” jedhee ollaa isaa gowwoomsus akkasuma.
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Ibiddi yoo qoraan dhabe ni dhaama; hamiin yoo hin jiraanne, lolli ni qabbanaaʼa.
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 Akkuma cileen barbadaa ibiddaa bobeessee qoraan ibidda qabsiisu sana namni lola jaallatu lola kakaasa.
[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 Dubbiin hamattuu akkuma gurshaa miʼaawuu ti; gara kutaa garaattis gad buʼa.
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 Dubbiin gaariin garaa hamaa keessaa baʼu akkuma okkotee meetiin irra dibamee ti.
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 Namni maqaa namaa balleessu tokko arrabuma ofiitiin nama tolaa of fakkeessa; garaa isaa keessatti immoo gowwoomsaa guduunfata.
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 Yoo dubbiin isaa sitti miʼaawe iyyuu isa hin amanin; wanni jibbisiisaan torba garaa isaa guuteeraatii.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Jalʼinni isaa sobaan haguugamee dhokfamuu dandaʼa; hamminni isaa garuu fuula waldaa duratti ifatti baʼa.
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 Namni boolla qotu boolla keessa buʼa; nama dhagaa gangalchus, dhagaan sun isumatti deebiʼa.
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 Arrabni sobu tokko warruma miidhu sana jibba; afaan saadu tokkos badiisa fida.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
