Miyambo 26
1 Ngati chisanu choti mbee nthawi yachilimwe kapena mvula nthawi yokolola, ndi momwe zilili ndi ulemu wowulandira chitsiru.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 Ngati timba wokhalira kuwuluka kapena namzeze wokhalira kuzungulirazungulira, ndi mmenenso limachitira temberero lopanda chifukwa, silichitika.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 Mkwapulo ndi wokwapulira kavalo, chitsulo ndi cha mʼkamwa mwa bulu, choncho ndodo ndi yoyenera ku msana wa chitsiru.
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 Usayankhe chitsiru monga mwa uchitsiru wake, kuopa kuti ungadzakhale ngati chitsirucho.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Koma nthawi zina umuyankhe monga mwa uchitsiru wake, kuopa kuti angamadziyese yekha wanzeru.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Kutuma chitsiru kuti akapereke uthenga kuli ngati kudzidula mapazi ndipo kumakuyitanira mavuto.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 Monga miyendo ya munthu wolumala imene ilibe mphamvu ndi mmene ulili mwambi mʼkamwa mwa chitsiru.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Kupereka ulemu kwa chitsiru zili ngati kukulunga mwala mʼlegeni.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Monga umachitira mtengo waminga wobaya mʼdzanja la chidakwa ndi mmene ulili mwambi mʼkamwa mwa chitsiru.
Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
10 Munthu amene amalemba ntchito chitsiru chongoyendayenda, ali ngati woponya mivi amene angolasa anthu chilaselase.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Chitsiru chimene chimabwerezabwereza uchitsiru wake chili ngati galu amene amabwerera ku masanzi ake.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
12 Munthu wa uchitsiru aliko bwino popeza pali chiyembekezo kuposana ndi munthu amene amadziyesa yekha kuti ndi wanzeru.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 Munthu waulesi amati, “Mu msewu muli mkango, mkango woopsa ukuyendayenda mʼmisewu!”
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 Monga chitseko chimapita uku ndi uku pa zolumikizira zake, momwemonso munthu waulesi amangotembenukatembenuka pa bedi lake.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 Munthu waulesi akapisa dzanja lake mu mʼbale; zimamutopetsa kuti alifikitse pakamwa pake.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 Munthu waulesi amadziyesa yekha wanzeru kuposa anthu asanu ndi awiri amene amayankha mochenjera.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Munthu wongolowera mikangano imene si yake ali ngati munthu wogwira makutu a galu wongodziyendera.
He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
18 Monga munthu wamisala amene akuponya sakali zamoto kapena mivi yoopsa,
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 ndi momwe alili munthu wonamiza mnzake, amene amati, “Ndimangoseka chabe!”
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Pakasowa nkhuni, moto umazima; chomwechonso pakasowa anthu amiseche mkangano umatha.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 Monga alili makala pa moto wonyeka kapena mmene zimachitira nkhuni pa moto, ndi mmene alili munthu wolongolola poyambitsa mikangano.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 Mawu a munthu wamiseche ali ngati chakudya chokoma; chimene chimatsikira mʼmimba mwa munthu.
The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
23 Monga mmene chiziro chimakutira chiwiya chadothi ndi mmene mawu oshashalika amabisira mtima woyipa.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 Munthu wachidani amayankhula zabwino pamene mu mtima mwake muli chinyengo.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 Ngakhale wotereyu mawu ake ali okoma, koma usamukhulupirire, pakuti mu mtima mwake mwadzaza zonyansa.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 Ngakhale amabisa chidani mochenjera, koma kuyipa kwakeko kudzaonekera poyera pa gulu la anthu.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Ngati munthu akumba dzenje, adzagweramo yekha; ngati munthu agubuduza mwala, udzamupsinja iye mwini.
He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
28 Munthu wonama amadana ndi amene anawapweteka, ndipo pakamwa poshashalika pamabweretsa chiwonongeko.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
