Eklesiastes 10
1 Mana kaka lwangʼni motho miyo gima dungʼ mangʼwe ngʼar bedo gi tik marach, e kaka miriambo matin ketho rieko kod luor.
[A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
2 Ngʼat mariek timo timbe mabeyo, to ngʼat mofuwo timo timbe maricho.
If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
3 Fupe nenore anena kata kowuotho e yo, kendo ji duto manene ongʼeyo ni ofuwo.
Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
4 Ka ruoth okecho kodi, to kik iwe tiji mitiyono; nimar kibolori to ruoth nyalo ngʼwononi kuom kethogi mangʼeny.
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
5 Nitie richo ma aseneno e bwo wangʼ chiengʼ, ketho moro mawuok kuom jatelo:
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 Joma ofuwo imiyo tije madongo dongo, to jo-mwandu to iketo e mago matindo.
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 Aseneno wasumbini e ngʼe farese, to jotelo wuotho gi tiendgi ka wasumbini.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 Ngʼama kunyo bur matut nyalo lwar e iye; to ngʼama muko kor ot thuol nyalo kayo.
[It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
9 Ngʼama kunyo kite inyalo hiny gi kitego; to ngʼama baro yien inyalo hiny gi yien.
If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
10 Ka le dik kendo lewe ok opiagi, to nyaka oti kode gi teko mathoth eka obar yien, kuom mano chan gik moko chon kapod ok itimo.
If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
11 Ka thuol okecho kapok oboye, to koro onge ohala mar ja-bocho.
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 Weche moa e dho ngʼat man-gi rieko nigi ngʼwono, to ngʼama ofuwo tiekore mana gi wechene owuon.
Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
13 Ngʼama ofuwo chako gi weche mag fuwo; to gikone ni gin weche neko,
When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
14 kendo wechege ngʼeny maonge tiende. Onge ngʼama ongʼeyo gima biro timorene kiny, koro en ngʼa manyalo nyise gima biro timorene bangʼ thone?
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 Ngʼama ofuwo nyagore gi tich matek ma ok konye; nimar kata kuma oaye ok onyal paro.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 Okwongʼ piny ma ruodhe ne en jatich kendo ma jotende mondo e nyasi gokinyi.
Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
17 Joma ruodhigo wuok e anywola mar jotelo gin johawi kendo ruodhigigo chiemo e sa mowinjore, mondo giyud teko to ok mondo gimer.
[But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
18 Ka ngʼato nyap, to kor ode nyaka mukre marieny; to ngʼato ma budho abudha ma ok ti gi lwete, to ode nyaka chwer.
Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
19 Chiemo mabeyo miyo ngʼato bedo mamor, kendo divai bende miyo ngʼato winjo maber, to pesa ema miyo ngʼato bedo gi gimoro amora modwaro.
Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
20 Kik icha ruoth kata mana e pachi, kata kwongʼo ja-mwandu kor kachiena, nikech winyo mafuyo e yamo nyalo kawo wecheni, kendo winyo ma fuyono nyalo terone gima iwacho.
Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
