Ngeche 17
1 Ber bangʼo kuon gi kwe kod mor moloyo ot mopongʼ gi chiemo mathoth kod dhawo.
It is better to have quiet with a dry morsel of bread than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 Misumba mariek biro bedo gi loch kuom wuowi makwodo wich, kendo obiro yudo pok mar girkeni machal mana gi owetene.
A wise servant will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 Dhahabu gi fedha itemo gi mach, to Jehova Nyasaye ema temo chuny.
The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold, but Yahweh refines hearts.
4 Ngʼat ma timbene richo chiko ite ne dhok mopongʼ gi richo, ja-miriambo winjo lep mar ajara.
The evildoer pays attention to wicked lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
5 Ngʼat ma jaro jochan ochayo Jachwechgi; ngʼat mamor gi masira ok notony ne kum.
Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker and the one who rejoices at misfortune will not go unpunished.
6 Nyikwayo gin osimbo ne joma oti, to jonywol e mor mar nyithindgi.
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged and parents bring honor to their children.
7 Lep mar sunga ok owinjore ne ngʼama ofuwo, to en rach maromo nadi lep mariambo ne jaloch!
Eloquent speech is not suitable for a fool; much less are lying lips suitable for royalty.
8 Asoya en bilo ne ngʼat machiwe, kamoro amora modhiye, odhi maber.
A bribe is like a magic stone to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 Ngʼat ma umo ketho mewo hera, to ngʼat mamedo timo gima kamano pogo osiepe moherore.
Whoever overlooks an offense seeks love, but the one who repeats a matter alienates close friends.
10 Puonj mar kwer konyo ngʼat mariek, moloyo chwat nyadi mia ni ngʼat mofuwo.
A rebuke goes deeper into a person who has understanding than a hundred blows go into a fool.
11 Ngʼat ma jaricho ohero mana miero, jaote makwiny ema ibiro orone.
An evil person only seeks rebellion, so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Ber romo gi ondiek madhako moma nyithinde, moloyo romo gi ngʼat mofuwo ei fupe.
It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to meet a fool in his foolishness.
13 Ka ngʼato chulo rach kar ber, rach ok nowe ode.
When someone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
14 Chako dhawo chalo gimuko yawo, emomiyo we wach kapok dhawo owuok.
The beginning of conflict is like one who releases water everywhere, so walk away from the dispute before it has broken out.
15 Jehova Nyasaye mon-gi ngʼama chwako jaketho kata kumo ngʼat maonge ketho.
The person who acquits the wicked person and the person who condemns the righteous person— both are an abomination to Yahweh.
16 Ere tiende mondo ngʼat mofuwo obed gi pesa nimar oonge gi dwaro mar bedo mariek?
Why should a fool pay money to learn about wisdom, when he has no ability to learn it?
17 En adier ni osiepni nyalo heri kinde duto, to owadu ema konyi e chandruok.
A friend is loving at all times and a brother is born for times of trouble.
18 Ngʼat maonge gi rieko ema keto gir singo ne jabute.
A man having no sense makes binding promises and becomes responsible for his neighbor's debts.
19 Ngʼat mohero dhawo ohero richo; ngʼat mogero ohinga mabor kelo mana hinyruok.
Whoever loves conflict loves sin; the one who makes the threshold of his door too high causes bones to be broken.
20 Ngʼat man-gi chuny marach ok nyal dhi maber; ngʼat ma lewe riambo podho e chandruok.
A person who has a crooked heart finds nothing that is good; the one who has a perverse tongue falls into calamity.
21 Bedo gi ngʼat mofuwo kaka wuowi kelo kuyo; onge mor ni wuoro ma wuon ngʼat mofuwo.
Whoever is the parent of a fool brings grief to himself; and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 Chuny mamor en yath maber, to chuny mool tuoyo choke.
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 Ngʼat ma timbene richo yie asoya kama opondo mondo oketh gima kare.
A wicked man accepts a secret bribe to pervert the ways of justice.
24 Ngʼat mariek keto rieko mondo otel, to wenge ngʼat mofuwo bayo nyaka giko piny.
The one who has understanding sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are set on the ends of the earth.
25 Wuowi mofuwo kelo kuyo ni wuon mare kod chuny lit ne ngʼat mane onywole.
A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to the woman who bore him.
26 Ok en gima ber kumo ngʼat maonge ketho kata goyo joote nikech dimbruokgi.
Also, it is never good to punish the righteous person; neither is it good to flog noble men who have integrity.
27 Ngʼat man-gi ngʼeyo konyore gi weche kotangʼ; to ngʼat man-gi winjo wach to ritore maber.
One who has knowledge uses few words and one with understanding is even-tempered.
28 Kata ngʼat mofuwo ikwano ka ngʼat mariek ka olingʼ thi; kendo ka ngʼat mongʼeyo ka orito lewe.
Even a fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent; when he keeps his mouth shut, he is considered to be intelligent.
