Purpose
1These are the proverbs of Solomon. He was the son of David and the king of Israel.
2Proverbs teach you wisdom and instruct you.
They help you understand wise sayings.
3They provide you with instruction and help you live wisely.
They lead to what is right and honest and fair.
4They give understanding to childish people.
They give knowledge and good sense to those who are young.
5Let wise people listen and add to what they have learned.
Let those who understand what is right get guidance.
6What I’m teaching also helps you understand proverbs and stories.
It helps you understand the sayings and riddles of those who are wise.
7If you really want to gain knowledge, you must begin by having respect for the Lord.
But foolish people hate wisdom and instruction.
Think and Live Wisely
A Warning Against Sinful Men
8My son, listen to your father’s advice.
Don’t turn away from your mother’s teaching.
9What they teach you will be like a beautiful crown on your head.
It will be like a chain to decorate your neck.
10My son, if sinful men tempt you,
don’t give in to them.
11They might say, “Come along with us.
Let’s hide and wait to kill someone who hasn’t done anything wrong.
Let’s catch some harmless person in our trap.
12Let’s swallow them alive, as the grave does.
Let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down into the pit.
13We’ll get all kinds of valuable things.
We’ll fill our houses with what we steal.
14Cast lots with us for what they own.
We’ll share everything we take from them.”
15My son, don’t go along with them.
Don’t even set your feet on their paths.
16They are always in a hurry to sin.
They are quick to spill someone’s blood.
17How useless it is to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18Those who hide and wait will spill their own blood.
They will be caught in their own trap.
19That’s what happens to everyone
who goes after money in the wrong way.
That kind of money takes away
the life of those who get it.
Wisdom’s Warning
20Out in the open wisdom calls out.
She raises her voice in a public place.
21On top of the city wall she cries out.
Here is what she says near the gate of the city.
22“How long will you childish people love your childish ways?
How long will you rude people enjoy making fun of God and others?
How long will you foolish people hate knowledge?
23Pay attention to my warning!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you.
I will make known to you my teachings.
24But you refuse to listen when I call out to you.
No one pays attention when I reach out my hand.
25You turn away from all my advice.
And you do not accept my warning.
26So I will laugh at you when you are in danger.
I will make fun of you when hard times come.
27I will laugh when hard times hit you like a storm.
I will laugh when danger comes your way like a windstorm.
I will make fun of you when suffering and trouble come.
28“Then you will call to me. But I won’t answer.
You will look for me. But you won’t find me.
29You hated knowledge.
You didn’t choose to have respect for the Lord.
30You wouldn’t accept my advice.
You turned your backs on my warnings.
31So you will eat the fruit of the way you have lived.
You will choke on the fruit of what you have planned.
32“The wrong path that childish people take will kill them.
Foolish people will be destroyed by being satisfied with the way they live.
33But those who listen to me will live in safety.
They will be at ease and have no fear of being harmed.”
11:1 a 1Bk 4:29-34 b Nge 10:1; 25:1; Mub 1:1Engero za Sulemaani, mutabani wa Dawudi, kabaka wa Isirayiri.
2Yaziwandiika okuyigiriza abantu okuba n’amagezi n’okuyiga,
era n’okutegeera ebigambo eby’obulabufu; eby’obulamu eby’amagezi n’empisa.
3Sulemaani yayagala abantu okuba n’empisa, n’obulamu obw’amagezi,
okukolanga ebituufu, n’okubeera abenkanya n’okugobereranga ensonga;
41:4 a Nge 8:5 b Nge 2:10-11; 8:12okuyigiriza amagezi abatalina bumanyirivu,
n’abavubuka okufuna okumanya n’okutegeera.
51:5 Nge 9:9N’abantu ab’amagezi nabo bwe bawulira beeyongere okuyiga
n’abategeevu beeyongere okubangulwa.
61:6 a Zab 49:4; 78:2 b Kbl 12:8Era engero zino zaawandiikibwa okutegeera engero,
enjogera n’ebikokyo.
71:7 Yob 28:28; Zab 111:10; Nge 9:10; 15:33; Mub 12:13Kale mu kutya Mukama amagezi mwe gasookera,
naye abasirusiru banyooma amagezi n’okulagirirwa.
Amagezi eri Abavubuka
81:8 a Nge 4:1 b Nge 6:20Mwana wange ossangayo omwoyo eri ebiragiro bya kitaawo,
era tolekanga kukuutira kwa maama wo;
91:9 Nge 4:1-9bijja kuba ngule eneeweesanga omutwe gwo ekitiibwa,
n’emikuufu mu bulago bwo.
101:10 a Lub 39:7 b Ma 13:8 c Nge 16:29; Bef 5:11Mwana wange abakozi b’ebibi bwe bakusendasendanga,
tokkirizanga.
111:11 Zab 10:8Bwe bakugambanga nti, “Tugende ffenna twesanyuse,
tunyage, tubbe n’okutta;
tokkirizanga;
121:12 Zab 28:1ng’entaana bw’emira abantu, naffe tubamire tutyo nga bakyali balamu,
era nga balamba, ng’abagenda mu bunnya obuwanvu;
13nga twefunira eby’obugagga bye tutakoleredde,
ne tujjuza amayumba gaffe obugagga obubbe;
14ng’ababi batuyita tubeegatteko,
tugabane kyenkanyi ebibbe n’ebinyage.”
151:15 a Zab 119:101 b Zab 1:1; Nge 4:14Mwana wange totambuliranga wamu nabo,
era ekigere kyo kiziyize okukwatanga ekkubo lyabwe:
161:16 Nge 6:18; Is 59:7Kubanga ebigere byabwe bidduka bunnambiro okukola ebibi,
era kibanguyira okuyiwa omusaayi.
17Nga kuba kumala biseera okutega omutego,
ng’ekinyonyi ky’oyagala okukwata kikulaba,
18naye abantu ng’abo baba beetega bokka,
baba beetega omutego ogunaabakwasa bo bennyini.
191:19 Nge 15:27Bwe lityo bwe libeera ekkubo lya buli muntu anoonya okugaggawalira mu bukyamu.
Obugagga obw’engeri eyo busaanyaawo obulamu bw’abo ababufuna.
Okulabula Eri Abanyooma Amagezi
201:20 Nge 8:1; 9:1-3, 13-15Amagezi galeekaanira waggulu mu nguudo;
gayimusa amaloboozi gaago, mu bifo ebigazi eby’omu bibuga.
21Ne galeekaanira waggulu, mu kifo enguudo ennene we zisisinkanira,
era gasinzira mu miryango gy’ekibuga ne googera:
221:22 Nge 8:5; 9:4, 16Mulituusa ddi mmwe ab’amagezi amatono obutayagala kweyongera kuyiga by’amagezi,
nammwe ab’amalala okunyoomanga eby’amagezi n’abasirusiru okukyawanga okumanya?
23Kale singa muwuliriza okunenya kwange,
laba, ndifuka omutima gwange
n’ebirowoozo byange mu mmwe.
241:24 Is 65:12; 66:4; Yer 7:13; Zek 7:11Kubanga na bayita ne mugaana okuwuliriza,
ne ngolola omukono ne wataba n’omu afaayo,
25era ne mutafaayo ku magezi ge nabawa,
era ne mugaana okubuulirira kwange kwonna,
261:26 a Zab 2:4 b Nge 6:15; 10:24kale nange ndibasekerera nga muli mu nnaku,
era mbakudaalire ng’entiisa ebagwiridde.
27Entiisa bw’eribajjira ng’omuyaga omungi,
ennaku n’okubonaabona, okulumwa n’obubalagaze,
281:28 a 1Sa 8:18; Is 1:15; Yer 11:11; Mi 3:4 b Yob 27:9; Nge 8:17; Ez 8:18; Zek 7:13kale balinkoowoola, naye siriyitaba;
balinnoonya obutaweera naye ne batandaba.
291:29 Yob 21:14Kubanga baakyawa okuyigirizibwa, n’okumanya,
era ne bamalirira obutatya Mukama.
301:30 nny 25; Zab 81:11Ne bagaana okuwuliriza amagezi gange;
ne banyooma okunenya kwange kwonna.
311:31 Yob 4:8; Nge 14:14; Is 3:11; Yer 6:19Kyebaliva balya ebibala eby’ekkubo lyabwe ebbi,
era ne bajjula ebibala eby’enkwe zaabwe.
321:32 Yer 2:19Obusirusiru bulitta ab’amagezi amatono
n’obutafaayo bulizikiriza abasirusiru,
331:33 a Zab 25:12; Nge 3:23 b Zab 112:8naye buli ampuliriza anaabeeranga mirembe,
ng’agumye nga talina kutya kwonna.
