1The wicked flee though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
2When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.
3A ruler28:3 Or A poor person who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
4Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
but those who heed it resist them.
5Evildoers do not understand what is right,
but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.
6Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.
7A discerning son heeds instruction,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
8Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor
amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.
9If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable.
10Whoever leads the upright along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,
but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.
11The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.
12When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;
but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.
13Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
14Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
15Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
16A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.
17Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
will seek refuge in the grave;
let no one hold them back.
18The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,
but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit.28:18 Syriac (see Septuagint); Hebrew into one
19Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
20A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
21To show partiality is not good—
yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.
22The stingy are eager to get rich
and are unaware that poverty awaits them.
23Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
rather than one who has a flattering tongue.
24Whoever robs their father or mother
and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is partner to one who destroys.
25The greedy stir up conflict,
but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.
26Those who trust in themselves are fools,
but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.
27Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.
28When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;
but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.
128:1 a 2Bk 7:7 b Lv 26:17; Zab 53:5 c Zab 138:3Abakozi b’ebibi badduka nga tewali abagoba,
naye abatuukirivu babeera n’obuvumu ng’empologoma.
2Eggwanga bwe lijeema, liba n’abafuzi bangi,
naye olw’omuntu alina okutegeera n’okumanya obutebenkevu budda nate mu nsi.
3Omufuzi anyigiriza abaavu,
afaanana nga enkuba etonnya ezikiriza n’eterekaawo birime.
4Abo abava ku mateeka ga Mukama batendereza aboonoonyi,
naye abo abagakuuma babawakanya.
5Abantu abakozi b’ebibi tebategeera bwenkanya,
naye abo abanoonya Mukama babutegeerera ddala bulungi.
628:6 Nge 19:1Omuntu omwavu atambulira mu butuukirivu,
asinga omugagga ow’amakubo amakyamu.
728:7 Nge 23:19-21Oyo akuuma amateeka ga Mukama mwana eyeegendereza,
naye mukwano gw’ab’omululu akwasa kitaawe ensonyi.
828:8 a Kuv 18:21 b Yob 27:17; Nge 13:22 c Zab 112:9; Nge 14:31; Luk 14:12-14Ayongera ku bugagga bwe mu bukumpanya,
abukuŋŋaanyiza omulala anaayinza okuba ow’ekisa eri abaavu.
928:9 Zab 66:18; 109:7; Nge 15:8; Is 1:13Atassaayo mwoyo kuwulira mateeka ga Mukama,
n’okusaba kwe tekukkirizibwa.
1028:10 Nge 26:27Buli akyamya abatuukirivu mu kkubo ebbi,
aligwa mu katego ke ye,
naye abatuukirivu balisikira ebirungi.
11Omugagga alowooza nti mugezi,
naye omwavu alina okutegeera, amunyooma.
1228:12 a 2Bk 11:20 b Nge 11:10; 29:2Abatuukirivu bwe bawangula wabaawo okujaguza okw’amaanyi,
naye abakakanyalira mu kukola ebikyamu bwe bafuna obuyinza abantu beekweka.
1328:13 a Yob 31:33 b Zab 32:1-5; 1Yk 1:9Oyo akweka ebibi bye, talifuna mukisa kukulaakulana,
naye buli abyatula n’abireka, alisaasirwa.
14Alina omukisa omuntu atya Mukama ebbanga lyonna,
naye oyo akakanyaza omutima gwe abonaabona.
15Ng’empologoma ewuluguma oba eddubu eritiisatiisa,
bw’abeera omufuzi omubi atulugunya abateesobola.
16Omufuzi nantagambwako tafuga na bwenkanya,
naye oyo akyawa amagoba agafuniddwa mu bukyamu alibeera n’essanyu ery’obulamu obuwangaazi.
1728:17 Lub 9:6Omuntu alumirizibwa olw’okutta munne,
alibeera mu kutegana okutuusa okufa,
tewabanga n’omu amuyamba.
1828:18 Nge 10:9Omuntu atambulira mu bugolokofu alinunulibwa talibeerako kabi,
naye oyo ow’amakubo amabi aligwa mbagirawo.
1928:19 Nge 12:11Omuntu alima ennimiro ye aliba n’emmere nnyingi,
naye oyo ali mu birowoozo ebitaliimu alifa bwavu.
2028:20 nny 22; Nge 10:6; 1Ti 6:9Omusajja omwesigwa aliweebwa emikisa mingi,
naye oyo ayanguyiriza okugaggawala talirema kubonerezebwa.
2128:21 a Nge 18:5 b Ez 13:19Okuttira abantu ku liiso ng’osala emisango si kirungi,
naye ate olw’okunoonya akookulya omuntu ayinza okuzza omusango.
2228:22 nny 20; Nge 23:6Omusajja omukodo yeegomba okugaggawala,
naye nga tamanyi nti obwavu bumulindiridde.
2328:23 Nge 27:5-6Oyo anenya omuntu, oluvannyuma aliganja,
okusinga oyo awaaniriza n’olulimi.
2428:24 a Nge 19:26 b Nge 18:9Buli anyaga kitaawe, oba nnyina,
n’agamba nti, “Si nsonga,” afaanana n’oyo azikiriza.
2528:25 Nge 29:25Omuntu ow’omululu aleeta oluyombo,
naye oyo eyeesiga Mukama aligaggawazibwa.
2628:26 Zab 4:5; Nge 3:5Eyeesiga omutima gwe, musirusiru,
naye oyo atambulira mu magezi alifuna emirembe.
2728:27 Ma 15:7; 24:19; Nge 19:17; 22:9Agabira abaavu talibaako ne kye yeetaaga,
naye abakodowalira anaabanga n’ebikolimo bingi.
2828:28 nny 12Abakozi b’ebibi bwe babeera mu buyinza, abantu beekweka,
naye abakozi b’ebibi bwe bazikirira, abatuukirivu bakulaakulana.
