22

¹A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

²Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.

³The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

⁴Humility is the fear of the Lord;
its wages are riches and honor and life.

⁵In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,
but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.

⁶Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.

⁸Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,
and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.

⁹The generous will themselves be blessed,
for they share their food with the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
quarrels and insults are ended.

¹¹One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
will have the king for a friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”

¹⁴The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;
a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

¹⁶One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

Thirty Sayings of the Wise

Saying 1

¹⁷Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach,
¹⁸for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.
¹⁹So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I teach you today, even you.
²⁰Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
sayings of counsel and knowledge,
²¹teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,
so that you bring back truthful reports
to those you serve?

Saying 2

²²Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
and do not crush the needy in court,
²³for the Lord will take up their case
and will exact life for life.

Saying 3

²⁴Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
do not associate with one easily angered,
²⁵or you may learn their ways
and get yourself ensnared.

Saying 4

²⁶Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge
or puts up security for debts;
²⁷if you lack the means to pay,
your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Saying 5

²⁸Do not move an ancient boundary stone
set up by your ancestors.

Saying 6

²⁹Do you see someone skilled in their work?
They will serve before kings;
they will not serve before officials of low rank.

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¹Yog koj xaiv yuav lub koob meej zoo lossis kev npluanuj, koj cia li xaiv yuav lub koob meej thiaj li zoo.
²Tus npluanuj thiab tus pluag qhov uas zoo sib thooj yog li no: nkawd puavleej yog tus TSWV tsim huv tibsi.
³Tus neeg paub qabhau pom tej xwm uas yuav los raug nws, nws txawm zam kev lawm, tiamsis tus neeg ruam taw hauv ntsoov mus rau qhov ntawd, thaum uas tau chaw ti nws mam li xeev xwm.
⁴Txo koj lub hwjchim thiab hwm tus TSWV, koj thiaj yuav muaj txiag npluanuj, muaj koob meej thiab muaj sia ua neej nyob ntev.
⁵Yog koj khuvxim koj txojsia, tsis txhob mus ze tej vojhlua uas cuab tos cov neeg ua phem txoj haukev.
⁶Qhia menyuam kom paub ua nws lub neej, nws yuav nco ntsoov tej lus ntawd mus tas nws sim neej.
⁷Cov neeg pluag yeej ua cov neeg npluanuj qhev. Txais luag nyiaj ces yog ua luag qhev.
⁸Yog koj tseb tej uas tsis ncaj ncees, koj yuav tau sau kev puastsuaj, thiab qhov uas koj ua limhiam rau lwm tus yuav kawg mus.
⁹Ua neeg siab dawb siab zoo thiab pub koj tej zaub mov rau cov neeg pluag noj, koj thiaj yuav tau koob hmoov.
¹⁰Ntiab cov neeg khavtheeb tawm mus thiaj tsis muaj kev sib cav sib ceg lossis kev xyav luag moo tsis zoo ntxiv lawm.
¹¹Yog koj muaj lub siab dawb siab zoo thiab hais lus mos lus muag, ces vajntxwv yuav yog koj tus phoojywg.
¹²Tus TSWV tsomkwm tej lus tseeb, tiamsis nws rhuav tshem tej lus dag.
¹³Tus neeg tubnkeeg nyob hauv tsev xwb, nws hais tias yog tawm mus nraum zoov tsov ntxhuav yuav tom.
¹⁴Kev ua nkauj ua nraug yog lub vojhlua, lub vojhlua ntawd yuav mag cov neeg uas tus TSWV chim rau lawm.
¹⁵Tej menyuam yau yeej los ua li tej neeg uas tsis paub qabhau, tiamsis rab nplawm yuav qhia kom lawv paub coj tus yam ntxwv zoo.
¹⁶Yog koj muab khoom pub rau cov neeg npluanuj lossis quab yuam cov pluag kom koj npluanuj ces koj yuav txomnyem.

Peb Caug Nqe Lus Qhuab Ntuas

¹⁷Ua tib zoo mloog, kuv yuav qhia koj saib tej neeg txawj ntse hais li cas. Rau siab ntso kawm lawv tej lus qhuab qhia no, ¹⁸yog koj nco tau tej lus ntawd thiab hais tau txhua lo yuav ua rau koj zoo siab heev. ¹⁹Kuv xav kom koj muab koj txojkev cia siab tso plhuav rau tus TSWV, vim li ntawd kuv thiaj muab tej lus no los qhia rau koj paub. ²⁰Kuv sau tau peb caug nqe lus txawj ntse rau koj. Cov lus no yog kev txawj ntse thiab lus tuavxam uas zoo heev, ²¹thiab yuav qhia rau koj hais tias qhov twg yog qhov tseeb. Ces koj thiaj mus nrhiav tau tej lus tseeb los teb rau cov uas xa koj mus.

-1-

²²Koj tsis txhob mus txeeb cov neeg pluag tug, vim lawv hais tsis taus; tsis txhob mus txeeb cov neeg uas tsis muaj leejtwg pab hauv tsev tu plaub ntiag tug. ²³Tus TSWV yuav ua tus hais lawv tej plaub thiab txov txhua tus uas txov lwm tus txojsia lawm.

-2-

²⁴Tsis txhob ua phoojywg nrog cov neeg uas siab ceev thiab ua nruj ua tsiv. ²⁵Nyob tsam koj mus xyaum ua li lawv thiab hloov tsis tau li lawm.

-3-

²⁶Tsis txhob coglus them lwm tus tej nuj nqi. ²⁷Yog koj them tsis taus, txawm yog koj lub txaj pw los luag yuav tuaj nqa mus.

-4-

²⁸Tsis txhob txav tus ciamteb qub uas koj tej yawgkoob tau tu tseg lawm.

-5-

²⁹Koj puas pom cov neeg uas yog kws txawj thiab ua tau lawv tes haujlwm zoo? Lawv yuav tau ua haujlwm rau vajntxwv, tsis yog ua rau tej pejxeem.