The Sayings of Agur
1 These are the sayings
and the message
of Agur son of Jakeh.
Someone cries out to God,
“I am completely worn out!
How can I last?
2 I am far too stupid
to be considered human.
3 I never was wise,
and I don't understand
what God is like.”
4 Has anyone gone up to heaven
and come back down?
Has anyone grabbed hold
of the wind?
Has anyone wrapped up the sea
or marked out boundaries
for the earth?
If you know of any
who have done such things,
then tell me their names
and their children's names.
5 Everything God says is true—
and it's a shield for all
who come to him for safety.
6 Don't change what God has said!
He will correct you and show
that you are a liar.
7 There are two things, Lord,
I want you to do for me
before I die:
8 Make me absolutely honest
and don't let me be too poor
or too rich.
Give me just what I need.
9 If I have too much to eat,
I might forget about you;
if I don't have enough,
I might steal
and disgrace your name.
10 Don't tell a slave owner
something bad about one
of the slaves.
That slave will curse you,
and you will be in trouble.
11 Some people curse their father
and even their mother;
12 others think they are perfect,
but they are stained by sin.
13 Some people are stuck-up
and act like snobs;
14 others are so greedy
that they gobble up
the poor and homeless.
15 Greed has twins,
each named “Give me!”
There are three or four things
that are never satisfied:
16 The world of the dead
and a childless wife,
the thirsty earth
and a flaming fire.
17 Don't make fun of your father
or disobey your mother—
crows will peck out your eyes,
and buzzards will eat
the rest of you.
18 There are three or four things
I cannot understand:
19 How eagles fly so high
or snakes crawl on rocks,
how ships sail the ocean
or people fall in love.
20 An unfaithful wife says,
“Sleeping with another man
is as natural as eating.”
21 There are three or four things
that make the earth tremble
and are unbearable:
22 A slave who becomes king,
a fool who eats too much,
23 a hateful woman
who finds a husband,
and a slave who takes the place
of the woman who owns her.
24 On this earth four things
are small but very wise:
25 Ants, who seem to be feeble,
but store up food
all summer long;
26 badgers, who seem to be weak,
but live among the rocks;
27 locusts, who have no king,
but march like an army;
28 lizards, which can be caught
in your hand,
but sneak into palaces.
29 Three or four creatures
really strut around:
30 Those fearless lions
who rule the jungle,
31 those proud roosters,
those mountain goats,
and those rulers
who have no enemies.
32 If you are foolishly bragging
or planning something evil,
then stop it now!
33 If you churn milk
you get butter;
if you pound on your nose,
you get blood—
and if you stay angry,
you get in trouble.
Ata Agura ro
1 Kwoi ni ata lämu'duro Agura ŋgwa Jake ro ro owo ekye:
Lu ko orivoya tro mabe, Lu ko orivoya tro mabe
ago ma te mbaraako.
2 Endaro ma ni mano se cu amama ro owo. Ma teinye tavouni lidri ro ako.
3 Mäni ta a'doro tavouni be kote,
ago mäni ta aza kote cu alona ta Lu rota.
4 A'di oyini ndi vo'buyakuru ya ago egogo vuru niya?
A'di amo oli ni drì ndaro ya ya?
Kode a'di ni ni gyi baṛine boŋgo siya?
Kode si kishwe 'bädri ro niya?
Ävuru ndaro ni a'di ya, ago ävuru ŋgwa ndaro ro ni a'di ya?
Mamabe mini te!
5 Lu äti tao'ba se cini nda ko'babe te. Nda orivoya oso ŋga 'digagaro ronye ànya se cini kabe ŋgagaga ndaro uṛina ri. 6 Nyadro ta aza ko ata ndaro dri, ukyi nda luku mi 'da ago ka'da mi 'da kowe'ba ro.
Taoni Azaka
7 Meji mi, Lu, ta ŋga ritu kwoi rota, mi'ba märi a'done sina teinye märi odra ako: 8 Nyagaga ma ni kowe ogavoya, ago mi'ba ma'do ko ŋgadriamba be ago ma'do kpa ko lemeri'ba ro. Nyozo ŋgaonya märi toto oso se malebe ronye. 9 Tana ukyi ma'dote sina ndra, ago mata 'da makye male mi ko. Ago kode ma'dote lemeri'ba ro, 'dooko mukuguna ŋga ago mezina liku kozi ndi mi Lu maro dri.
10 Nyikicu ruindu'ba ko kowe si 'desi ndaro ri alona, ukyi nda otri mi 'da ago nyezaruna ndi tana ro.
11 'Diazaka orivoya se kayi täpii ànyaro otrina ago räṛuyi endrei ànyaro kote.
12 'Diazaka kayi tausu ekye iyi orivoya wäṛiro oko se ànya orivoya pari undiro.
13 'Diazaka kusuyibe ekye iyi ni orivoya kadopara, ànya kayi usuna ekye iyi ni kadopara ndra!
14 Lidri azaka orivoya drikyitri'bai ago siomba'bai ànya leyi ati'bai anane ni 'bädri yasi, ago lemeri'bai onane ni wari yasi.
15 Andrwi orivoya ndiriŋwa be ritu; äzi ànya te riti Azamäri'ba!
Ŋga su orivoya se ŋga ojo ànya ko ko:
16 'bädri avo ro,
toko se teinye ŋgàga ako,
gyini se forokotiro se le 'bu ri u'dine kigye,
ago asi se ka ugu vouje teinye edreako 'do.
17 'Dise aza kabe oji täpi ndaro si kode endre ndaro si 'do, si koyi ri ni onyane ago si ni korogaà ri mikeci ndaro eŋgyene.
18 Ŋga azaka orivoya su se tana laro mate tu tana mäni tazevona ko.
19 Ägyiribi kabe oŋga vokuru yasi,
ini kabe udi luutu jaraŋgala drisi,
toŋbo kabe ugu udi gyi'desi yasi,
ago manoago aza ndi ŋguti aza be kayibe iyi lu 'do.
20 Toko se ta'diriako ka taoye oso nonye: anya ye ronyi gwo ago drisi, kyi lasa gwo, ago ata ṛo ekye: Oko maye ŋga aza ko cu koziro!
21 Ŋga su azaka orivoya se 'bädri modo leko cu alona:
22 iyeäṛi ri a'done 'bädri'ba ro,
amama ri a'done ŋgase cini nda kolebe onyane be,
23 ŋguti se ya osoro lomvoigye ri ago urune,
ago ruindu'ba se ŋguti ro ri vo 'desi anyaro se tokoro ro urune.
24 Ŋga su orivoya 'bädri ya se orivoya giṛiŋwà ro; oko orivoya tauni be amba ndra:
25 Leŋbere orivoya mbaraako, caoko ànya kayi ŋgaonya
ànyaro odrona nja duru si.
26 Kyira a'do kpa ko mbara ro,
oko ànya edeyi 'ba ànyaro te
le luutui lako.
27 Tombi teinye 'bädri'ba ako,
caoko ànya kayi aba ruoroororo.
28 Minina ndi alodi käbi ro urune mirigye,
caoko minina ndi azakana usune
zo'desi miriro 'bädri'ba ro yasi.
29 Ŋga su azaka orivoya kayi aba mäwu si:
30 Ibii, se ni mbaraekye ndrani koronyai cini drisi
ago turi ŋga aza ko;
31 gogo kabe aba penyepenye, tegoi,
ago 'bädri'ba kabe aba lidri anyaro milesi.
32 Ondro ka'do nya'dote pari amamaro mäwu be ago nyate taundiro orana ayani oko, nyedre ago nyusu ta! 33 Ondro ka'do nya leyi o'bi, nyusuna ido na ndi. Ondro ka'do mi'bi konvo 'diaza rote, karina orona ndi. Ondro ka'do nya ni kyila leru nya oci rriti ya.