In Praise of Wisdom
1 Listen! Wisdom is calling out.
Reason is making herself heard.
2 On the hilltops near the road
and at the crossroads she stands.
3 At the entrance to the city,
beside the gates, she calls:
4 “I appeal to all of you;
I call to everyone on earth.
5 Are you immature? Learn to be mature.
Are you foolish? Learn to have sense.
6 Listen to my excellent words;
all I tell you is right.
7 What I say is the truth;
lies are hateful to me.
8 Everything I say is true;
nothing is false or misleading.
9 To those with insight, it is all clear;
to the well-informed, it is all plain.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver;
choose knowledge rather than the finest gold.
11 “I am Wisdom, I am better than jewels;
nothing you want can compare with me.
12 I am Wisdom, and I have insight;
I have knowledge and sound judgment.
13 To honor the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil ways and false words.
14 I make plans and carry them out.
I have understanding, and I am strong.
15 I help kings to govern
and rulers to make good laws.
16 Every ruler on earth governs with my help,
officials and nobles alike.
17 I love those who love me;
whoever looks for me can find me.
18 I have riches and honor to give,
prosperity and success.
19 What you get from me is better than the finest gold,
better than the purest silver.
20 I walk the way of righteousness;
I follow the paths of justice,
21 giving wealth to those who love me,
filling their houses with treasures.
22 “The Lord created me first of all,
the first of his works, long ago.
23 I was made in the very beginning,
at the first, before the world began.
24 I was born before the oceans,
when there were no springs of water.
25 I was born before the mountains,
before the hills were set in place,
26 before God made the earth and its fields
or even the first handful of soil.
27 I was there when he set the sky in place,
when he stretched the horizon across the ocean,
28 when he placed the clouds in the sky,
when he opened the springs of the ocean
29 and ordered the waters of the sea
to rise no further than he said.
I was there when he laid the earth's foundations.
30 I was beside him like an architect,
I was his daily source of joy,
always happy in his presence—
31 happy with the world
and pleased with the human race.
32 “Now, young people, listen to me.
Do as I say, and you will be happy.
33 Listen to what you are taught.
Be wise; do not neglect it.
34 Those who listen to me will be happy—
those who stay at my door every day,
waiting at the entrance to my home.
35 Those who find me find life,
and the Lord will be pleased with them.
36 Those who do not find me hurt themselves;
anyone who hates me loves death.”
Räṛu Tavouni ro
1 Tavouni ka läzi uzi. Tazevouni ka ta iro ayona.
2 Anya ka edre driku'du'du lutui ro liti biṛi ya yasi
ago liti lewevo yasi.
3 Anya ka läzi uzi dereŋwai 'bakici ro yasi,
ago ecivo 'bakici ya yasi ekye:
4 “Ami lidri, ma rulo'ba ämiri;
ma lidri cini uzi.
5 Ami se orivoya tauniako, nyà'do tauni be.
Ami se orivoya amamaro, nyà'do tausu ŋgye be.
6 Nyeri, tana ma ta kadopara ata;
tase cini mabe atana ono orivoya ŋgye.
7 Tase mabe atana orivoya taŋgye yi;
tana ya maro orivoya osoro taundiro ata lomvo.
8 Ŋgase cini mabe tana atana orivoya ŋgye;
kowe i'do ago ta 'diodoro i'do kigye cu alona.
9 Mano se tausu ŋgye be ri, ata maro orivoya kadoro;
ago 'dise tavouni be ri a'do ṛo ŋgyero.
10 Mìnji ta ŋgaemba ro maro ayani vo mo'di roya;
ago mìnji tauni ayani vo logo lägulägu wäṛiro roya.
11 “Tavouni orivoya kadopara ndrani 'bela liŋgyiekye drisi,
ago ŋgase cini milebe a'done sina änina ko ojone sina.
12 Ma tavouni owo, ma orivoya tausu ŋgye be;
ma orivoya tauni be ago vureope ŋgye be.
13 OPI orone anjioko ya ri osone tase undiro 'do lomvo;
ya maro oso tawi driuŋgyi ndi mäwu be lomvo, ago kpa taoye se undiro ago ata kowe si be lomvo.
14 Ma tavoora ago ma tauni kado be.
Ma tazevo uniuni, ago ma orivoya mbara be.
15 Ma 'bädri'bai opa ni 'dimirine
ago ma 'dimiri'bai opana ni otà kado orane.
16 'Dimiri'bai kayi 'dimiri ŋgaopa maro si,
ndi dri'bai se kabe 'dimiri 'bädri ya be.
17 Mulu ànya se kuluyi mabe ndi;
nda se kabe ma uṛi ya cini si usuna ma ndi.
18 Ma orivoya ŋgaamba be ago taoro be,
ago ŋgadriamba ndi kandrakado äduako be.
19 Ŋgase mabe sina orivoya kadopara
ndrani logo läguläguro wäṛiro drisi,
ago kpa ndrani mo'di wäṛiro drisi.
20 Ma aba liti taŋgyero yasi;
litiŋwai ta'diriro yasi ayani.
21 Ma ugu ŋgaamba ozo ànya se kuluyi mabe ri,
ago ma ugu zo ànyaro o'bana a'done twi ŋgadriamba be.
22 “OPI 'ba mate käti eto losi ndaro rosi,
se käti ni losi cini ndaro ri, se teṛo kyeno ana.
23 A'ba mate kyeno ṛoni etovoya,
ṛo käti, teinye dri eto 'bädri o'baako.
24 Äti ma käti ni gyibebelebe ri,
'dooko utivo gyi ro dri ṛo i'do.
25 Äti ma käti teinye dri 'bereŋwa o'baako,
ṛo teinye lutui ora ako,
26 ṛo teinye dri Lu ri gyini ndi lowo na be
o'baako ca durufu käti aza dri ṛo i'do.
27 Tuse nda kabe vokuru o'ba,
ago tuse nda kabe gyibebelebe o'ba ma ṛo orivoya lau,
28 nda kabe 'dikolo o'ba vokuru ya,
ago kabe utivo gyibebelebe ro upina
29 ago kabe taozo gyi gyi'desi ro ri
ko ogane ndrani se nda kata tana be ana ri
ago tuse nda ko'ba kotapa 'bädri robe ana si owo.
30 Ma'dote gbo ndaro ya
oso ŋgaga giṛiŋwa ronye,
ondoalo ma'ba nda te a'done riyä ro,
ago ondoalo ma'dote yai'dwesi nda mile.
31 Ma'dote riyä si 'bädri be
ago ma'dote riyä si lidri be.
32 “Ka'do inye, yauono ami ŋgwai maro, nyeri ta maro.
Ànya se kabe oso mavo a'donayi ndi riyä be.
33 Nyèri ta ŋgaemba maro ro.
Ago nyà'do tavouni be; mìga ko zo.
34 'Dise se kabe ta maro erina
a'dona ndi yai'dwesi,
'dise kabe vookwa ondoalo dereŋwai maro ya,
ago kabe ori käläsi zo maro ro kala 'do.
35 Tana nda se kabe ma usu, ka adri usu,
ago OPI a'dona ndi yauni be ndäri.
36 Oko nda se kusu ma ko 'do ka andivo iro oyena koziro;
'dise cini yana kabe oso malomvo iyi luyi iro odra ayani.”