1 Better to eat a dry crust of bread with peace of mind than have a banquet in a house full of trouble.
2 A shrewd servant will gain authority over a master's worthless son and receive a part of the inheritance.
3 Gold and silver are tested by fire, and a person's heart is tested by the Lord.
4 Evil people listen to evil ideas, and liars listen to lies.
5 If you make fun of poor people, you insult the God who made them. You will be punished if you take pleasure in someone's misfortune.
6 Grandparents are proud of their grandchildren, just as children are proud of their parents.
7 Respected people do not tell lies, and fools have nothing worthwhile to say.
8 Some people think a bribe works like magic; they believe it can do anything.
9 If you want people to like you, forgive them when they wrong you. Remembering wrongs can break up a friendship.
10 An intelligent person learns more from one rebuke than a fool learns from being beaten a hundred times.
11 Death will come like a cruel messenger to wicked people who are always stirring up trouble.
12 It is better to meet a mother bear robbed of her cubs than to meet some fool busy with a stupid project.
13 If you repay good with evil, you will never get evil out of your house.
14 The start of an argument is like the first break in a dam; stop it before it goes any further.
15 Condemning the innocent or letting the wicked go—both are hateful to the Lord.
16 It does a fool no good to spend money on an education, because he has no common sense.
17 Friends always show their love. What are relatives for if not to share trouble?
18 Only someone with no sense would promise to be responsible for someone else's debts.
19 To like sin is to like making trouble. If you brag all the time, you are asking for trouble.
20 Anyone who thinks and speaks evil can expect to find nothing good—only disaster.
21 There is nothing but sadness and sorrow for parents whose children do foolish things.
22 Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.
23 Corrupt judges accept secret bribes, and then justice is not done.
24 An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions.
25 Foolish children bring grief to their fathers and bitter regrets to their mothers.
26 It is not right to make an innocent person pay a fine; justice is perverted when good people are punished.
27 Those who are sure of themselves do not talk all the time. People who stay calm have real insight. 28 After all, even fools may be thought wise and intelligent if they stay quiet and keep their mouths shut.
1 Labāk sauss kumoss ar rimtumu
nekā upurdzīres ar ķildu.
2 Prātīgs vergs valdīs pār necienīgu dēlu
un ar tā brāļiem dalīs mantojumu.
3 Tīģelis – sudrabam un krāsns – zeltam,
bet sirdis pārbauda Kungs.
4 Ļaundaris ieklausās posta runās,
un melis klausās nelaimes valodās.
5 Kas nabagu izsmej, tas pulgo viņa Radītāju,
kas līksmo par nelaimi, netiks attaisnots.
6 Vecuma vainags – mazdēli,
un dēlu godība – viņu tēvi.
7 Nepiedien nelgam augstas runas,
nedz augstmanim sīki meli.
8 Kukulis devējam kā burvju akmens –
griezies, kur gribi, viss izdosies!
9 Kas nepiemin vainu, tas iemanto mīlestību,
kas neliekas mierā, tas zaudē draugu.
10 Saprātīgam bāriens kož dziļāk
nekā muļķim simtreiz ar pletni.
11 Ļaundaris domā tik uz dumpi,
bet tam uzsūtīs negantu soģi!
12 Labāk sastapt lāceni, kam atņemti bērni,
nekā muļķi viņa muļķībā!
13 Ja kāds atdara labu ar ļaunu,
ļaunums neatstāsies no viņa nama!
14 Kā ūdeni palaist, ir strīdu sākt –
pirms ķilda vaļā, aizdari slūžas!
15 Kas ļaundari attaisno, kas taisno nopeļ –
riebj Kungam tie abi!
16 Ko līdz nauda muļķa rokā,
ka pirktu gudrību – bet prāta nav!
17 Draugs vienmēr mīl draugu,
bet brālis tev dots posta dienai.
18 Vīrs bez prāta, kas līgst un galvo,
un dod ķīlu par savu kaimiņu!
19 Tas grēku mīl, kas mīl ķildu!
Kas slej augstas durvis, grauj savu namu!
20 Kam greiza sirds, tam neredzēt laba,
kam viltus mēle, tas iekritīs nelaimē.
21 Kas muļķi dzemdina – tik sev par likstu,
un neba priecīgs, kam dēls nejēga!
22 Līksma sirds dziedina,
sirdssāpes kaltē kaulus.
23 Ļaundaris velk no azotes kukuli –
ka tik sagrozīt tiesas gaitu!
24 Saprātīgam gudrība acu priekšā,
bet muļķa acis pasaules malā!
25 Tēvam par sāpēm dēls muļķis,
par sūrumu tai, kas šo dzemdējusi!
26 Taisno sodīt – pat tas nav labi,
šaustīt cildenos – gauža nelietība!
27 Kas prot muti turēt, tas kaut ko jau zina,
kam vēss prāts, tas sapratis!
28 Pat muļķis šķiet prātīgs, kamēr klusē,
kamēr lūpas šim ciet, liekas gudrs!
