Fakkeenya 28
1 Namni hamaan utuu namni tokko iyyuu isa hin ariʼin baqata; qajeeltonni garuu akkuma leencaa ija jabaatu.
Wicked [people] run away [even] when no one is pursuing them, but righteous/good [people are not afraid]; they are as brave as lions.
2 Biyya fincilu keessa bulchitoota hedduutu jira; bulchaan hubataanii fi beekaan garuu seera eegsisa.
When [the people of] a nation sin, they will have one ruler after another; but when their leaders are wise and have good sense, their government will last for a long time.
3 Bulchaan hiyyeessa hacuucu tokko akkuma bokkaa jabaa midhaan lafa irraa balleessuu ti.
A poor person who oppresses [other] poor [people] is [like] [MET] a very heavy/hard rain that [destroys the crops], with the result that there is no food [for people to eat].
4 Warri seera didan hamoota jaju; warri seera eegan garuu isaaniin mormu.
Those who reject/disobey [God’s] laws always speak well of wicked [people]; but those who obey [God’s] laws [always] oppose what wicked people do.
5 Jalʼoonni murtii qajeelaa hin hubatan; warri Waaqayyoon barbaadan immoo guutumaan guutuutti hubatu.
Evil people do not understand what it means to act justly, but those who try to obey/worship Yahweh understand that very well.
6 Sooressa karaan isaa jalʼaa taʼe mannaa hiyyeessa adeemsi isaa mudaa hin qabne wayya.
It is better to be honest [even] though you are poor than to be dishonest [even] though you are rich.
7 Namni seera eegu ilma ogeessa; michuun albaadhessaa immoo abbaa isaa qaanessa.
Young people who obey the laws are wise [IDM]; parents whose children associate with those who (carouse/go to wild parties) are humiliated/disgraced because of what their children do.
8 Namni dhalaa fi hiiqiidhaan qabeenya isaa guddifatu kam iyyuu, nama hiyyeessaaf garaa laafuuf walitti qaba.
When people become very rich by charging very high interest [DOU], their money will [eventually] go to someone who does kind things for the poor.
9 Nama seeraaf gurra kennuu didu kam iyyuu, kadhannaan isaa balfamaa dha.
If people do not obey [MTY] [God’s] laws, [God] (detests their prayers/considers that their prayers stink).
10 Namni nama tolaa karaa jalʼaa irra adeemsisu kam iyyuu kiyyoo ofii isaa keessa seena; namni balleessaa hin qabne garuu dhaala gaarii argata.
Those who cause honest/good [people] to do what is evil will fall into their own pits/traps, but good things will happen to those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
11 Namni sooressi ogeessa of seʼa; hiyyeessi hubannaa qabu garuu isa qoree bira gaʼa.
[Many] rich people think that they are wise, but poor people who have good sense will find out whether rich people really are wise or not.
12 Yeroo namni qajeelaan moʼatutti gammachuu guddaatu taʼa; yeroo namni hamaan aangoo qabatutti garuu namoonni ni dhokatu.
When righteous/good [people] (succeed/win [elections]), everyone (celebrates/is happy); but when wicked [people win], everyone hides [because they are afraid of what the wicked people will do].
13 Namni cubbuu ofii dhokfatu hin milkaaʼu; kan cubbuu isaa himatee irraa deebiʼu garuu araara argata.
Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper, but [God] acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.
14 Namni yeroo hunda Waaqayyoon sodaatu eebbifamaa dha; kan mataa jabaatu garuu rakkoo keessatti kufa.
[God] is pleased with those who always revere him, but those who are stubborn [IDM] will experience disasters.
15 Namni hamaan hiyyeeyyii bulchu, akkuma leenca aaduu yookaan amaaketa wayitti ariifatuu ti.
Wicked people who [mistreat] poor people whom they rule are [as dangerous to them as] [SIM] a lion roaring [at them] or a bear springing up [to attack them].
16 Bulchaan akka malee nama cunqursu hubannaa hin qabu; kan buʼaa karaa hin malleen argamu jibbu garuu bara dheeraa jiraata.
Rulers who do not have good sense cruelly oppress [the people they rule], but rulers who do not want to become rich by cheating/deceiving [people] will live (OR, rule) for a long time.
17 Namni yakki dhiiga namaa dhangalaasuu isa irra jiru, boollatti baqata; namni tokko iyyuu isa hin gargaarin.
Those who are guilty of murdering [MTY] another person will (be fugitives/keep running away) until they die; do not help them to escape.
18 Namni adeemsi isaa mudaa hin qabne nagumaan jiraata; kan karaan isaa jalʼaa taʼe garuu boollatti kufa.
Those who [continually] do what is right will be safe/protected, but those who are dishonest will [suddenly] be ruined.
19 Namni lafa isaa qotatu nyaata guddaa argata; kan yaada faayidaa hin qabne duukaa buʼu garuu hiyyumaan guutama.
Farmers who work [hard] in their fields will [produce good crops and always] have plenty of food [to eat], but those who spend all their time (on useless projects/doing things that do not benefit anyone) will become very poor.
20 Namni amanamaan eebba quufa; kan sooromuutti gaggabu garuu adabbii jalaa hin baʼu.
[God] will greatly bless those who (are trustworthy/always do what they say that they will do), but he will certainly punish [LIT] those who try to become rich quickly.
21 Nama wal caalchisuun gaarii miti; namni garuu muraa buddeenaa argachuuf jedhee yakka hojjeta.
It is not good [for judges] to decide matters unfairly/unjustly, but [some] people will do what is wrong [even] if they receive [only] a very small bribe [HYP] [for doing it].
22 Namni waa kajeelu sooromuuf jarjara; inni akka hiyyummaan isa eeggatu hin beeku.
Selfish people [IDM] are very eager to become rich quickly; they do not realize that they will [soon] become poor.
23 Namni nama ifatu dhuma irratti nama arrabaan nama saadu caalaa surraa argata.
Those who rebuke someone will be appreciated/thanked more than those who [say nice things to others merely] to (flatter them/cause them to feel good).
24 Namni abbaa yookaan haadha isaa saamee, “Kun balleessaa miti” jedhu garee nama waa balleessuu ti.
Anyone who steals things from his father or his mother and says “That is not sinful” is as bad as a bandit.
25 Namni wayitti gaggabu lola kakaasa; kan Waaqayyoon amanatu garuu ni badhaadha.
Greedy people cause trouble/strife; those who trust in Yahweh will prosper [IDM].
26 Namni of amanatu gowwaa dha; kan ogummaadhaan deemu immoo nagaadhaan jiraata.
Those who believe that what they think [is always right] are foolish; those who act wisely will (escape danger/be safe).
27 Namni hiyyeessaaf kennu waan tokko illee hin dhabu; kan ija dunuunfatu garuu abaarsa baayʼee argata.
Those who give things to poor [people] will not become poor, but many [people] will curse those who refuse to help [IDM] poor people.
28 Yeroo namni hamaan aangoo qabatutti namoonni ni dhokatu; yeroo namni hamaan badutti garuu qajeeltonni ni baayʼatu.
When wicked [people] become rulers, people hide [because they are afraid of what those wicked people will do]; but when wicked people are no longer rulers, good/righteous [people will] become the rulers.
