Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.
O ta ũrĩa ngi nguũ itũmaga maguta manungi wega magĩe na kĩheera kĩuru-rĩ, noguo ũkĩĩgu mũnini ũkomagĩrĩria ũũgĩ na gĩtĩĩo.
2 The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.
Ngoro ya mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ yerekagĩra mwena wa ũrĩo, no ngoro ya mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ĩkeerekera mwena wa ũmotho.
3 And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.
O na rĩrĩa egũthiĩ na njĩra, mũndũ mũkĩĩgu nĩoragwo nĩ meciiria make, na akoonia mũndũ o wothe ũrĩa arĩ mũkĩĩgu.
4 If the wrath of the ruler is against you, keep in your place; in him who keeps quiet even great sins may be overlooked.
Marakara ma mũndũ ũrĩa wathanaga mangĩarahũka igũrũ rĩaku, ndũkoime harĩa ũrĩ; ũhooreri no ũhoorerie mahĩtia manene.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:
Nĩ harĩ ũndũ mũũru nyonete gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa, na nĩ ihĩtia rĩrĩa riumanaga na mwathi wa andũ:
6 The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.
Atĩ andũ arĩa akĩĩgu nĩmatũũgagĩrio mũno, nao andũ arĩa itonga makanyiihio.
7 I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.
Nĩnyonete ngombo igĩthiĩ ihaicĩte mbarathi, nao ariũ a athamaki magathiĩ na magũrũ ta ngombo.
8 He who makes a hole for others will himself go into it, and for him who makes a hole through a wall the bite of a snake will be a punishment.
Mũndũ ũrĩa wenjaga irima-rĩ, nĩwe ũkaarĩgũa; nake ũrĩa ũtharagia rũthingo nĩkũrũmwo akaarũmwo nĩ nyoka.
9 He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.
Mũndũ ũrĩa wenjaga mahiga no agerwo ngero nĩmo; nake ũrĩa watũraga ngũ no imũrehere ũgwati.
10 If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.
Ithanwa rĩngĩtuuha na rĩage kũnoorwo-rĩ, mũndũ nĩatũmagĩra hinya mũingĩ, no ũũgĩ wa wĩra ũrehaga ũhootani.
11 If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.
Nyoka ĩngĩrũma mũndũ ĩtanathuuthĩrwo ĩhoorere-rĩ, hatirĩ bata kũrĩ mũmĩthuuthĩri.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.
Ciugo cia kanua ka mũndũ mũũgĩ nĩ cia ũtugi, no mũndũ mũkĩĩgu aniinagwo nĩ mĩromo yake mwene.
13 The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.
Kĩambĩrĩria-inĩ ciugo ciake nĩ cia ũrimũ; na kĩrĩkĩrĩro-inĩ nĩ cia ũgũrũki mũtheri:
14 The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?
nake mũndũ mũkĩĩgu no ciugo aingĩhagia. Gũtirĩ mũndũ ũũĩ ũrĩa gũkaahaana, ningĩ nũũ ũngĩmwĩra ũhoro wa maũndũ marĩa mageekĩka thuutha wake?
15 The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.
Wĩra wa mũndũ mũkĩĩgu nĩũmũnogagia; we ndamenyaga njĩra ya gũthiĩ itũũra-inĩ.
16 Unhappy is the land whose king is a boy, and whose rulers are feasting in the morning.
Bũrũri ũrĩa mũthamaki wakuo aarĩ ndungata, na anene akuo marokagĩra kũrĩa o rũciinĩ kaĩ ũrĩ na haaro-ĩ!
17 Happy is the land whose ruler is of noble birth, and whose chiefs take food at the right time, for strength and not for feasting.
Kũrathimwo-rĩ, nĩwe bũrũri ũrĩa mũthamaki waku aaciarĩtwo arĩ mũndũ wa gũtĩĩka, na ũrĩa ariũ ake marĩĩaga irio ihinda rĩrĩa rĩagĩrĩire: nĩgeetha magĩe na hinya, na makanyua, no ti geetha marĩĩo.
18 When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.
Mũndũ angĩkorwo arĩ kĩgũũta, mĩitĩrĩro ya nyũmba yake nĩĩhocagĩrĩra; namo moko make mangĩregera, nyũmba no yure.
19 A feast is for laughing, and wine makes glad the heart; but by the one and the other money is wasted.
Iruga rĩrugagwo nĩguo andũ makene, nayo ndibei ĩkenagia muoyo, no mbeeca nĩcio ihingagia maũndũ mothe.
20 Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.
Ndũkanarume mũthamaki, o na meciiria-inĩ maku, na ndũkanacuuke gĩtonga ũrĩ nyũmba yaku ya thĩinĩ, tondũ nyoni ya rĩera-inĩ no ĩtware ciugo ciaku, o na kana ĩrĩa ĩrĩ mathagu ĩheane ũhoro ũcio warĩtie.
