< Proverbs 4 >

1 Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
Atĩrĩrĩ, inyuĩ ariũ akwa, ta thikĩrĩriai ũrũtani wa thoguo; njiguai nĩguo mwĩgĩĩre na kũmenya maũndũ.
2 I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
Tondũ ngũmũhe ũrutani mwega, nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũtigatirike ũrutani wakwa.
3 For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
Rĩrĩa ndaarĩ mwana nyũmba-inĩ ya baba, ndĩ o mũndũ mwĩthĩ, na ndĩ mwana wa mũmwe wa maitũ-rĩ,
4 And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
baba nĩandutire, akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Wĩgwatĩre ciugo ciakwa na ngoro yaku yothe; rũmia maathani makwa, na nĩũgũtũũra muoyo.
5 Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
Gĩa na ũũgĩ, gĩa na kũmenya maũndũ; ndũkanariganĩrwo nĩ ciugo ciakwa, kana wahũke kuuma harĩ cio.
6 Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
Ndũkanatirike ũũgĩ, naguo nĩũrĩkũgitagĩra;
7 The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
Ũũgĩ ũkĩrĩte indo ciothe; nĩ ũndũ ũcio wĩgĩĩre na ũũgĩ. Ĩĩ, kaba kũruta indo ciaku ciothe wĩgĩĩre na kũmenya maũndũ.
8 Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
Tũũgagĩria ũũgĩ mũno, naguo nĩũrĩkwambararagia; ũhĩmbagĩrie, naguo nĩũrĩgũtĩĩithagia.
9 She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
Nĩũgagwĩkĩra ithaga rĩa ũtugi mũtwe waku, na ũkũhe thũmbĩ thaka mũno.”
10 Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
Thikĩrĩria, wee mũrũ wakwa, na wĩtĩkĩre ũrĩa ngũkwĩra, nĩgeetha mĩaka ya muoyo waku ĩingĩhe.
11 I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
Nguonetie njĩra ya ũũgĩ, na ngagũtongoria njĩra-inĩ iria nũngarũ.
12 When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
Rĩrĩa ũgũthiĩ, makinya maku matikahĩngĩcwo; rĩrĩa ũkũhanyũka-rĩ, ndũkahĩngwo.
13 Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
Rũmia ũrutani wakwa, na ndũkanareke ũkweherere; ũgitagĩre wega, nĩgũkorwo nĩguo muoyo waku.
14 Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
Ndũkanagerere njĩra ya andũ arĩa aaganu, kana ũthiĩre njĩra ya andũ arĩa ooru.
15 Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
Mĩĩtheemage, na ndũkanamĩgerere; mĩhutatĩre, na wĩthiĩre na njĩra yaku.
16 For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
Nĩgũkorwo andũ arĩa aaganu matingĩkoma nginya meeke ũũru; mooragwo nĩ toro nginya matũme mũndũ ahĩngwo, agwe.
17 They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
Marĩĩaga irio iria monete na ũmaramari, na makanyua ndibei matunyanĩte na hinya.
18 But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
Mĩthiĩre ya andũ arĩa athingu ĩhaana ta ũtheri wa gũgĩkĩa, ũrĩa ũthiiaga ũgĩthererũkaga nginya mũthenya barigici.
19 The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
No mĩthiĩre ya andũ arĩa aaganu ĩhaana ta nduma ndumanu; o matimenyaga kĩrĩa kĩamahĩnga.
20 My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
Mũrũ wakwa, ta thikĩrĩria ũrĩa ngũkwĩra; tega gũtũ ũigue ciugo ciakwa.
21 Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
Ndũkanareke ciehere maitho-inĩ maku, ciigage ngoro-inĩ yaku;
22 For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
nĩgũkorwo nĩcio itũũragia arĩa maciĩgwatĩire muoyo, na igekĩra mwĩrĩ wao wothe ũgima.
23 Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
Makĩria ya macio mothe, rangagĩra ngoro yaku, nĩgũkorwo nĩyo gĩthima kĩrĩa gĩtherũkaga muoyo.
24 Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
Eheria rũnano kanua-inĩ gaku; nacio ndeto cia ũmaramari-rĩ, nĩciikare kũraya na iromo ciaku.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
Maitho maku nĩmarorage na mbere, ũcũthagĩrĩrie mbere yaku wega.
26 Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
Aragania njĩra iria magũrũ maku marĩthiiagĩra, na ũthiiagĩre o njĩra iria ngiindĩrĩku.
27 Turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left; yet turn your foot away from evil. For the Lord knows the ways that are on the right, and truly, those that are on the left are perverse. But he himself will make your courses straight. Then your journey will advance in peace.
Ndũkanaahũke na mwena wa ũrĩo kana wa ũmotho; eheria kũgũrũ gwaku kuuma ũũru-inĩ.

< Proverbs 4 >