Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;
Atĩrĩrĩ, inyuĩ ariũ akwa, ta thikĩrĩriai ũrũtani wa thoguo; njiguai nĩguo mwĩgĩĩre na kũmenya maũndũ.
2 for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.
Tondũ ngũmũhe ũrutani mwega, nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũtigatirike ũrutani wakwa.
3 For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one 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 said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.
baba nĩandutire, akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Wĩgwatĩre ciugo ciakwa na ngoro yaku yothe; rũmia maathani makwa, na nĩũgũtũũra muoyo.
5 Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Gĩa na ũũgĩ, gĩa na kũmenya maũndũ; ndũkanariganĩrwo nĩ ciugo ciakwa, kana wahũke kuuma harĩ cio.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.
Ndũkanatirike ũũgĩ, naguo nĩũrĩkũgitagĩra;
7 The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.
Ũũgĩ ũkĩrĩte indo ciothe; nĩ ũndũ ũcio wĩgĩĩre na ũũgĩ. Ĩĩ, kaba kũruta indo ciaku ciothe wĩgĩĩre na kũmenya maũndũ.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.
Tũũgagĩria ũũgĩ mũno, naguo nĩũrĩkwambararagia; ũhĩmbagĩrie, naguo nĩũrĩgũtĩĩithagia.
9 She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.
Nĩũgagwĩkĩra ithaga rĩa ũtugi mũtwe waku, na ũkũhe thũmbĩ thaka mũno.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.
Thikĩrĩria, wee mũrũ wakwa, na wĩtĩkĩre ũrĩa ngũkwĩra, nĩgeetha mĩaka ya muoyo waku ĩingĩhe.
11 I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.
Nguonetie njĩra ya ũũgĩ, na ngagũtongoria njĩra-inĩ iria nũngarũ.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Rĩrĩa ũgũthiĩ, makinya maku matikahĩngĩcwo; rĩrĩa ũkũhanyũka-rĩ, ndũkahĩngwo.
13 Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life.
Rũmia ũrutani wakwa, na ndũkanareke ũkweherere; ũgitagĩre wega, nĩgũkorwo nĩguo muoyo waku.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:
Ndũkanagerere njĩra ya andũ arĩa aaganu, kana ũthiĩre njĩra ya andũ arĩa ooru.
15 avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.
Mĩĩtheemage, na ndũkanamĩgerere; mĩhutatĩre, na wĩthiĩre na njĩra yaku.
16 For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.
Nĩgũkorwo andũ arĩa aaganu matingĩkoma nginya meeke ũũru; mooragwo nĩ toro nginya matũme mũndũ ahĩngwo, agwe.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Marĩĩaga irio iria monete na ũmaramari, na makanyua ndibei matunyanĩte na hinya.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.
Mĩthiĩre ya andũ arĩa athingu ĩhaana ta ũtheri wa gũgĩkĩa, ũrĩa ũthiiaga ũgĩthererũkaga nginya mũthenya barigici.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
No mĩthiĩre ya andũ arĩa aaganu ĩhaana ta nduma ndumanu; o matimenyaga kĩrĩa kĩamahĩnga.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Mũrũ wakwa, ta thikĩrĩria ũrĩa ngũkwĩra; tega gũtũ ũigue ciugo ciakwa.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
Ndũkanareke ciehere maitho-inĩ maku, ciigage ngoro-inĩ yaku;
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
nĩgũkorwo nĩcio itũũragia arĩa maciĩgwatĩire muoyo, na igekĩra mwĩrĩ wao wothe ũgima.
23 Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.
Makĩria ya macio mothe, rangagĩra ngoro yaku, nĩgũkorwo nĩyo gĩthima kĩrĩa gĩtherũkaga muoyo.
24 Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
Eheria rũnano kanua-inĩ gaku; nacio ndeto cia ũmaramari-rĩ, nĩciikare kũraya na iromo ciaku.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Maitho maku nĩmarorage na mbere, ũcũthagĩrĩrie mbere yaku wega.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.
Aragania njĩra iria magũrũ maku marĩthiiagĩra, na ũthiiagĩre o njĩra iria ngiindĩrĩku.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
Ndũkanaahũke na mwena wa ũrĩo kana wa ũmotho; eheria kũgũrũ gwaku kuuma ũũru-inĩ.
