< Proverbs 21 >
1 The Lord directs the king's decisions like a stream of water that he sends whichever way he wants.
Ngoro ya mũthamaki ĩrĩ moko-inĩ ma Jehova; amĩroragia o kũrĩa ekwenda, o ta ũrĩa maaĩ moinithagĩrio mĩtaro-inĩ.
2 People think that whatever they do is fine, but the Lord looks at their motives.
Mũndũ oonaga mĩthiĩre yake yothe ĩrĩ mĩega, no Jehova athimaga ngoro.
3 Doing what's right and fair pleases the Lord more than sacrifices.
Gwĩka ũrĩa kwagĩrĩire na ũrĩa ũrĩ kĩhooto nĩ gwĩtĩkagĩrwo nĩ Jehova gũkĩra kũruta igongona.
4 Pride and arrogance are the sins the wicked live by.
Maitho ma mwĩtũũgĩrio na ngoro ya mwĩtĩĩo, o icio tawa wa arĩa aaganu-rĩ, nĩ mehia!
5 Those who plan ahead and work hard will have plenty, while those who act rashly end up poor.
Mĩbango ya arĩa marĩ kĩyo nĩĩrehaga uumithio, o ta ũrĩa ti-itherũ ihenya inene rĩrehaga ũthĩĩni.
6 Money made by lies is like smoke in the wind—a chase that ends in death.
Kũgĩa na ũtonga na njĩra ya rũrĩmĩ rwa maheeni nĩ kĩbii gĩa gũthira, na nĩ mũtego wa gĩkuũ.
7 The destruction caused by the wicked will destroy them, for they refuse to do what's right.
Haaro ya andũ arĩa aaganu ĩkaamakururia, ĩmeherie, nĩgũkorwo nĩmaregaga gwĩka ũrĩa kwagĩrĩire.
8 Guilty people live crooked lives, but the innocent follow straight paths.
Njĩra ya mũndũ mũhĩtia nĩ njogomu, no mĩthiĩre ya mũndũ ũrĩa ũtarĩ mahĩtia nĩ mĩrũngarũ.
9 It's better to live in a corner of a housetop than to share a whole house with an argumentative wife.
Nĩ kaba gũtũũra nyũmba-igũrũ, koine-inĩ, gũkĩra gũtũũra nyũmba thĩinĩ na mũtumia wa haaro.
10 Evil people love to do wrong, they don't care what pain they cause anyone.
Mũndũ ũrĩa mwaganu eriragĩria gwĩka o ũũru; ndaiguuagĩra mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake tha.
11 When a mocker is punished, an immature person can learn wisdom. When the wise are educated, they gain knowledge.
Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũnyũrũrania aaherithio, arĩa maagĩte ũũgĩ nĩmohĩgaga; hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ mũũgĩ aataarwo nĩagĩĩaga na ũmenyo.
12 The God of justice sees what happens in the homes of the wicked, and brings the wicked down in disaster.
Ũrĩa Mũthingu, o we Ngai, nĩonaga nyũmba ya ũrĩa mwaganu, na akarehithĩria ũcio mwaganu mwanangĩko.
13 If you refuse to hear the cries of the poor, your cries won't be heard either.
Mũndũ angĩhinga matũ ndakaigue kĩrĩro kĩa arĩa athĩĩni-rĩ, o nake agaakaya na ndone wa kũmwĩtĩka.
14 A gift given in secret calms down anger, and a hidden bribe soothes furious rage.
Kĩheo kĩheanĩtwo na hitho nĩkĩhooreragia marakara, na ihaki ihithe nguo-inĩ rĩhooreragia mangʼũrĩ manene.
15 When justice is done, the good are happy, but it brings terror to those who do evil.
Ituĩro rĩa kĩhooto rĩatuuo, rĩrehaga gĩkeno kũrĩ andũ arĩa athingu, no rĩrehaga kĩmako kũrĩ arĩa mekaga ũũru.
16 Anyone who wanders away from the path of understanding ends up with the dead.
Mũndũ ũrĩa ũtiganaga na njĩra ya ũũgĩ, akaahurũkĩra kĩũngano-inĩ kĩa arĩa akuũ.
17 If you love pleasure you'll become poor; if you love wine and olive oil you won't ever be rich.
Mũndũ ũrĩa mwendi ikeno nĩagathĩĩna; ũrĩa wothe mwendi ndibei na maguta-rĩ, gũtirĩ hĩndĩ agaatonga.
18 The wicked pay the price and not the good; those who are deceitful and not those who live right.
Mũndũ ũrĩa mwaganu atuĩkaga irĩhi rĩa gũkũũra ũrĩa mũthingu, na ũrĩa ũtarĩ mwĩhokeku agatuĩka irĩhi rĩa gũkũũra ũrĩa mũrũngĩrĩru.
19 It's better to live in a desert than with an argumentative and bad-tempered wife.
Nĩ kaba gũtũũra werũ-inĩ, gũkĩra gũtũũra na mũtumia wa haaro na kũrakara narua.
20 The wise hold on to their wealth and olive oil, but stupid people use up everything they have.
Thĩinĩ wa nyũmba ya mũndũ mũũgĩ nĩ kũrĩ mĩthemba yothe ya irio njega o na maguta, no mũndũ mũkĩĩgu arĩĩaga kĩrĩa gĩothe arĩ nakĩo.
21 If you pursue goodness and trustworthy love, you'll find life, prosperity, and honor.
Mũndũ ũrĩa ũthingataga ũthingu na wendani nĩagĩĩaga na muoyo, na ũgaacĩru, na gĩtĩĩo.
22 The wise can overcome a city belonging to strong warriors, and tear down the fortress they trusted to protect them.
Mũndũ mũũgĩ atharĩkagĩra itũũra inene rĩa andũ arĩa njamba, na akamomora kĩĩhitho kĩa hinya kĩrĩa mehokete.
23 If you watch what you say, you can save yourself a lot of trouble.
Mũndũ ũrĩa ũmenyagĩrĩra kanua gake na rũrĩmĩ rwake nĩeyeheragia mũtino-inĩ.
24 A proud, conceited, mocker—that's the name of those who act with insolent arrogance.
Mũndũ mwĩtĩĩi na mwĩgereri, etagwo “Mũnyũrũria”; ekaga maũndũ make na mwĩtĩĩo mũnene.
25 Slackers die hungry because they refuse to work.
Merirĩria ma mũndũ kĩgũũta nĩmo makaamũũraga, tondũ moko make matiendaga kũruta wĩra.
26 Some people only want more and more all the time, but the good give generously.
Mũthenya wothe eriragĩria o makĩria, no arĩa athingu maheanaga mategũtara.
27 The sacrifices given by the wicked are obnoxious, worse still when they're offered with evil motives.
Igongona rĩa mũndũ mwaganu nĩ kĩndũ kĩrĩ magigi: ĩ rĩtikĩrĩ magigi makĩria hĩndĩ ĩrĩa rĩrehetwo na ũhinga ngoro-inĩ!
28 The lies of a false witness vanish away, but the words of a reliable witness will stand.
Mũira wa maheeni nĩgũthira agaathira, nake ũrĩa ũmũthikagĩrĩria akaanangwo nginya tene.
29 The wicked act as bold as brass, but those who live right consider carefully what they're doing.
Mũndũ mwaganu erũagĩrĩra na ũrũme, no mũndũ mũrũngĩrĩru nĩeciiragia ũhoro wa mĩthiĩre yake.
30 Whatever wisdom, understanding, or guidance you may have is nothing before the Lord.
Gũtirĩ ũũgĩ, kana ũmenyi, kana kĩrĩra o na kĩrĩkũ kĩngĩhota gũũkĩrĩra Jehova.
31 You can get your horse ready for battle, but the victory is the Lord's.
Mbarathi nĩĩharagĩrio nĩ ũndũ wa mũthenya wa mbaara, no ũhootani uumaga kũrĩ Jehova.