Proverbs 23
1 When you sit down for a meal with a ruler, look carefully at what is placed before you,
Rĩrĩa waikara thĩ kũrĩĩanĩra na mwathi wa bũrũri-rĩ, wĩmenyerere nũũ ũcio mũrĩ nake;
2 and cut down if you have a big appetite.
wĩigĩrĩre kahiũ mũmero ũngĩkorwo ũrĩ mũndũ mũkoroku.
3 Don't be greedy for his fancy food, for it's offered with deceptive motives.
Ndũkerirĩrie irio ciake irĩ mũrĩo, nĩgũkorwo nĩ irio cia gũkũheenereria.
4 Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich—be wise enough not to bother!
Tiga kwĩnogia na kwenda gwĩtongia; gĩa na ũũgĩ wa kũhota kwĩrigĩrĩria.
5 It disappears in the blink of an eye, suddenly growing wings and flying off into the sky like an eagle.
No wone ũtonga, ũcooke ũbuĩrie, nĩgũkorwo ti-itherũ ũtonga nĩwĩmeragia mathagu, na ũkombũka ta nderi yerekeire matu-inĩ.
6 Don't accept meal invitations from miserly people; don't be greedy for their fancy food,
Tiga kũrĩa irio cia mũndũ mũkarĩ, ndũkerirĩrie irio ciake cia mũrĩo;
7 for what they're thinking inside is what they really are. They say, “Come on, eat and drink!”—but in their minds they don't really care about you.
tondũ nĩ mũndũ wa arĩa meciiragia o ũhoro wa thogora hĩndĩ ciothe. Akwĩraga atĩrĩ, “Rĩa na ũnyue,” no ngoro yake ndĩrĩ hamwe nawe.
8 You'll vomit up the little pieces you've eaten, and your kind words of appreciation will be wasted.
Nĩũgatahĩka kĩrĩa kĩnini ũgaakorwo ũrĩĩte, nacio ngaatho ciaku nĩikoorĩra thĩ.
9 Don't talk to stupid people because they'll ridicule your wise words.
Ndũkaarie na mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, nĩgũkorwo we no anyararire ũũgĩ wa ciugo ciaku.
10 Don't move ancient boundary markers, and don't encroach on fields belonging to orphans,
Ndũkaneherie ihiga rĩa tene rĩa mũhaka, kana ũhatĩke mĩhaka ya mĩgũnda ya ciana cia ngoriai,
11 for their Protector is powerful and he will plead their case against you.
tondũ Mũgitĩri wacio nĩ arĩ na hinya; nĩakamaciirĩrĩra agũũkĩrĩre.
12 Focus your mind on instruction; listen intently to words of knowledge.
Ringĩrĩria ngoro yaku gũthikĩrĩria ũrutani, na matũ maku kũigua ciugo cia ũmenyo.
13 Don't keep from disciplining your children—a beating won't kill them.
Ndũkanaage kũherithia mwana; ũngĩmũhũũra na rũthanju-rĩ, ndangĩkua.
Mũhũũrage na rũthanju nĩguo ũhonokie muoyo wake kuuma kũrĩ gĩkuũ. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if you think wisely then I'll be happy;
Mũrũ wakwa, ngoro yaku ĩngĩgĩa na ũũgĩ-rĩ, hĩndĩ ĩyo ngoro yakwa no ĩkene;
16 I'll be delighted when you say what's right.
ngoro yakwa nĩĩgacanjamũka rĩrĩa mĩromo yaku ĩkaaria maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire.
17 Don't think enviously of sinners, but always remember to honor the Lord,
Ndũkanareke ngoro yaku ĩiguĩre ehia ũiru, no hĩndĩ ciothe gĩĩaga na kĩyo gĩa gwĩtigĩra Jehova.
18 for there's definitely a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
Tondũ ti-itherũ wee ũrĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro thuutha-inĩ, na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro gĩaku gĩtigaathira.
19 Pay attention, my son, and be wise; make sure your mind concentrates on following the right way.
Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria nĩgeetha ũgĩe na ũũgĩ, na ũige ngoro yaku njĩra-inĩ ĩrĩa yagĩrĩire.
20 Don't join in with people who drink too much wine or who stuff themselves with meat.
Ndũkegwatanie na andũ arĩa manyuuaga njoohi, kana arĩa makorokagĩra nyama,
21 For people who get drunk and overeat lose all they've got, and they spend so much time dozing that all they have left to wear is rags.
nĩgũkorwo arĩĩu na andũ arĩa akoroku matuĩkaga athĩĩni, naguo ũgũũta ũtũmaga mũndũ ehumbe matangari.
22 Pay attention to your father, and don't disregard your mother when she's old.
Thikagĩrĩria thoguo, we ũrĩa wagũciarire, na ndũkanyarare maitũguo, o na aakorwo nĩ mũkũrũ.
23 Invest in truth—and don't sell it! Invest in wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
Wĩgũrĩre ũhoro ũrĩa wa ma na ndũkanawendie; wĩgĩĩre na ũũgĩ, na ũtaaro, na ũtaũku.
24 Children who do right make their fathers very happy; a wise son brings joy to his father.
Ithe wa mwana mũthingu arĩ gĩkeno kĩnene mũno; nake ũrĩa ũrĩ na mwana mũũgĩ nĩakenagio nĩwe.
25 Make your father and mother happy; bring joy to her who gave birth to you.
Thoguo na maitũguo marocanjamũka nĩ ũndũ waku; mũtumia ũrĩa wagũciarire arokena!
26 My son, give me your undivided attention, and cheerfully follow my example.
Mũrũ wakwa, heaga ngoro yaku, na ũreke maitho maku marũmagĩrĩre njĩra ciakwa,
27 A prostitute is like being trapped in a pit; an immoral woman is like getting stuck a narrow well,
nĩgũkorwo mũmaraya nĩ irima iriku, nake mũtumia mũtharia nĩ gĩthima gĩkunderu.
28 Like a robber, she lies in wait ready to ambush men and make more of them unfaithful to their wives.
Oohagĩria andũ njĩra-inĩ o ta njangiri, na nĩatũmaga kuongerereke andũ matarĩ ehokeku kĩrĩndĩ-inĩ.
29 Who's in trouble? Who's in pain? Who's arguing? Who's complaining? Who's injured for no reason? Who's got bloodshot eyes?
Nũũ ũrĩ na haaro? Nũũ ũrĩ na kĩeha? Nũũ ũrĩ hatĩka-inĩ? Nũũ ũrĩ na mateta? Nũũ ũgurarĩtio hatarĩ gĩtũmi? Nũũ ũtunĩhĩtie maitho?
30 —those who spend a long time drinking wine, those who are always trying some new cocktail.
Nĩ arĩa matindaga marũmanĩrĩire na ndibei, arĩa mathiiaga magĩcamaga mbakũri cia ndibei ĩrĩa ndukanie.
31 Don't let the look of wine tempt you—how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smooth it feels as it goes down.
Tiga kwĩrorera ndibei rĩrĩa ĩtunĩhĩte, rĩrĩa ĩgũkenga ĩrĩ gĩkombe-inĩ, rĩrĩa ĩkũmerũka wega!
32 In the end it bites like a serpent, it stings like a snake.
Mũthia-inĩ ĩrũmanaga ta nyoka, ĩgagũtheeca na thumu ta nduĩra.
33 You'll hallucinate, seeing strange things, and your confused mind will make you say all kinds of craziness.
Maitho maku makoonaga maũndũ mageni, na meciiria maku meciirie maũndũ ma waganu.
34 You'll stumble around like you're on the rolling ocean, you'll be tossed about like someone lying down at the top of a ship's mast, saying,
Ũgaatuĩka ta mũndũ ũkomete iria-inĩ rĩrĩa inene gatagatĩ, o ta mũndũ ũkomete mũthia wa gĩtugĩ kĩa macua.
35 “People punched me, but it didn't hurt me; they beat me, but I didn't feel a thing. I've got to get up because I need another drink.”
Nĩũkoiga atĩrĩ, “Ngũthĩtwo, no ndinatiihio! Nĩmahũũra, no ndinaigua ũndũ! Ngokĩra-rĩ, nĩguo ngacarie ĩngĩ ya kũnyua?”
