< Proverbs 23 >

1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you:
Rĩrĩa waikara thĩ kũrĩĩanĩra na mwathi wa bũrũri-rĩ, wĩmenyerere nũũ ũcio mũrĩ nake;
2 And put a knife to your throat, if you be a man given to appetite.
wĩigĩrĩre kahiũ mũmero ũngĩkorwo ũrĩ mũndũ mũkoroku.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful food.
Ndũkerirĩrie irio ciake irĩ mũrĩo, nĩgũkorwo nĩ irio cia gũkũheenereria.
4 Labour not to be rich: cease from your own wisdom.
Tiga kwĩnogia na kwenda gwĩtongia; gĩa na ũũgĩ wa kũhota kwĩrigĩrĩria.
5 Will you set your eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
No wone ũtonga, ũcooke ũbuĩrie, nĩgũkorwo ti-itherũ ũtonga nĩwĩmeragia mathagu, na ũkombũka ta nderi yerekeire matu-inĩ.
6 Eat you not the bread of him that has an evil eye, neither desire you his dainty meats:
Tiga kũrĩa irio cia mũndũ mũkarĩ, ndũkerirĩrie irio ciake cia mũrĩo;
7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, says he to you; but his heart is not with 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 The morsel which you have eaten shall you vomit up, and lose your sweet words.
Nĩũgatahĩka kĩrĩa kĩnini ũgaakorwo ũrĩĩte, nacio ngaatho ciaku nĩikoorĩra thĩ.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Ndũkaarie na mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, nĩgũkorwo we no anyararire ũũgĩ wa ciugo ciaku.
10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
Ndũkaneherie ihiga rĩa tene rĩa mũhaka, kana ũhatĩke mĩhaka ya mĩgũnda ya ciana cia ngoriai,
11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with you.
tondũ Mũgitĩri wacio nĩ arĩ na hinya; nĩakamaciirĩrĩra agũũkĩrĩre.
12 Apply your heart unto instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
Ringĩrĩria ngoro yaku gũthikĩrĩria ũrutani, na matũ maku kũigua ciugo cia ũmenyo.
13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if you beat him with the rod, he shall not die.
Ndũkanaage kũherithia mwana; ũngĩmũhũũra na rũthanju-rĩ, ndangĩkua.
14 You shall beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from hell. (Sheol h7585)
Mũhũũrage na rũthanju nĩguo ũhonokie muoyo wake kuuma kũrĩ gĩkuũ. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if your heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
Mũrũ wakwa, ngoro yaku ĩngĩgĩa na ũũgĩ-rĩ, hĩndĩ ĩyo ngoro yakwa no ĩkene;
16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when your lips speak right things.
ngoro yakwa nĩĩgacanjamũka rĩrĩa mĩromo yaku ĩkaaria maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire.
17 Let not your heart envy sinners: but be you in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
Ndũkanareke ngoro yaku ĩiguĩre ehia ũiru, no hĩndĩ ciothe gĩĩaga na kĩyo gĩa gwĩtigĩra Jehova.
18 For surely there is an end; and your expectation shall not be cut off.
Tondũ ti-itherũ wee ũrĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro thuutha-inĩ, na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro gĩaku gĩtigaathira.
19 Hear you, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the way.
Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria nĩgeetha ũgĩe na ũũgĩ, na ũige ngoro yaku njĩra-inĩ ĩrĩa yagĩrĩire.
20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Ndũkegwatanie na andũ arĩa manyuuaga njoohi, kana arĩa makorokagĩra nyama,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
nĩgũkorwo arĩĩu na andũ arĩa akoroku matuĩkaga athĩĩni, naguo ũgũũta ũtũmaga mũndũ ehumbe matangari.
22 Hearken unto your father that brings forth you, and despise not your mother when she is old.
Thikagĩrĩria thoguo, we ũrĩa wagũciarire, na ndũkanyarare maitũguo, o na aakorwo nĩ mũkũrũ.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Wĩgũrĩre ũhoro ũrĩa wa ma na ndũkanawendie; wĩgĩĩre na ũũgĩ, na ũtaaro, na ũtaũku.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that bring forths a wise child shall have joy of him.
Ithe wa mwana mũthingu arĩ gĩkeno kĩnene mũno; nake ũrĩa ũrĩ na mwana mũũgĩ nĩakenagio nĩwe.
25 Your father and your mother shall be glad, and she that bare you shall rejoice.
Thoguo na maitũguo marocanjamũka nĩ ũndũ waku; mũtumia ũrĩa wagũciarire arokena!
26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
Mũrũ wakwa, heaga ngoro yaku, na ũreke maitho maku marũmagĩrĩre njĩra ciakwa,
27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
nĩgũkorwo mũmaraya nĩ irima iriku, nake mũtumia mũtharia nĩ gĩthima gĩkunderu.
28 She also lies in wait as for a prey, and increases the transgressors among men.
Oohagĩria andũ njĩra-inĩ o ta njangiri, na nĩatũmaga kuongerereke andũ matarĩ ehokeku kĩrĩndĩ-inĩ.
29 Who has woe? who has sorrow? who has contentions? who has babbling? who has wounds without cause? who has redness of 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 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Nĩ arĩa matindaga marũmanĩrĩire na ndibei, arĩa mathiiaga magĩcamaga mbakũri cia ndibei ĩrĩa ndukanie.
31 Look not you upon the wine when it is red, when it gives his colour in the cup, when it moves itself aright.
Tiga kwĩrorera ndibei rĩrĩa ĩtunĩhĩte, rĩrĩa ĩgũkenga ĩrĩ gĩkombe-inĩ, rĩrĩa ĩkũmerũka wega!
32 At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder.
Mũthia-inĩ ĩrũmanaga ta nyoka, ĩgagũtheeca na thumu ta nduĩra.
33 your eyes shall behold strange women, and your heart shall utter perverse things.
Maitho maku makoonaga maũndũ mageni, na meciiria maku meciirie maũndũ ma waganu.
34 Yea, you shall be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lies upon the top of a mast.
Ũgaatuĩka ta mũndũ ũkomete iria-inĩ rĩrĩa inene gatagatĩ, o ta mũndũ ũkomete mũthia wa gĩtugĩ kĩa macua.
35 They have stricken me, shall you say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Nĩũkoiga atĩrĩ, “Ngũthĩtwo, no ndinatiihio! Nĩmahũũra, no ndinaigua ũndũ! Ngokĩra-rĩ, nĩguo ngacarie ĩngĩ ya kũnyua?”

< Proverbs 23 >