< Proverbs 4 >
1 Hear, all of you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Atĩrĩrĩ, inyuĩ ariũ akwa, ta thikĩrĩriai ũrũtani wa thoguo; njiguai nĩguo mwĩgĩĩre na kũmenya maũndũ.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake all of you not my law.
Tondũ ngũmũhe ũrutani mwega, nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũtigatirike ũrutani wakwa.
3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved 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 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let your 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 understanding: 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 preserve you: love her, and she shall keep you.
Ndũkanatirike ũũgĩ, naguo nĩũrĩkũgitagĩra;
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.
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 you: she shall bring you to honour, when you do embrace her.
Tũũgagĩria ũũgĩ mũno, naguo nĩũrĩkwambararagia; ũhĩmbagĩrie, naguo nĩũrĩgũtĩĩithagia.
9 She shall give to your head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to you.
Nĩũgagwĩkĩra ithaga rĩa ũtugi mũtwe waku, na ũkũhe thũmbĩ thaka mũno.”
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of your life shall be many.
Thikĩrĩria, wee mũrũ wakwa, na wĩtĩkĩre ũrĩa ngũkwĩra, nĩgeetha mĩaka ya muoyo waku ĩingĩhe.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.
Nguonetie njĩra ya ũũgĩ, na ngagũtongoria njĩra-inĩ iria nũngarũ.
12 When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall 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 your 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 cause 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 just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.
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 your ear unto my sayings.
Mũrũ wakwa, ta thikĩrĩria ũrĩa ngũkwĩra; tega gũtũ ũigue ciugo ciakwa.
21 Let them not depart 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 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 your heart with all diligence; 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 you a perverse mouth, and perverse lips put far from you.
Eheria rũnano kanua-inĩ gaku; nacio ndeto cia ũmaramari-rĩ, nĩciikare kũraya na iromo ciaku.
25 Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.
Maitho maku nĩmarorage na mbere, ũcũthagĩrĩrie mbere yaku wega.
26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.
Aragania njĩra iria magũrũ maku marĩthiiagĩra, na ũthiiagĩre o njĩra iria ngiindĩrĩku.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove your foot from evil.
Ndũkanaahũke na mwena wa ũrĩo kana wa ũmotho; eheria kũgũrũ gwaku kuuma ũũru-inĩ.