Proverbs 18
1 He who is separated seeks [his own] desire, He interferes with all wisdom.
Mũndũ ũrĩa ũtendaga gũtũũrania na andũ arũmagĩrĩra o merirĩria make; ningĩ areganaga na matua mothe ma ũũgĩ ũrĩa mũkinyanĩru.
2 A fool does not delight in understanding, But in uncovering his heart.
Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ndakenagĩra ũtaũku, no akenagĩra kwaria woni wake mwene.
3 Contempt has also come with the coming of the wicked, And with shame—reproach.
Rĩrĩa waganu woka, ũrehaga ũirano, nacio njono irehaga thoni.
4 The words of a man’s mouth [are] deep waters, The fountain of wisdom [is] a flowing brook.
Ciugo cia kanua ka mũndũ nĩ ta ndia ndiku, no gĩthima kĩa ũũgĩ nĩ karũũĩ gatherũkaga.
5 Favoring of the face of the wicked [is] not good, To turn aside the righteous in judgment.
Ti wega gũtĩĩra andũ arĩa aaganu maũthĩ, kana kuogomia kĩhooto kĩa arĩa matehĩtie.
6 The lips of a fool enter into strife, And his mouth calls for stripes.
Mĩromo ya mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ĩmũrehagĩra ngũĩ, nako kanua gake geetagia rũthanju.
7 The mouth of a fool [is] ruin to him, And his lips [are] the snare of his soul.
Kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu nĩko kamũthũkagĩria maũndũ, nayo mĩromo yake nĩ mũtego wa ngoro yake.
8 The words of a tale-bearer [are] as self-inflicted wounds, And they have gone down [to] the inner parts of the heart.
Ndeto cia mũndũ wa mũhuhu nĩ ta twenyũ twega twa irio; tũmerũkaga nginya tũturi-inĩ twa nda tũrĩa tũrĩ thĩinĩ mũno.
9 He also that is remiss in his work, He [is] a brother to a destroyer.
Mũndũ kĩgũũta wĩra-inĩ wake nĩ wa nyina na ũrĩa wanangaga.
10 The Name of YHWH [is] a tower of strength, The righteous runs into it, and is set on high.
Rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova nĩ mũthiringo ũrĩ hinya; arĩa athingu moragĩra ho, nao magaikara marĩ agitĩre.
11 The wealth of the rich [is] the city of his strength, And as a wall set on high in his own imagination.
Ũtonga wa andũ arĩa atongu nĩguo itũũra rĩao rĩa hinya; meciiragia nĩ rũthingo rũtangĩhaicĩka.
12 The heart of man is high before destruction, And humility [is] before honor.
Mbere ya mwanangĩko, ngoro ya mũndũ ĩkoragwo na mwĩtĩĩo, no kwĩnyiihia nĩkuo gũtongoragia gĩtĩĩo.
13 Whoever is answering a matter before he hears, It is folly to him—and shame.
Mũndũ ũrĩa ũcookagia ũhoro mbere ya kũũthikĩrĩria, ũndũ ũcio nĩ ũrimũ na thoni ciake.
14 The spirit of a man sustains his sickness, And who bears a struck spirit?
Roho wa mũndũ nĩguo ũmũũmagĩrĩria rĩrĩa arĩ mũrũaru, no roho mũthuthĩku nũũ ũngĩhota kũwĩtiiria?
15 The heart of the intelligent gets knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
Ngoro ya mũndũ mũkũũrani maũndũ nĩĩgĩagĩra ũmenyo; matũ ma arĩa oogĩ nĩmaũcaragĩrĩria.
16 The gift of a man makes room for him, And it leads him before the great.
Kĩheo mũndũ aheanĩte kĩmuonagia njĩra ya kũhĩtũkĩra, gĩkamũkinyia harĩ andũ arĩa anene.
17 The first in his own cause [seems] righteous, [But] his neighbor comes and has searched him.
Mũndũ ũrĩa ũrehaga ciira wake mbere onekaga taarĩ we na ma, o nginya rĩrĩa mũndũ ũrĩa maraciira nake ooka kũmũũria ciũria.
18 The lot causes contentions to cease, And it separates between the mighty.
Ũcuuki wa mĩtĩ nĩũniinaga ngarari, na ũgateithũrana andũ eerĩ njamba.
19 A brother transgressed against is as a strong city, And contentions as the bar of a palace.
Mũndũ mũrakarie nĩ mũrũ wa nyina nĩ hinya kwĩiguithania nake gũkĩra kwĩgwatĩra itũũra inene rĩirigĩre, nacio ngarari nĩ ta mĩgĩĩko ĩrĩa ĩhingaga njeera.
20 From the fruit of a man’s mouth is his belly satisfied, [From the] increase of his lips he is satisfied.
Nda ya mũndũ nĩĩhũũnagio nĩ maciaro ma kanua gake; nĩaiganagwo nĩ magetha ma mĩromo yake.
21 Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those loving it eat its fruit.
Rũrĩmĩ rũrĩ na hinya wa gwathĩrĩra mũndũ muoyo kana gĩkuũ, no arĩa marwendete no marĩĩage maciaro maaruo.
22 [Whoever] has found a wife has found good, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
Mũndũ ũrĩa wĩgĩĩagĩra na mũtumia nĩegĩagĩra na kĩndũ kĩega, na nĩgũtugwo atugĩtwo nĩ Jehova.
23 The poor speaks [with] supplications, And the rich answers fierce things.
Mũndũ mũthĩĩni athaithanaga aiguĩrwo tha, no gĩtonga gĩcookagia ũhoro na ũũru.
24 A man with friends—to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!
Mũndũ mũceeri na andũ aingĩ aahota kwĩyũnũhithia, no nĩ kũrĩ mũrata ũnyiitanaga na mũndũ gũkĩra mũrũ wa nyina na mũndũ.
