Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the correction of a father, and attend, that ye may know understanding.
Atĩrĩrĩ, inyuĩ ariũ akwa, ta thikĩrĩriai ũrũtani wa thoguo; njiguai nĩguo mwĩgĩĩre na kũmenya maũndũ.
2 For, good teaching, have I given you, mine instruction, do not ye forsake.
Tondũ ngũmũhe ũrutani mwega, nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũtigatirike ũrutani wakwa.
3 For, a son, became I to my father, tender and most precious 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 So he taught me, and said to me—Let thy heart, lay hold of 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 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, Do not forget, neither decline thou from the sayings of my mouth.
Gĩa na ũũgĩ, gĩa na kũmenya maũndũ; ndũkanariganĩrwo nĩ ciugo ciakwa, kana wahũke kuuma harĩ cio.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard thee, —love her and she will keep thee.
Ndũkanatirike ũũgĩ, naguo nĩũrĩkũgitagĩra;
7 The principal thing, is wisdom, acquire thou wisdom, With all thine acquisition, acquire thou 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 will set thee on high, she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her:
Tũũgagĩria ũũgĩ mũno, naguo nĩũrĩkwambararagia; ũhĩmbagĩrie, naguo nĩũrĩgũtĩĩithagia.
9 She will give for thy head, a wreath of beauty, A crown of adorning, will she bestow upon thee.
Nĩũgagwĩkĩra ithaga rĩa ũtugi mũtwe waku, na ũkũhe thũmbĩ thaka mũno.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and they will multiply to thee the years of life.
Thikĩrĩria, wee mũrũ wakwa, na wĩtĩkĩre ũrĩa ngũkwĩra, nĩgeetha mĩaka ya muoyo waku ĩingĩhe.
11 In the way of wisdom, have I taught thee, I have guided thee in tracks of uprightness.
Nguonetie njĩra ya ũũgĩ, na ngagũtongoria njĩra-inĩ iria nũngarũ.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be hemmed in, and, if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Rĩrĩa ũgũthiĩ, makinya maku matikahĩngĩcwo; rĩrĩa ũkũhanyũka-rĩ, ndũkahĩngwo.
13 Take fast hold of correction, let her not go, —keep her, for, she, is thy life.
Rũmia ũrutani wakwa, na ndũkanareke ũkweherere; ũgitagĩre wega, nĩgũkorwo nĩguo muoyo waku.
14 Upon the path of the lawless, do not thou enter, and do not advance in the way of the wicked:
Ndũkanagerere njĩra ya andũ arĩa aaganu, kana ũthiĩre njĩra ya andũ arĩa ooru.
15 Avoid it, do not pass thereon—turn from it, and depart.
Mĩĩtheemage, na ndũkanamĩgerere; mĩhutatĩre, na wĩthiĩre na njĩra yaku.
16 For they sleep not, unless they can do mischief, —They rob themselves of their sleep, if they cannot cause someone to stumble,
Nĩgũkorwo andũ arĩa aaganu matingĩkoma nginya meeke ũũru; mooragwo nĩ toro nginya matũme mũndũ ahĩngwo, agwe.
17 For they consume bread gotten by lawlessness, and, wine obtained by violence, they drink.
Marĩĩaga irio iria monete na ũmaramari, na makanyua ndibei matunyanĩte na hinya.
18 But, the path of the righteous, is as the light of dawn, —going on and brightening, unto meridian day.
Mĩthiĩre ya andũ arĩa athingu ĩhaana ta ũtheri wa gũgĩkĩa, ũrĩa ũthiiaga ũgĩthererũkaga nginya mũthenya barigici.
19 The way of the lawless, is like 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, to my words, attend, to my sayings, incline thou thine ear;
Mũrũ wakwa, ta thikĩrĩria ũrĩa ngũkwĩra; tega gũtũ ũigue ciugo ciakwa.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart;
Ndũkanareke ciehere maitho-inĩ maku, ciigage ngoro-inĩ yaku;
22 For, life, they are, to them who find them, —and, to every part of one’s flesh, they bring healing.
nĩgũkorwo nĩcio itũũragia arĩa maciĩgwatĩire muoyo, na igekĩra mwĩrĩ wao wothe ũgima.
23 Above all that must be guarded, keep thou thy heart, for, out of it, are the issues of life.
Makĩria ya macio mothe, rangagĩra ngoro yaku, nĩgũkorwo nĩyo gĩthima kĩrĩa gĩtherũkaga muoyo.
24 Remove from thee, perverseness of mouth, and, craftiness of lips, put far from thee.
Eheria rũnano kanua-inĩ gaku; nacio ndeto cia ũmaramari-rĩ, nĩciikare kũraya na iromo ciaku.
25 Let, thine eyes, right onward, look, —and, thine eyelashes, point straight before thee.
Maitho maku nĩmarorage na mbere, ũcũthagĩrĩrie mbere yaku wega.
26 Make level the track of thy foot, that, all thy ways, may be directed aright:
Aragania njĩra iria magũrũ maku marĩthiiagĩra, na ũthiiagĩre o njĩra iria ngiindĩrĩku.
27 Decline not, to the right hand or to the left, —Turn away thy foot from wickedness.
Ndũkanaahũke na mwena wa ũrĩo kana wa ũmotho; eheria kũgũrũ gwaku kuuma ũũru-inĩ.
