Proverbs 26
1 Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
O ta ũrĩa tharunji ĩtaagĩrĩire kũgĩa hĩndĩ ya riũa, kana mbura kuura hĩndĩ ya magetha-rĩ, noguo gĩtĩĩo gĩtagĩrĩire mũndũ mũkĩĩgu.
2 Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
Ta kanyoni-ka-nja gekũbatabata, kana thũngũrũrũ ĩkũhiũka-hiũka, noguo kĩrumi gĩtarĩ gĩtũmi gĩtarĩ ha kwĩgwatĩrĩra.
3 It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
Kĩboko nĩ kĩa mbarathi, matamu nĩ ma ndigiri, na rũthanju nĩ rwa ciande cia andũ arĩa akĩĩgu!
4 If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
Ndũkanacookerie mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kũringana na ũrimũ wake, ndũkae gũtuĩka take.
5 If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
Cookeria mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kũringana na ũrimũ wake, nĩguo ndakeyone taarĩ mũndũ mũũgĩ maitho-inĩ make.
6 Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
Gũtũma ndũmĩrĩri na guoko kwa mũndũ mũkĩĩgu-rĩ, nĩ ta gwĩtinia magũrũ, kana kũnyua haaro.
7 A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
O ta magũrũ ma gĩthua ũrĩa mathiiaga maniginĩte, noguo thimo ĩhaana ĩkĩario nĩ kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu.
8 Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
Kũhe mũndũ mũkĩĩgu gĩtĩĩo no ta kuoherera ihiga kĩgũtha-inĩ.
9 If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
Thimo ĩkĩario nĩ kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu nĩ ta mũigua ũrĩ guoko-inĩ kwa mũrĩĩu.
10 A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
Mũndũ wandĩkaga mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kana mwĩhĩtũkĩri nĩ ta ũrĩa ũikagia mĩguĩ o ro ũguo agatiihia andũ.
11 A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu acookagĩra ũrimũ wake o ta ũrĩa ngui ĩcookagĩrĩra matahĩko mayo.
12 [God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
Wanona mũndũ wĩonaga arĩ mũũgĩ maitho-inĩ make? Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu arĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro gũkĩra mũndũ ũcio.
13 Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
Kĩgũũta kiugaga atĩrĩ, “Njĩra-inĩ kũrĩ na mũrũũthi, mũrũũthi mũrĩĩani ũrorũũra njĩra-inĩ cia itũũra!”
14 A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
Ta ũrĩa mũrango ũtindaga ũkĩgarũrũka ihocio-inĩ ciaguo, noguo kĩgũũta gĩtindaga gĩkĩĩgarũra gĩkomete ũrĩrĩ-inĩ wakĩo.
15 Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
Kĩgũũta gĩikagia guoko gwakĩo o thaani-inĩ; kĩnogagio nĩgũcooka gũkuoya gĩgũkinyie kanua-inĩ.
16 Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
Kĩgũũta kĩĩonaga kĩrĩ kĩũgĩ maitho-inĩ makĩo, gũkĩra andũ mũgwanja arĩa macookagia ũhoro na ũũgĩ.
17 Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
Mwĩhĩtũkĩri wĩtoonyagia inegene-inĩ rĩtamũkoniĩ no ta mũndũ ũkũnyiita ngui matũ.
18 Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
Ta mũgũrũki ũgũikia icinga cia mwaki, kana agaikia mĩguĩ ya gĩkuũ,
19 are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
no taguo mũndũ ahaana ũrĩa ũheenagia mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake, agacooka kũmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩ itherũ nyuma narĩo!”
20 If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
Mwaki ũngĩaga ngũ no kũhora ũhoraga; ngarari cingĩaga mũhuhu no gũthira ithiraga.
21 [Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
O ta ũrĩa makara magwatagia marĩa mangĩ mwaki, na o ta ũrĩa ngũ ciakanagia mwaki, noguo mũndũ mũũgiti aakagĩrĩria haaro.
22 People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
Ndeto cia mũndũ wa mũhuhu nĩ ta twenyũ twega twa irio; tũmerũkaga tũgathiĩ mwĩrĩ wa mũndũ o thĩinĩ biũ.
23 People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
Ta ũrĩa indo cia rĩũmba inyorokagio ikahenia na igũrũ, no taguo mĩromo mĩnyoroku ĩhumbagĩra ngoro ĩrĩ na ũũru.
24 Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
Mũndũ wa rũmena aaragia ũhinga na mĩromo yake, no thĩinĩ wa ngoro yake aiyũrĩtwo no maheeni.
25 When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
O na gũtuĩka mĩario yake nĩ ya gũkenania, ndũkanamwĩtĩkie, nĩgũkorwo ngoro yake ĩiyũrĩte maũndũ mũgwanja marĩ magigi.
26 They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
Rũmena rwake no rũhithwo na maheeni, no waganu wake ũkaaguũrio kĩũngano-inĩ.
27 Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
Mũndũ angĩenja irima, nĩwe ũkaagũa rĩo; mũndũ angĩgaragaria ihiga, rĩkaagaragara rĩmũcookerere.
28 Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
Rũrĩmĩ rwa maheeni nĩkũmena rũmenete arĩa rũtuuragia, nako kanua ga kwĩyendithĩrĩria karehaga mwanangĩko.
