< Proverbs 30 >

1 These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.
Ĩno nĩyo mĩario ya Aguri mũrũ wa Jake, na nĩ ndũmĩrĩri nditũ: Mũndũ ũcio eerire Ithieli, akĩĩra Ithieli na Ukali atĩrĩ:
2 It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.
“Niĩ ndĩ mũndũ mũriitu gũkĩra andũ arĩa angĩ; ndirĩ na ũtaũku ta wa mũndũ.
3 I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.
Ndiĩrutĩte kũgĩa na ũũgĩ, o na kana ngamenya Ũrĩa Mũtheru.
4 [But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].
Nũũ wanambata igũrũ na agacooka agaikũrũka gũkũ thĩ? Nũũ wanacookereria rũhuho ngundi-inĩ ciake? Maaĩ namo-rĩ, nũũ ũrĩ wamoohania na nguo yake ya igũrũ? Nũũ wahaandire ituri ciothe cia thĩ? Etagwo atĩa, nake mũriũ etagwo atĩa? Akorwo nĩũũĩ-rĩ, ndũkĩnjĩĩre!
5 Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.
“Kiugo gĩothe kĩa Ngai gĩtirĩ mahĩtia; nĩwe ngo ya arĩa moragĩra harĩ we.
6 Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.
Ndũkanongerere ciugo ciake, ndakae gũkũrũithia wonekane ũrĩ wa maheeni.
7 [God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them before I die:
“Nĩngũkũhooya maũndũ meerĩ, Wee Jehova; ndũkanarege kũhe mo mbere ya ngue:
8 Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;
Atĩrĩrĩ, njehereria maũndũ matarĩ ma ma, na ma maheeni, cindaihĩrĩrie mũno; ningĩ ndũkaahe ũthĩĩni kana ũtonga, no ũũheage irio cia o mũthenya.
9 because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.
Ndikaagĩe na indo nyingĩ mũno, ngũkaane, njũũrie atĩrĩ, ‘Jehova nũũ?’ Kana thĩĩne mũno, njiye, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩmenererie rĩĩtwa rĩa Ngai wakwa.
10 Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.
“Ndũgacambie ndungata kũrĩ mũnene wayo, ndĩgagĩkũrume, nawe ũrĩhio ũũru ũcio.
11 [I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.
“Nĩ kũrĩ andũ marumaga maithe mao o na matangĩrathima manyina mao;
12 Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.
kũrĩ andũ arĩa meyonaga marĩ atheru maitho-inĩ mao, o rĩrĩa matathambĩtio gĩko kĩao;
13 Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.
nĩ arĩa marĩ maitho ma mwĩtĩĩo, o arĩa maroraga andũ manyiira;
14 Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.
nĩo arĩa magego mao mahaana ta hiũ cia njora, na ngambucu ciao ihaana ta tũhiũ twa gũtambuura arĩa athĩĩni, mahuke thĩ, na arĩa abatari, mathire andũ-inĩ.
15 Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:
“Thambara ĩrĩ airĩtu eerĩ. Matitigithagĩria kuuga, ‘Tũhei! Tũhei!’ “Kũrĩ indo ithatũ itarĩ hĩndĩ ihũũnaga, o na nĩ inya itarĩ hĩndĩ ingiuga, ‘Nĩndaigania!’
16 The place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (Sheol h7585)
Nacio nĩ mbĩrĩra, na nda thaata, na thĩ tondũ ndĩrĩ hĩndĩ ĩiganagia maaĩ, na mwaki tondũ ndũrĩ hĩndĩ uugaga, ‘Nĩndaigania!’ (Sheol h7585)
17 Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.
“Riitho rĩa mũndũ ũrĩa ũnyũrũragia ithe, na akarurũka kũiguaga nyina, rĩgaakũũrwo nĩ mahuru ma kĩanda-inĩ, na rĩkaarĩĩo nĩ nderi.
18 There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:
“Kũrĩ maũndũ matatũ mangegagia mũno makĩria, o na nĩ mana marĩa niĩ itakuũkagĩrwo nĩmo:
19 How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.
namo nĩ mũthiĩre wa nderi rĩera-inĩ, na mũthiĩre wa nyoka rwaro-inĩ rwa ihiga, na mũthiĩre wa marikabu ĩrĩ iria-inĩ gatagatĩ, na mũthiĩre wa mũndũ makĩendana na mũirĩtu.
20 This is what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”
“Ũyũ nĩguo mũthiĩre wa mũndũ-wa-nja mũtharia: Arĩĩaga na akehuura mĩromo, akoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Ndirĩ ũndũ mũũru njĩkĩte.’
21 There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:
“Kũrĩ maũndũ matatũ matũmaga thĩ ĩthingithe, o na nĩ mana ĩtangĩĩtiiria:
22 [What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,
namo nĩ ndungata ĩtuĩkĩte mũthamaki, na mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ahũũnĩte irio,
23 [what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.
na mũndũ-wa-nja ũtangĩendeka ahikĩte, na ndungata ya mũirĩtu ĩtuĩkĩte mũtumia wa mũthuuri wa mũmĩathi.
24 [There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:
“Nĩ kũrĩ nyamũ inya nini gũkũ thĩ, no nĩ njũgĩ mũno:
25 Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].
Thigiriri-rĩ, nĩ ciũmbe itarĩ hinya, no nĩciĩigagĩra mũthiithũ wa irio hĩndĩ ya riũa;
26 Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].
ikami nĩ ciũmbe itarĩ ũhoti, no nĩciĩthondekagĩra ciikaro ciacio ndwaro-inĩ cia mahiga;
27 Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.
ngigĩ itirĩ mũthamaki wacio, no nĩitwaranaga hamwe irĩ mbũtũ;
28 Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.
njagathi no inyiitwo na rũhĩ, no ĩtũũraga thĩinĩ wa nyũmba cia athamaki.
29 [There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:
“Kũrĩ indo ithatũ irĩ mũkinyũkĩrie mũgaacĩru, o na nĩ inya ngaacĩru rĩrĩa igũthiĩ:
30 Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;
nĩ mũrũũthi, arĩ guo ũrĩ hinya mũno gatagatĩ ka nyamũ iria ingĩ ciothe, na ndũngĩeherera nyamũ ĩrĩkũ kana ĩrĩkũ njĩra;
31 male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.
nĩ njamba ya ngũkũ ĩrĩa ĩkinyũkagia na nguthi, na thenge, na mũthamaki mũthiũrũrũkĩrie nĩ mbũtũ ciake cia ita.
32 If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!
“Angĩkorwo nĩwĩtuĩte mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, na ũgetũũgĩria, kana ũkorwo nĩũthugundĩte gwĩka ũũru-rĩ, humbĩra kanua gaku na rũhĩ!
33 If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.
Nĩgũkorwo o ta ũrĩa iria rĩthũcagwo, rĩkoima thiagĩ, na o ta ũrĩa iniũrũ rĩthioragwo rĩkoira thakame-rĩ, ũguo noguo gũthogotha marakara kũrehaga ngũĩ.”

< Proverbs 30 >