Proverbs 23
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you,
Rĩrĩa waikara thĩ kũrĩĩanĩra na mwathi wa bũrũri-rĩ, wĩmenyerere nũũ ũcio mũrĩ nake;
2 and put a knife to your throat if you are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.
wĩigĩrĩre kahiũ mũmero ũngĩkorwo ũrĩ mũndũ mũkoroku.
3 Do not crave his delicacies, for it is the food of lies.
Ndũkerirĩrie irio ciake irĩ mũrĩo, nĩgũkorwo nĩ irio cia gũkũheenereria.
4 Do not work too hard to gain wealth; be wise enough to know when to stop.
Tiga kwĩnogia na kwenda gwĩtongia; gĩa na ũũgĩ wa kũhota kwĩrigĩrĩria.
5 Will you let your eyes light upon it? It will be gone, for it will surely take up wings like an eagle and fly off to the sky.
No wone ũtonga, ũcooke ũbuĩrie, nĩgũkorwo ti-itherũ ũtonga nĩwĩmeragia mathagu, na ũkombũka ta nderi yerekeire matu-inĩ.
6 Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye— and do not crave his delicacies,
Tiga kũrĩa irio cia mũndũ mũkarĩ, ndũkerirĩrie irio ciake cia mũrĩo;
7 for he is the kind of man who counts the price of the food. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
tondũ nĩ mũndũ wa arĩa meciiragia o ũhoro wa thogora hĩndĩ ciothe. Akwĩraga atĩrĩ, “Rĩa na ũnyue,” no ngoro yake ndĩrĩ hamwe nawe.
8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten and you will have wasted your compliments.
Nĩũgatahĩka kĩrĩa kĩnini ũgaakorwo ũrĩĩte, nacio ngaatho ciaku nĩikoorĩra thĩ.
9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Ndũkaarie na mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, nĩgũkorwo we no anyararire ũũgĩ wa ciugo ciaku.
10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of orphans,
Ndũkaneherie ihiga rĩa tene rĩa mũhaka, kana ũhatĩke mĩhaka ya mĩgũnda ya ciana cia ngoriai,
11 for their Redeemer is strong and he will plead their case against you.
tondũ Mũgitĩri wacio nĩ arĩ na hinya; nĩakamaciirĩrĩra agũũkĩrĩre.
12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
Ringĩrĩria ngoro yaku gũthikĩrĩria ũrutani, na matũ maku kũigua ciugo cia ũmenyo.
13 Do not withhold instruction from a child, for if you discipline him, he will not die.
Ndũkanaage kũherithia mwana; ũngĩmũhũũra na rũthanju-rĩ, ndangĩkua.
Mũhũũrage na rũthanju nĩguo ũhonokie muoyo wake kuuma kũrĩ gĩkuũ. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart also will be glad;
Mũrũ wakwa, ngoro yaku ĩngĩgĩa na ũũgĩ-rĩ, hĩndĩ ĩyo ngoro yakwa no ĩkene;
16 my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
ngoro yakwa nĩĩgacanjamũka rĩrĩa mĩromo yaku ĩkaaria maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.
Ndũkanareke ngoro yaku ĩiguĩre ehia ũiru, no hĩndĩ ciothe gĩĩaga na kĩyo gĩa gwĩtigĩra Jehova.
18 Surely there is a future and your hope will not be cut off.
Tondũ ti-itherũ wee ũrĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro thuutha-inĩ, na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro gĩaku gĩtigaathira.
19 Hear—you!—my son, and be wise and direct your heart in the way.
Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria nĩgeetha ũgĩe na ũũgĩ, na ũige ngoro yaku njĩra-inĩ ĩrĩa yagĩrĩire.
20 Do not associate with drunkards, or with gluttonous eaters of meat,
Ndũkegwatanie na andũ arĩa manyuuaga njoohi, kana arĩa makorokagĩra nyama,
21 for the drunkard and the glutton become poor and slumber will clothe them with rags.
nĩgũkorwo arĩĩu na andũ arĩa akoroku matuĩkaga athĩĩni, naguo ũgũũta ũtũmaga mũndũ ehumbe matangari.
22 Listen to your father who begot you and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Thikagĩrĩria thoguo, we ũrĩa wagũciarire, na ndũkanyarare maitũguo, o na aakorwo nĩ mũkũrũ.
23 Buy the truth, but do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
Wĩgũrĩre ũhoro ũrĩa wa ma na ndũkanawendie; wĩgĩĩre na ũũgĩ, na ũtaaro, na ũtaũku.
24 The father of the righteous person will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will be glad in him.
Ithe wa mwana mũthingu arĩ gĩkeno kĩnene mũno; nake ũrĩa ũrĩ na mwana mũũgĩ nĩakenagio nĩwe.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice.
Thoguo na maitũguo marocanjamũka nĩ ũndũ waku; mũtumia ũrĩa wagũciarire arokena!
26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways.
Mũrũ wakwa, heaga ngoro yaku, na ũreke maitho maku marũmagĩrĩre njĩra ciakwa,
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an immoral woman is a narrow well.
nĩgũkorwo mũmaraya nĩ irima iriku, nake mũtumia mũtharia nĩ gĩthima gĩkunderu.
28 She lies in wait like a robber and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.
Oohagĩria andũ njĩra-inĩ o ta njangiri, na nĩatũmaga kuongerereke andũ matarĩ ehokeku kĩrĩndĩ-inĩ.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has fights? Who has complaining? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Nũũ ũrĩ na haaro? Nũũ ũrĩ na kĩeha? Nũũ ũrĩ hatĩka-inĩ? Nũũ ũrĩ na mateta? Nũũ ũgurarĩtio hatarĩ gĩtũmi? Nũũ ũtunĩhĩtie maitho?
30 Those who linger over wine, those who try the mixed wine.
Nĩ arĩa matindaga marũmanĩrĩire na ndibei, arĩa mathiiaga magĩcamaga mbakũri cia ndibei ĩrĩa ndukanie.
31 Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
Tiga kwĩrorera ndibei rĩrĩa ĩtunĩhĩte, rĩrĩa ĩgũkenga ĩrĩ gĩkombe-inĩ, rĩrĩa ĩkũmerũka wega!
32 In the last it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder.
Mũthia-inĩ ĩrũmanaga ta nyoka, ĩgagũtheeca na thumu ta nduĩra.
33 Your eyes will see strange things and your heart will utter perverse things.
Maitho maku makoonaga maũndũ mageni, na meciiria maku meciirie maũndũ ma waganu.
34 You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas or lies on the top of a mast.
Ũgaatuĩka ta mũndũ ũkomete iria-inĩ rĩrĩa inene gatagatĩ, o ta mũndũ ũkomete mũthia wa gĩtugĩ kĩa macua.
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not feel it. When will I wake up? I will seek another drink.”
Nĩũkoiga atĩrĩ, “Ngũthĩtwo, no ndinatiihio! Nĩmahũũra, no ndinaigua ũndũ! Ngokĩra-rĩ, nĩguo ngacarie ĩngĩ ya kũnyua?”
