Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,
Unapoketi kula pamoja na mtawala, angalia kwa uangalifu kilichopo mbele yako,
2 And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.
na kama ni mtu unayependa kula chakula sana weka kisu kooni.
3 Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.
Usitamani vinono vyake maana ni chakula cha uongo.
4 Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.
Usifanye kazi sana ili kupata mali; uwe na busara ya kutosha ili ujue wakati wa kuacha.
5 For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
Je utaruhusu macho yako yaangaze juu yake? Itaondoka, maana itawaa mabawa kama tai na kuruka angani.
6 Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,
Usile chakula cha yule mwenye jicho baya- na usiwe na shauku ya vinono vyake,
7 For as he hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart [is] not with thee.
maana ni mtu mwenye kuhesabu gharama ya chakula. “Kula na kunywa!” anakuambia, lakini moyo wake haupo pamoja nawe.
8 Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.
Utatapika kiasi kidogo ulichokula na utakuwa umepoteza sifa zako njema.
9 In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
Usiongee katika usikivu wa mpumbavu, maana atadharau hekima ya maneno yako.
10 Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,
Usihamishe jiwe la mpaka wa kale au kunyang'anya mashamba ya yatima,
11 For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.
maana Mkombozi wao ni imara na atatetea kesi yao dhidi yako.
12 Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.
Elekeza moyo wako katika mafundisho na masikio yako kwenye maneno ya maarifa.
13 Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
Usizuie kuadilisha mtoto, maana ukimchapa kwa fimbo, hatakufa.
Ni wewe unayepaswa kumchapa kwa fimbo na kuikoa nafsi yake kuzimu. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,
Mwanangu, kama moyo wako una busara, basi moyo wangu utafurahi pia;
16 And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.
sehemu zangu ndani kabisa zitafurahi sana midomo yako inaponena haki.
17 Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
Usiruhusu moyo wako kuwahusudu wenye dhambi, lakini endelea kumcha Yehova siku zote.
18 For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.
Hakika tumaini lako halitaondolewa na siku zako za hapo baadaye.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,
Sikia- wewe! - mwanangu, na uwe mwenye busara na uelekeze moyo wako katika njia.
20 Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
Usishirikiane pamoja na walevi, au pamoja na walaji wa nyama walafi,
21 For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.
maana mlevi na mlafi wanakuwa masikini na usingizi utawavika kwa matambara.
22 Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.
Msikilize baba yako ambaye alikuzaa na usimdharau mama yako wakati akiwa mzee.
23 Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
Inunue kweli, lakini usiiuze; nunua hekima, nidhamu, na ufahamu.
24 The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.
Baba yake mwenye haki atafurahia sana, na yule amzaaye mtoto mwenye busara atamfurahia.
25 Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
Mfurahishe baba yako na mama yako na yule aliyekuzaa afurahie.
26 Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.
Mwanangu, nipe moyo wako na macho yako yachunguze njia zangu.
27 For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a strait pit.
Maana malaya ni shimo refu, na mke wa mume mwingine ni kisima chembamba.
28 She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
Anavizia kama mnyang'anyi na huongeza idadi ya wadanganyifu miongoni mwa wanadamu.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
Nani mwenye taabu? Nani mwenye huzuni? Nani mwenye mapigano? Nani mwenye malalamiko? Nani mwenye majeraha bila sababu? Nani mwenye macho mekundu?
30 Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
Ni wale ambao huzengea kwenye mvinyo, wale wanaojaribu kuchanganya mvinyo.
31 See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.
Usiutazame mvinyo ukiwa mwekundu, wakati unametameta kwenye kikombe na kutelemka kwa uraini.
32 Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
Mwisho wake unauma kama nyoka na sumu yake kama kifutu.
33 Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.
Macho yako yataona vitu vigeni na moyo wako utatamka vitu vya ukaidi.
34 And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
Utakuwa kama anayelala kwenye bahari au anayelala juu ya mlingoti. “
35 'They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I seek it yet again!'
Wamenipiga,” utasema, “lakini sikuumia. Wamenichapa, lakini sikuwa na hisia. Nitaamka lini? Nitatafuta kinywaji kingine.”
