< Thimo 17 >

1 Nĩ kaba kĩenyũ kĩũmũ kĩa mũgate kũndũ kũrĩ na thayũ na ũhooreri, gũkĩra nyũmba ĩiyũrĩte ndĩa no ĩrĩ na ngũĩ.
Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.
2 Ndungata ĩrĩ na ũũgĩ ĩgaatuĩka ya gwatha mũriũ wa mwene yo ũrĩa ũrehaga njono, na nĩĩkegwatĩra igai ĩrĩ ta ũmwe wa ariũ a mwathi wayo.
A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 Nyũngũ nĩ ya gũthererio betha, na kĩrugutĩro nĩ gĩa gũthererio thahabu, no Jehova nĩwe ũgeragia ngoro cia andũ.
A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
4 Mũndũ mwaganu athikagĩrĩria mĩromo ĩrĩa yaragia waganu; nake mũndũ wa maheeni athikagĩrĩria rũrĩmĩ rũrĩa rwaragia maũndũ ma gũthũkia.
A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
5 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũthekagĩrĩra athĩĩni nĩkũmena amenaga Ũrĩa wamombire; mũndũ ũrĩa ũkenagĩra mũtino ndakaaga kũherithio.
He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
6 Ciana cia ciana nĩ thũmbĩ harĩ andũ arĩa akũrũ, nao aciari nĩo riiri wa ciana ciao.
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
7 Mĩario ya bata ndĩagĩrĩire kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, na makĩria mĩario ya maheeni ndĩagĩrĩire mũndũ ũrĩa wathanaga!
Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!
8 Ihaki rĩhaana ta ihiga rĩa kũrehe mũnyaka kũrĩ ũrĩa ũhakanaga; kũrĩa guothe athiiaga nĩagaacagĩra.
A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũhumbagĩra ihĩtia nĩ wendo acaragia, no ũrĩa ũcookagĩra ũhoro atigithanagia andũ marĩ ũrata mũnene.
Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up separates friends.
10 Kũrũithio nĩgũkenagia mũndũ ũrĩa ũkũũranaga maũndũ gũkĩra iboko igana harĩ mũndũ mũkĩĩgu.
A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.
11 Mũndũ mũũru arongooragia o ũremi; nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩagatũmĩrwo mũnene ũtarĩ tha amũũkĩrĩre.
An evil man seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Nĩ kaba gũcemania na nduba ĩtunyĩtwo ciana ciayo gũkĩra gũcemania na mũndũ mũkĩĩgu na ũrimũ wake.
It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
13 Mũndũ angĩrĩha wega na ũũru, ũũru ndũkeehera nyũmba-inĩ yake.
If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
14 Kwambĩrĩria haaro nĩ ta kũhingũrĩra maaĩ mahingĩrĩrie; nĩ ũndũ ũcio tiganaga na ũhoro ũcio ngarari itaanagĩa.
To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
15 Gũtuĩra mũndũ mwaganu atĩ ndehĩtie na gũtuĩra ũrĩa ũtehĩtie atĩ nĩ mwĩhia, maũndũ macio meerĩ nĩ marĩ magigi harĩ Jehova.
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD.
16 Mbeeca nĩ cia bata ũrĩkũ irĩ guoko-inĩ kwa mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, na ndangĩhota kũgũra ũũgĩ, na ndarĩ ngoro ya kwenda gũtaũkĩrwo?
Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
17 Mũrata wa mũndũ amwendaga hĩndĩ ciothe, nake mũrũ wa nyina na mũndũ aciaragwo nĩ ũndũ wa hĩndĩ ya thĩĩna.
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
18 Mũndũ ũtooĩ gũkũũrana maũndũ atuĩkaga wa kũrĩha thiirĩ wa mũndũ ũngĩ o na akaiga kĩndũ gĩa kũrũgamĩrĩra thiirĩ wa mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake.
A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
19 Mũndũ ũrĩa wendete haaro nĩ mehia endete; na mũndũ ũrĩa wakaga kĩhingo kĩraihu na igũrũ eĩtagĩria wanangĩki.
He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
20 Mũndũ ũrĩ ngoro ya ũremi ndagaacagĩra; nake mũndũ ũrĩa ũrĩ rũrĩmĩ rwa kũheenania agũũaga thĩĩna-inĩ.
The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
21 Kũgĩa na mũriũ mũkĩĩgu kũrehaga ihooru; ithe wa mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ndarĩ hĩndĩ akenaga.
A man fathers a fool to his own grief; the father of a fool has no joy.
22 Ngoro ngenu nĩ ndawa njega, no roho mũthuthĩku ũngʼaragia mahĩndĩ.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
23 Mũndũ mwaganu amũkagĩra ihaki na hitho, nĩguo ogomie ciira wa kĩhooto.
A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
24 Mũndũ ũkũũranaga maũndũ aikaraga arorete o ũũgĩ, no maitho ma mũndũ mũkĩĩgu morũũraga nginya ituri cia thĩ.
Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
25 Mwana mũkĩĩgu arehagĩra ithe kĩeha, na marũrũ kũrĩ nyina ũrĩa wamũciarire.
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
26 Ti wega kũherithia mũndũ ũtekĩte mahĩtia, kana kũhũũra anene nĩ ũndũ wa ũrũngĩrĩru wao.
It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.
27 Mũndũ ũrĩ na ũmenyo aragia ciugo athimĩte, nake mũndũ ũrĩ na ũtaũku aikaraga ahooreire.
A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
28 O na mũndũ mũkĩĩgu angĩkira nĩonagwo arĩ mũũgĩ, na akoneka arĩ mũtaũku angĩtumia kanua.
Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.

< Thimo 17 >