< Thimo 17 >

1 Nĩ kaba kĩenyũ kĩũmũ kĩa mũgate kũndũ kũrĩ na thayũ na ũhooreri, gũkĩra nyũmba ĩiyũrĩte ndĩa no ĩrĩ na ngũĩ.
It is better to have quiet with a dry morsel of bread 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 son who acts shamefully and will share the 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.
The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold, but Yahweh refines hearts.
4 Mũndũ mwaganu athikagĩrĩria mĩromo ĩrĩa yaragia waganu; nake mũndũ wa maheeni athikagĩrĩria rũrĩmĩ rũrĩa rwaragia maũndũ ma gũthũkia.
The evildoer pays attention to wicked lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
5 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũthekagĩrĩra athĩĩni nĩkũmena amenaga Ũrĩa wamombire; mũndũ ũrĩa ũkenagĩra mũtino ndakaaga kũherithio.
Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker and the one who rejoices at misfortune 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 parents bring honor to their children.
7 Mĩario ya bata ndĩagĩrĩire kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, na makĩria mĩario ya maheeni ndĩagĩrĩire mũndũ ũrĩa wathanaga!
Eloquent speech is not suitable for a fool; much less are lying lips suitable for royalty.
8 Ihaki rĩhaana ta ihiga rĩa kũrehe mũnyaka kũrĩ ũrĩa ũhakanaga; kũrĩa guothe athiiaga nĩagaacagĩra.
A bribe is like a magic stone to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
9 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũhumbagĩra ihĩtia nĩ wendo acaragia, no ũrĩa ũcookagĩra ũhoro atigithanagia andũ marĩ ũrata mũnene.
Whoever overlooks an offense seeks love, but the one who repeats a matter alienates close friends.
10 Kũrũithio nĩgũkenagia mũndũ ũrĩa ũkũũranaga maũndũ gũkĩra iboko igana harĩ mũndũ mũkĩĩgu.
A rebuke goes deeper into a person who has understanding than a hundred blows go into a fool.
11 Mũndũ mũũru arongooragia o ũremi; nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩagatũmĩrwo mũnene ũtarĩ tha amũũkĩrĩre.
An evil person only seeks rebellion, so 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 to meet a fool in his foolishness.
13 Mũndũ angĩrĩha wega na ũũru, ũũru ndũkeehera nyũmba-inĩ yake.
When someone 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.
The beginning of conflict is like one who releases water everywhere, so walk away from the dispute before it has broken out.
15 Gũtuĩra mũndũ mwaganu atĩ ndehĩtie na gũtuĩra ũrĩa ũtehĩtie atĩ nĩ mwĩhia, maũndũ macio meerĩ nĩ marĩ magigi harĩ Jehova.
The person who acquits the wicked person and the person who condemns the righteous person— both are an abomination to Yahweh.
16 Mbeeca nĩ cia bata ũrĩkũ irĩ guoko-inĩ kwa mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, na ndangĩhota kũgũra ũũgĩ, na ndarĩ ngoro ya kwenda gũtaũkĩrwo?
Why should a fool pay money to learn about wisdom, when he has no ability to learn it?
17 Mũrata wa mũndũ amwendaga hĩndĩ ciothe, nake mũrũ wa nyina na mũndũ aciaragwo nĩ ũndũ wa hĩndĩ ya thĩĩna.
A friend is loving at all times and a brother is born for times of trouble.
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 having no sense makes binding promises and becomes responsible for his neighbor's debts.
19 Mũndũ ũrĩa wendete haaro nĩ mehia endete; na mũndũ ũrĩa wakaga kĩhingo kĩraihu na igũrũ eĩtagĩria wanangĩki.
Whoever loves conflict loves sin; the one who makes the threshold of his door too high causes bones to be broken.
20 Mũndũ ũrĩ ngoro ya ũremi ndagaacagĩra; nake mũndũ ũrĩa ũrĩ rũrĩmĩ rwa kũheenania agũũaga thĩĩna-inĩ.
A person who has a crooked heart finds nothing that is good; the one who has a perverse tongue falls into calamity.
21 Kũgĩa na mũriũ mũkĩĩgu kũrehaga ihooru; ithe wa mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ndarĩ hĩndĩ akenaga.
Whoever is the parent of a fool brings grief to himself; and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 Ngoro ngenu nĩ ndawa njega, no roho mũthuthĩku ũngʼaragia mahĩndĩ.
A cheerful 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 accepts a secret bribe to pervert the ways of justice.
24 Mũndũ ũkũũranaga maũndũ aikaraga arorete o ũũgĩ, no maitho ma mũndũ mũkĩĩgu morũũraga nginya ituri cia thĩ.
The one who has understanding sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are set on the ends of the earth.
25 Mwana mũkĩĩgu arehagĩra ithe kĩeha, na marũrũ kũrĩ nyina ũrĩa wamũciarire.
A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to the woman who bore him.
26 Ti wega kũherithia mũndũ ũtekĩte mahĩtia, kana kũhũũra anene nĩ ũndũ wa ũrũngĩrĩru wao.
Also, it is never good to punish the righteous person; neither is it good to flog noble men who have integrity.
27 Mũndũ ũrĩ na ũmenyo aragia ciugo athimĩte, nake mũndũ ũrĩ na ũtaũku aikaraga ahooreire.
One who has knowledge uses few words and one with understanding is even-tempered.
28 O na mũndũ mũkĩĩgu angĩkira nĩonagwo arĩ mũũgĩ, na akoneka arĩ mũtaũku angĩtumia kanua.
Even a fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent; when he keeps his mouth shut, he is considered to be intelligent.

< Thimo 17 >