< Thimo 18 >

1 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũtendaga gũtũũrania na andũ arũmagĩrĩra o merirĩria make; ningĩ areganaga na matua mothe ma ũũgĩ ũrĩa mũkinyanĩru.
Those who separate themselves [from other people] think [only] about those things that they are interested in; [if they would continually associate with] those who have good judgment/sense, they would constantly disagree/quarrel with them.
2 Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ndakenagĩra ũtaũku, no akenagĩra kwaria woni wake mwene.
Foolish people do not want to understand [anything]; they only want to (express their [own] opinions/say what they think) [IDM].
3 Rĩrĩa waganu woka, ũrehaga ũirano, nacio njono irehaga thoni.
Whenever people do wicked things, others will despise them; when people do things that cause themselves to no [longer] be honored, they will be disgraced [also].
4 Ciugo cia kanua ka mũndũ nĩ ta ndia ndiku, no gĩthima kĩa ũũgĩ nĩ karũũĩ gatherũkaga.
What wise people say is [like] a deep ocean [that you can never get to the bottom of] [MET], and it [refreshes us like water from] a rapidly flowing stream.
5 Ti wega gũtĩĩra andũ arĩa aaganu maũthĩ, kana kuogomia kĩhooto kĩa arĩa matehĩtie.
It is not good [for a judge] to decide matters in favor of those who (are guilty/have done wicked things) and to not do what is just for those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
6 Mĩromo ya mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ĩmũrehagĩra ngũĩ, nako kanua gake geetagia rũthanju.
When foolish people [SYN] start arguments, [it is as though] they [SYN] are requesting/inviting someone to flog/whip them.
7 Kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu nĩko kamũthũkagĩria maũndũ, nayo mĩromo yake nĩ mũtego wa ngoro yake.
What foolish people [MTY] say causes them to be ruined; their [own] words are [like] a trap [MET] [that catches/seizes] them.
8 Ndeto cia mũndũ wa mũhuhu nĩ ta twenyũ twega twa irio; tũmerũkaga nginya tũturi-inĩ twa nda tũrĩa tũrĩ thĩinĩ mũno.
[People enjoy listening to] what gossips say like [SIM] [they enjoy] tasty food; they [accept what gossips tell them like] [MET] they swallow tasty food.
9 Mũndũ kĩgũũta wĩra-inĩ wake nĩ wa nyina na ũrĩa wanangaga.
People who are lazy while they work are [just as bad] as [IDM] those who destroy things.
10 Rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova nĩ mũthiringo ũrĩ hinya; arĩa athingu moragĩra ho, nao magaikara marĩ agitĩre.
Yahweh [MTY] is [like] a strong tower [MET]; righteous people [can] go to him and be safe [like they can run to a tower to be safe].
11 Ũtonga wa andũ arĩa atongu nĩguo itũũra rĩao rĩa hinya; meciiragia nĩ rũthingo rũtangĩhaicĩka.
Rich people [are protected because they have] a lot of money [PRS] like a city is protected because it has a high wall surrounding it [SIM].
12 Mbere ya mwanangĩko, ngoro ya mũndũ ĩkoragwo na mwĩtĩĩo, no kwĩnyiihia nĩkuo gũtongoragia gĩtĩĩo.
Proud people are on the road to being ruined, but being humble leads to being honored.
13 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũcookagia ũhoro mbere ya kũũthikĩrĩria, ũndũ ũcio nĩ ũrimũ na thoni ciake.
Those who reply to someone before that person has finished speaking are foolish; doing that is disgraceful.
14 Roho wa mũndũ nĩguo ũmũũmagĩrĩria rĩrĩa arĩ mũrũaru, no roho mũthuthĩku nũũ ũngĩhota kũwĩtiiria?
A desire to [continue to] live can sustain someone when he is sick; if he loses that desire, he (cannot endure it/will become very discouraged) when he is sick [RHQ].
15 Ngoro ya mũndũ mũkũũrani maũndũ nĩĩgĩagĩra ũmenyo; matũ ma arĩa oogĩ nĩmaũcaragĩrĩria.
Intelligent people [are always wanting to] learn more; wise people [SYN] are not content with what they already know.
16 Kĩheo mũndũ aheanĩte kĩmuonagia njĩra ya kũhĩtũkĩra, gĩkamũkinyia harĩ andũ arĩa anene.
If you take a gift to an important person, that will open the way to allow you to talk to him.
17 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũrehaga ciira wake mbere onekaga taarĩ we na ma, o nginya rĩrĩa mũndũ ũrĩa maraciira nake ooka kũmũũria ciũria.
The first person to present his case in court seems right, but when (someone else/his opponent) begins to ask him questions, [it may become clear that what he said was not true].
18 Ũcuuki wa mĩtĩ nĩũniinaga ngarari, na ũgateithũrana andũ eerĩ njamba.
If two influential/important people are arguing, [someone can] settle the matter by (casting lots/throwing marked stones to decide who is right).
19 Mũndũ mũrakarie nĩ mũrũ wa nyina nĩ hinya kwĩiguithania nake gũkĩra kwĩgwatĩra itũũra inene rĩirigĩre, nacio ngarari nĩ ta mĩgĩĩko ĩrĩa ĩhingaga njeera.
If you help relatives, they will [protect you] like [SIM] a strong wall [protects a city], but if you quarrel with them, [that will separate you from them] like bars on a city gate [separate the city from those who want to enter it] [MET].
20 Nda ya mũndũ nĩĩhũũnagio nĩ maciaro ma kanua gake; nĩaiganagwo nĩ magetha ma mĩromo yake.
People are happy when they hear others say [MTY] something that is good, [like] they are happy when they eat food that is good [MET].
21 Rũrĩmĩ rũrĩ na hinya wa gwathĩrĩra mũndũ muoyo kana gĩkuũ, no arĩa marwendete no marĩĩage maciaro maaruo.
What you say can cause others to be killed or it can cause them to [continue to] live; [so] those who like [to talk a lot] must (accept the consequences/realize that what they say can cause much harm).
22 Mũndũ ũrĩa wĩgĩĩagĩra na mũtumia nĩegĩagĩra na kĩndũ kĩega, na nĩgũtugwo atugĩtwo nĩ Jehova.
If you marry a [good] woman, that is [like] finding a wonderful thing; [it shows that] Yahweh is pleased with you.
23 Mũndũ mũthĩĩni athaithanaga aiguĩrwo tha, no gĩtonga gĩcookagia ũhoro na ũũru.
[It is necessary for] poor [people] to speak politely when they request [rich people to do something for them], but rich [people] reply very impolitely when poor people speak to them.
24 Mũndũ mũceeri na andũ aingĩ aahota kwĩyũnũhithia, no nĩ kũrĩ mũrata ũnyiitanaga na mũndũ gũkĩra mũrũ wa nyina na mũndũ.
There are [some] people who [only] pretend to be friends [with us], but there are [some] friends who are more loyal than members of our families.

< Thimo 18 >