< Thimo 19 >

1 Nĩ kaba mũndũ mũthĩĩni ũrĩa ũthiiaga na mĩthiĩre ĩtarĩ ũcuuke, gũkĩra mũndũ mũkĩĩgu waragia waganu.
Better to be poor but honest than stupid and tell lies.
2 Ti wega kũgĩa na kĩyo hatarĩ na ũmenyo, ningĩ kũhĩkĩka mũno gũtũmaga mũndũ ahĩtie njĩra.
It's not good to be someone who doesn't think. If you rush, things go wrong.
3 Ũrimũ wa mũndũ nĩguo wanangaga muoyo wake, nayo ngoro yake ĩtetagia Jehova.
People mess up their lives by their own stupidity, and then get angry with the Lord.
4 Ũtonga nĩwongagĩrĩra mũndũ arata aingĩ, no mũndũ mũthĩĩni nĩeheragĩrwo nĩ mũratawe.
If you're rich, you get a lot of friends, but if you're poor, you lose any friends you had.
5 Mũira wa maheeni ndakaaga kũherithio, na ũrĩa ũitũrũraga maheeni ndageethara.
A false witness will be punished; liars won't get away with their lies.
6 Andũ aingĩ macaragia ũrĩa mangĩendwo nĩ mũnene, na mũndũ mũheani iheo-rĩ, nĩ mũrata wa andũ othe.
Many ask favors from important people, and everyone's a friend of the generous.
7 Angĩkorwo mũndũ mũthĩĩni nĩatiganagio nĩ andũ ao othe-rĩ, ĩ nao arata ake mangĩkĩmwĩtheema atĩa! O na angĩmathingata akĩmathaithaga, nĩmethiĩrĩire, matirĩ ho.
If a poor man's relatives can't stand him, how much more will his friends avoid him! He tries to talk with them but they don't listen.
8 Mũndũ ũrĩa wĩgĩĩagĩra na ũũgĩ nĩ ngoro yake mwene endete; ũrĩa ũkenagĩra ũtaũku nĩagaacagĩra.
If you become wise, you have good self-esteem; if you learn good sense you'll be successful.
9 Mũira wa maheeni ndakaaga kũherithio, na ũrĩa ũitũrũraga maheeni nĩakoorwo nĩ muoyo.
A false witness will be punished; people who tell lies will perish.
10 Gũtiagĩrĩire mũndũ mũkĩĩgu gũikaraga egangarĩte; gũkĩrĩ ũũru makĩria ngombo gwatha anene!
It's not right for stupid people to live in luxury, and it's even worse for a slave to rule over leaders.
11 Ũũgĩ wa mũndũ nĩũmũheaga ũkirĩrĩria, riiri wake nĩkũrekera andũ arĩa angĩ mahĩtia mao.
If you have good sense you'll be slow to get angry; you gain respect by forgiving wrongs.
12 Marakara ma mũthamaki nĩ ta mũraramo wa mũrũũthi, no ũtugi wake nĩ ta ime rĩrĩ nyeki-inĩ.
When a king gets angry, he sounds like a roaring lion; but his kindness is as soft as dew on the grass.
13 Mwana mũkĩĩgu nĩ mwanangĩko harĩ ithe, na mũtumia wa haaro ahaana ta maaĩ maratata mategũtigithĩria.
A stupid son makes his father miserable, and an argumentative wife is like dripping that never stops.
14 Nyũmba na ũtonga igayagwo kuuma kũrĩ aciari, no mũtumia mũbaarĩrĩri maũndũ oimaga kũrĩ Jehova.
You inherit a house and wealth from your father, but a sensible wife is a gift from the Lord.
15 Ũgũũta ũrehaga toro mũnene, na mũndũ gĩthayo arĩĩagwo nĩ ngʼaragu.
Lazy people are often fast asleep, but idleness means they're hungry.
16 Mũndũ ũrĩa wathĩkagĩra maathani-rĩ, nĩ muoyo wake amenyagĩrĩra, no ũrĩa ũtoonaga bata wa kũmenyerera mĩthiĩre yake nĩagaakua.
Keep the commandments, and you'll live; despise them and you'll die.
17 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũiguagĩra athĩĩni tha nĩ Jehova akombagĩra indo, nake Jehova nĩakamũrĩha nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa ekĩte.
If you're kind to the poor, you're lending to the Lord, and he will repay you well for what you've done.
18 Rũithagia mũrũguo hĩndĩ ĩrĩa kũrĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro; tiga kwenda gũtũma akooragwo.
Discipline your son while there's still hope, but don't kill him.
19 Mũndũ wa marakara mahiũ no nginya aherithio; ũngĩmũteithũra rĩmwe no nginya ũkaamũteithũra rĩngĩ.
People who often get angry have to pay the penalty; if you help them, you'll have to do it again.
20 Thikĩrĩria mataaro na wĩtĩkĩre ũrutani, marigĩrĩrio-inĩ nĩũgaatuĩka mũndũ mũũgĩ.
Listen to advice and accept instruction so that you'll eventually become wise.
21 Mĩbango ya ngoro ya mũndũ nĩ mĩingĩ, no muoroto wa Jehova noguo ũkaahinga.
Human beings make many plans in their minds, but the final decision is the Lord's.
22 Kĩrĩa mũndũ eriragĩria nĩ wendo ũrĩa ũtathiraga, nĩ kaba gũthĩĩna gũkĩra mũndũ wa maheeni.
The most desirable thing in anyone is trustworthy love; it is better to be poor than a liar.
23 Gwĩtigĩra Jehova gũkinyagia mũndũ muoyo-inĩ: Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũndũ akahurũka aiganĩire, atarĩ na thĩĩna.
Honoring the Lord is life, and you will rest contentedly, safe from harm.
24 Kĩgũũta kĩrikagia guoko gwakĩo thaani-inĩ; gĩgakĩremwo o na nĩgũgũcookia kanua!
Lazy people put their hands in a dish, and won't even lift the food to their mouths.
25 Hũũra mũnyũrũrania, nao arĩa mateciiragia merute kũgĩa na ũbaarĩrĩri; kaania mũkũũrani maũndũ, na nĩekuongerera ũmenyo.
If you punish someone who mocks, you may help an immature person to learn. Correct the wise, and they become wiser.
26 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũtunyaga ithe indo na akaingata nyina, nĩ mwana wa kũrehe thoni na gĩconoko.
A son who abuses his father and chases away his mother brings shame and disgrace.
27 Mũrũ wakwa, ũngĩtiga gũthikĩrĩria mataaro-rĩ, nĩũkoora njĩra ũtigane na ciugo cia ũmenyo.
My son, stop listening to my instruction and you'll soon give up following wisdom.
28 Mũira wa kũhakwo anyũrũragia kĩhooto, na kanua ka mũndũ mwaganu kameragia o ũũru.
A crooked witness makes a mockery of justice; and the wicked wolf down evil.
29 Maherithia maigĩirwo anyũrũrania, nacio iboko ikaigĩrwo mĩgongo ya andũ arĩa akĩĩgu.
Punishment is ready for those who mock; flogging is ready for the backs of the stupid.

< Thimo 19 >