< Thimo 20 >

1 Ndibei nĩ mũnyũrũrania, na njoohi nĩ mũndũ wa ngũĩ; mũndũ ũrĩa ũhĩtithagio nĩcio ti mũũgĩ.
Wine turns you into a mocker, alcohol makes you aggressive; you're stupid to be deceived by drink.
2 Mangʼũrĩ ma mũthamaki nĩ ta mũraramo wa mũrũũthi; ũrĩa ũmũrakaragia nĩ muoyo wake ateaga.
When a king gets terribly angry, he sounds like a roaring lion; anyone who makes him furious is liable to be killed.
3 Gwĩtheema ngũĩ kũrehagĩra mũndũ gĩtĩĩo, no mũndũ o wothe mũkĩĩgu ahiũhaga kũũgitana.
Avoiding conflict is the proper thing to do, but stupid people are quick to argue.
4 Kĩgũũta gĩticimbaga hĩndĩ ya irĩma; nĩ ũndũ ũcio hĩndĩ ya magetha gĩathiĩ kũmaatha gĩtirĩ kĩndũ kĩonaga.
Slackers don't sow when they should, so when harvest comes they don't have anything.
5 Muoroto wa ngoro ya mũndũ nĩ ta maaĩ ma ndia ndiku, no mũndũ ũrĩ na ũtaũku nĩamatahaga.
Discovering what someone is planning in their mind is like looking at deep water, but a person who has understanding will find out.
6 Andũ aingĩ metuaga marĩ na wendo ũtangĩthira, no mũndũ mwĩhokeku-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩmuona?
Many people tell you they're loyal, but can you find someone really trustworthy?
7 Mũndũ mũthingu atũũraga mũtũũrĩre ũtarĩ ũcuuke; kũrathimwo-rĩ, nĩ ciana ciake iria atigaga.
Good people live honestly; how happy are their children if they follow them.
8 Rĩrĩa mũthamaki aikarĩra gĩtĩ gĩake kĩa ũnene atue ciira, maitho make mathũngũrũraga ũũru wothe.
When a king sits in judgment he recognizes all that isn't right.
9 Nũũ ũngiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩnjigĩte ngoro yakwa ĩrĩ theru; ndĩ mũtheru, na ndirĩ na mehia”?
Who can claim, “I've made sure my conscience is clean; I've purified myself from sin”?
10 Mahiga ma ratiri mataiganainie ũritũ, o na ithimi itaiganĩte: cierĩ nĩ indo irĩ magigi harĩ Jehova.
The Lord hates both dishonest weights and dishonest measures.
11 O na kaana kamenyekaga nĩ ũndũ wa ciĩko ciako, gakamenyeka kana mĩtugo yako nĩ mĩtheru, na kana nĩ mĩagĩrĩru.
Even children reveal what they're like by what they do, whether their actions are good and right.
12 Matũ marĩa maiguaga na maitho marĩa monaga-rĩ, cierĩ nĩ Jehova waciũmbire.
The Lord made our ears to hear and our eyes to see.
13 Tiga kwenda toro, ndũkae gũthĩĩna; ikaraga wĩiguĩte, na nĩũrĩrĩĩaga irio ũkahũũna.
If you love sleeping you'll become poor. Wake up and get busy, and you'll have plenty to eat.
14 Mũgũri akĩgũra oigaga atĩrĩ, “Kĩndũ gĩkĩ ti kĩega, ti kĩega!” Agacooka agathiĩ akĩĩrahaga ũrĩa oĩ kũgũra.
“It's really rubbish,” says the one buying, but afterwards goes and boasts to others about making a good deal.
15 Thahabu nĩ kũrĩ, o na ruru no nyingĩ, no mĩromo ĩrĩa yaragia ũmenyo nĩ ithaga rĩa goro rĩrĩa rĩtonekaga.
There's gold and plenty of expensive gemstones, but talking sense is a more valuable jewel.
16 Oya nguo ya mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩrũgamĩrĩra thiirĩ wa mũndũ wa kũngĩ; mĩige ĩrũgamĩrĩre thiirĩ ũcio wa mũndũ wa kũngĩ.
If someone guarantees a stranger's debt with their cloak, be sure to take it! Make sure you have whatever is pledged to foreigners!
17 Irio cionekete na njĩra ya kũheenania irĩ cama harĩ mũndũ, no thuutha kanua gake kaiyũraga o mũthanga.
Food you get by cheating may taste sweet, but afterwards it will be like a mouthful of gravel.
18 Mĩbango ĩgaacagĩra nĩ ũndũ wa kũhooya kĩrĩra, ũngĩtua gũthiĩ mbaara-inĩ, heo ũtaaro.
With sound advice, plans are successful; if you're going to war, make sure you have good guidance.
19 Mũndũ wa mũhuhu nĩoimagia ndeto cia ndundu nja, nĩ ũndũ ũcio wĩthemage mũndũ waragia mũno.
A gossip goes around revealing secrets; stay away from people who talk a lot.
20 Mũndũ angĩruma ithe kana nyina, tawa wake ũkaahorera nduma-inĩ ĩrĩa ndumanu.
Anyone who curses their father or mother will have their light put out and end in utter darkness.
21 Igai rĩrĩa rĩoneka narua kĩambĩrĩria-inĩ, marigĩrĩrio-inĩ rĩtituĩkaga rĩa kĩrathimo.
Wealth gained too soon won't do you any good in the end.
22 Ndũkoige atĩrĩ, “Nĩngerĩhĩria ũũru ũyũ!” Eterera Jehova nake nĩegũkũhonokia.
Don't say, “I'll get you back for doing me wrong.” Leave it to the Lord, and he'll help you.
23 Mahiga ma ratiri mataiganainie ũritũ nĩ kĩndũ kĩrĩ magigi harĩ Jehova, nacio ratiri itarĩ cia ma itimũkenagia.
The Lord hates incorrect weights; using dishonest scales is wrong.
24 Makinya ma mũndũ matongoragio nĩ Jehova. Mũndũ-rĩ, angĩkĩhota atĩa kũmenya njĩra yake mwene?
The Lord shows us the way to go, so how would we decide for ourselves?
25 Nĩ mũtego harĩ mũndũ kwamũrĩra Ngai kĩndũ na ihenya, acooke gwĩcũũrania ũhoro wa mĩĩhĩtwa yake thuutha-inĩ.
It's a mistake to make a promise to God and then have second thoughts about it later.
26 Mũthamaki mũũgĩ nĩathũngũrũraga andũ arĩa aaganu; ageragĩria kĩgaragari gĩa gũkonyora ngano igũrũ rĩao.
A wise king separates out the wicked by winnowing and punishes them by threshing.
27 Roho wa mũndũ nĩ tawa wa Jehova, ũthuthuuragia o nginya tũturi tũrĩa tũrĩ thĩinĩ mũno.
The Lord's light shines on the conscience, revealing our deepest thoughts.
28 Wendo na wĩhokeku nĩcigitagĩra mũthamaki; ũtugi nĩũtũmaga gĩtĩ gĩake kĩa ũnene kĩrũme.
Trustworthy love and faithfulness keep a king safe; trustworthy love supports his rule.
29 Hinya wa andũ ethĩ nĩguo riiri wao, nacio mbuĩ nĩcio riiri wa arĩa akũrũ.
Young men value their strength, but the old value even more the wisdom that comes with gray hair.
30 Mahũũra na nguraro nĩitheragia ũũru wa mũndũ, nacio iboko itheragia o nginya tũturi twa thĩinĩ mũno.
Wounds and blows clean away what's evil; beatings clean what's deep down inside.

< Thimo 20 >