Thimo 23
1 Rĩrĩa waikara thĩ kũrĩĩanĩra na mwathi wa bũrũri-rĩ, wĩmenyerere nũũ ũcio mũrĩ nake;
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well who is before thee;
2 wĩigĩrĩre kahiũ mũmero ũngĩkorwo ũrĩ mũndũ mũkoroku.
and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Ndũkerirĩrie irio ciake irĩ mũrĩo, nĩgũkorwo nĩ irio cia gũkũheenereria.
Be not desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food.
4 Tiga kwĩnogia na kwenda gwĩtongia; gĩa na ũũgĩ wa kũhota kwĩrigĩrĩria.
Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from thine own intelligence:
5 No wone ũtonga, ũcooke ũbuĩrie, nĩgũkorwo ti-itherũ ũtonga nĩwĩmeragia mathagu, na ũkombũka ta nderi yerekeire matu-inĩ.
wilt thou set thine eyes upon it, it is gone; for indeed it maketh itself wings and it flieth away as an eagle towards the heavens.
6 Tiga kũrĩa irio cia mũndũ mũkarĩ, ndũkerirĩrie irio ciake cia mũrĩo;
Eat thou not the food of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties.
7 tondũ nĩ mũndũ wa arĩa meciiragia o ũhoro wa thogora hĩndĩ ciothe. Akwĩraga atĩrĩ, “Rĩa na ũnyue,” no ngoro yake ndĩrĩ hamwe nawe.
For as he thinketh in his soul, so is he. Eat and drink! will he say unto thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Nĩũgatahĩka kĩrĩa kĩnini ũgaakorwo ũrĩĩte, nacio ngaatho ciaku nĩikoorĩra thĩ.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou vomit up, and thou wilt have wasted thy sweet words.
9 Ndũkaarie na mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, nĩgũkorwo we no anyararire ũũgĩ wa ciugo ciaku.
Speak not in the ears of a foolish [man], for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Ndũkaneherie ihiga rĩa tene rĩa mũhaka, kana ũhatĩke mĩhaka ya mĩgũnda ya ciana cia ngoriai,
Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11 tondũ Mũgitĩri wacio nĩ arĩ na hinya; nĩakamaciirĩrĩra agũũkĩrĩre.
for their redeemer is mighty; he will plead their cause against thee.
12 Ringĩrĩria ngoro yaku gũthikĩrĩria ũrutani, na matũ maku kũigua ciugo cia ũmenyo.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Ndũkanaage kũherithia mwana; ũngĩmũhũũra na rũthanju-rĩ, ndangĩkua.
Withhold not correction from the child; for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die:
thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Mũrũ wakwa, ngoro yaku ĩngĩgĩa na ũũgĩ-rĩ, hĩndĩ ĩyo ngoro yakwa no ĩkene;
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine;
16 ngoro yakwa nĩĩgacanjamũka rĩrĩa mĩromo yaku ĩkaaria maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire.
and my reins shall exult, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Ndũkanareke ngoro yaku ĩiguĩre ehia ũiru, no hĩndĩ ciothe gĩĩaga na kĩyo gĩa gwĩtigĩra Jehova.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day;
18 Tondũ ti-itherũ wee ũrĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro thuutha-inĩ, na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro gĩaku gĩtigaathira.
for surely there is a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria nĩgeetha ũgĩe na ũũgĩ, na ũige ngoro yaku njĩra-inĩ ĩrĩa yagĩrĩire.
Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct thy heart in the way.
20 Ndũkegwatanie na andũ arĩa manyuuaga njoohi, kana arĩa makorokagĩra nyama,
Be not among winebibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh.
21 nĩgũkorwo arĩĩu na andũ arĩa akoroku matuĩkaga athĩĩni, naguo ũgũũta ũtũmaga mũndũ ehumbe matangari.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth with rags.
22 Thikagĩrĩria thoguo, we ũrĩa wagũciarire, na ndũkanyarare maitũguo, o na aakorwo nĩ mũkũrũ.
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Wĩgũrĩre ũhoro ũrĩa wa ma na ndũkanawendie; wĩgĩĩre na ũũgĩ, na ũtaaro, na ũtaũku.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and intelligence.
24 Ithe wa mwana mũthingu arĩ gĩkeno kĩnene mũno; nake ũrĩa ũrĩ na mwana mũũgĩ nĩakenagio nĩwe.
The father of a righteous [man] shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise [son] shall have joy of him:
25 Thoguo na maitũguo marocanjamũka nĩ ũndũ waku; mũtumia ũrĩa wagũciarire arokena!
let thy father and thy mother have joy, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
26 Mũrũ wakwa, heaga ngoro yaku, na ũreke maitho maku marũmagĩrĩre njĩra ciakwa,
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 nĩgũkorwo mũmaraya nĩ irima iriku, nake mũtumia mũtharia nĩ gĩthima gĩkunderu.
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Oohagĩria andũ njĩra-inĩ o ta njangiri, na nĩatũmaga kuongerereke andũ matarĩ ehokeku kĩrĩndĩ-inĩ.
She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Nũũ ũrĩ na haaro? Nũũ ũrĩ na kĩeha? Nũũ ũrĩ hatĩka-inĩ? Nũũ ũrĩ na mateta? Nũũ ũgurarĩtio hatarĩ gĩtũmi? Nũũ ũtunĩhĩtie maitho?
Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes?
30 Nĩ arĩa matindaga marũmanĩrĩire na ndibei, arĩa mathiiaga magĩcamaga mbakũri cia ndibei ĩrĩa ndukanie.
— They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
31 Tiga kwĩrorera ndibei rĩrĩa ĩtunĩhĩte, rĩrĩa ĩgũkenga ĩrĩ gĩkombe-inĩ, rĩrĩa ĩkũmerũka wega!
Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkleth in the cup, and goeth down smoothly:
32 Mũthia-inĩ ĩrũmanaga ta nyoka, ĩgagũtheeca na thumu ta nduĩra.
at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Maitho maku makoonaga maũndũ mageni, na meciiria maku meciirie maũndũ ma waganu.
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall speak froward things;
34 Ũgaatuĩka ta mũndũ ũkomete iria-inĩ rĩrĩa inene gatagatĩ, o ta mũndũ ũkomete mũthia wa gĩtugĩ kĩa macua.
and thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, and as he that lieth down upon the top of a mast:
35 Nĩũkoiga atĩrĩ, “Ngũthĩtwo, no ndinatiihio! Nĩmahũũra, no ndinaigua ũndũ! Ngokĩra-rĩ, nĩguo ngacarie ĩngĩ ya kũnyua?”
— “They have smitten me, [and] I am not sore; they have beaten me, [and] I knew it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
