Thimo 23
1 Rĩrĩa waikara thĩ kũrĩĩanĩra na mwathi wa bũrũri-rĩ, wĩmenyerere nũũ ũcio mũrĩ nake;
When you sit to eat with a ruler, Diligently consider that which [is] before you,
2 wĩigĩrĩre kahiũ mũmero ũngĩkorwo ũrĩ mũndũ mũkoroku.
And you have put a knife to your throat, If you [are] a man of appetite.
3 Ndũkerirĩrie irio ciake irĩ mũrĩo, nĩgũkorwo nĩ irio cia gũkũheenereria.
Have no desire to his delicacies, seeing it [is] lying food.
4 Tiga kwĩnogia na kwenda gwĩtongia; gĩa na ũũgĩ wa kũhota kwĩrigĩrĩria.
Do not labor to make wealth, Cease from your own understanding, Do you cause your eyes to fly on it? Then it is not.
5 No wone ũtonga, ũcooke ũbuĩrie, nĩgũkorwo ti-itherũ ũtonga nĩwĩmeragia mathagu, na ũkombũka ta nderi yerekeire matu-inĩ.
For wealth makes wings to itself, It flies to the heavens as an eagle.
6 Tiga kũrĩa irio cia mũndũ mũkarĩ, ndũkerirĩrie irio ciake cia mũrĩo;
Do not eat the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his delicacies,
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 has thought in his soul, so he [is]. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, And his heart [is] not with you.
8 Nĩũgatahĩka kĩrĩa kĩnini ũgaakorwo ũrĩĩte, nacio ngaatho ciaku nĩikoorĩra thĩ.
You vomit up your morsel you have eaten, And have marred your words that [are] sweet.
9 Ndũkaarie na mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, nĩgũkorwo we no anyararire ũũgĩ wa ciugo ciaku.
Do not speak in the ears of a fool, For he treads on the wisdom of your words.
10 Ndũkaneherie ihiga rĩa tene rĩa mũhaka, kana ũhatĩke mĩhaka ya mĩgũnda ya ciana cia ngoriai,
Do not remove a border of ancient times, And do not enter into fields of the fatherless,
11 tondũ Mũgitĩri wacio nĩ arĩ na hinya; nĩakamaciirĩrĩra agũũkĩrĩre.
For their Redeemer [is] strong, He pleads their cause with you.
12 Ringĩrĩria ngoro yaku gũthikĩrĩria ũrutani, na matũ maku kũigua ciugo cia ũmenyo.
Bring your heart to instruction, And your ear to sayings of knowledge.
13 Ndũkanaage kũherithia mwana; ũngĩmũhũũra na rũthanju-rĩ, ndangĩkua.
Do not withhold discipline from a youth, When you strike him with a rod he does not die.
You strike him with a rod, And you 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 your heart has been wise, My heart rejoices, even mine,
16 ngoro yakwa nĩĩgacanjamũka rĩrĩa mĩromo yaku ĩkaaria maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire.
And my reins exult when your lips speak uprightly.
17 Ndũkanareke ngoro yaku ĩiguĩre ehia ũiru, no hĩndĩ ciothe gĩĩaga na kĩyo gĩa gwĩtigĩra Jehova.
Do not let your heart be envious at sinners, But—in the fear of YHWH all the day.
18 Tondũ ti-itherũ wee ũrĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro thuutha-inĩ, na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro gĩaku gĩtigaathira.
For is there a posterity? Then your hope is not cut off.
19 Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria nĩgeetha ũgĩe na ũũgĩ, na ũige ngoro yaku njĩra-inĩ ĩrĩa yagĩrĩire.
Hear, my son, and be wise, And make your heart blessed in the way,
20 Ndũkegwatanie na andũ arĩa manyuuaga njoohi, kana arĩa makorokagĩra nyama,
Do not become drunk with wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
21 nĩgũkorwo arĩĩu na andũ arĩa akoroku matuĩkaga athĩĩni, naguo ũgũũta ũtũmaga mũndũ ehumbe matangari.
For the drunkard and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clothes with rags.
22 Thikagĩrĩria thoguo, we ũrĩa wagũciarire, na ndũkanyarare maitũguo, o na aakorwo nĩ mũkũrũ.
Listen to your father, who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she has become old.
23 Wĩgũrĩre ũhoro ũrĩa wa ma na ndũkanawendie; wĩgĩĩre na ũũgĩ, na ũtaaro, na ũtaũku.
Buy truth, and do not sell, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
24 Ithe wa mwana mũthingu arĩ gĩkeno kĩnene mũno; nake ũrĩa ũrĩ na mwana mũũgĩ nĩakenagio nĩwe.
The father of the righteous rejoices greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoices in him.
25 Thoguo na maitũguo marocanjamũka nĩ ũndũ waku; mũtumia ũrĩa wagũciarire arokena!
Your father and your mother rejoice, Indeed, she bearing you is joyful.
26 Mũrũ wakwa, heaga ngoro yaku, na ũreke maitho maku marũmagĩrĩre njĩra ciakwa,
Give, my son, your heart to me, And let your eyes watch my ways.
27 nĩgũkorwo mũmaraya nĩ irima iriku, nake mũtumia mũtharia nĩ gĩthima gĩkunderu.
For a harlot [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, as catching prey, lies in wait, And she increases 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 has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaint? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 Nĩ arĩa matindaga marũmanĩrĩire na ndibei, arĩa mathiiaga magĩcamaga mbakũri cia ndibei ĩrĩa ndukanie.
Those lingering by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
31 Tiga kwĩrorera ndibei rĩrĩa ĩtunĩhĩte, rĩrĩa ĩgũkenga ĩrĩ gĩkombe-inĩ, rĩrĩa ĩkũmerũka wega!
Do not see wine when it shows itself red, When it gives its color in the cup, It goes up and down through the upright.
32 Mũthia-inĩ ĩrũmanaga ta nyoka, ĩgagũtheeca na thumu ta nduĩra.
Its latter end—it bites as a serpent, And it stings as a viper.
33 Maitho maku makoonaga maũndũ mageni, na meciiria maku meciirie maũndũ ma waganu.
Your eyes see strange women, And your heart speaks perverse things.
34 Ũgaatuĩka ta mũndũ ũkomete iria-inĩ rĩrĩa inene gatagatĩ, o ta mũndũ ũkomete mũthia wa gĩtugĩ kĩa macua.
And you have been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
35 Nĩũkoiga atĩrĩ, “Ngũthĩtwo, no ndinatiihio! Nĩmahũũra, no ndinaigua ũndũ! Ngokĩra-rĩ, nĩguo ngacarie ĩngĩ ya kũnyua?”
“They struck me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake—I seek it yet again!”
