< Thimo 24 >
1 Tiga kũiguĩra andũ arĩa aaganu ũiru, na ndũkanerirĩrie thiritũ yao,
Be thou not envious of bad men, and do not long to be with them.
2 nĩgũkorwo ngoro ciao ithugundaga o haaro, na mĩromo yao yaragia ũhoro wa kũrehere andũ thĩĩna.
For their heart meditateth destruction, and of mischief do their lips speak.
3 Nyũmba yakagwo na ũũgĩ, naguo ũtaũku nĩguo ũtũmaga ĩĩhaande;
Through wisdom is a house built; and through understanding is it firmly established;
4 ũmenyo nĩguo ũiyũragia tũnyũmba twayo, ũgatũiyũria na indo cia bata, na ũtonga mwega.
And through knowledge are chambers filled with all manner of precious and pleasant wealth.
5 Mũndũ mũũgĩ arĩ ũhoti mũnene, na mũndũ ũrĩ ũmenyo nĩakĩragĩrĩria kũgĩa na hinya;
A wise man is [always] in power; and a man of knowledge fortifieth [his] strength.
6 ũgĩthiĩ mbaara-inĩ nĩũbatarĩtio nĩgũtaarwo, na nĩgeetha ũhootane nĩũbatarĩtio nĩ aheani kĩrĩra aingĩ.
For by wise counsel canst thou conduct thy war; and there is help in a multitude of counsellors.
7 Ũũgĩ ũrĩ igũrũ mũno, ndũngĩkinyĩrĩka nĩ mũndũ mũkĩĩgu; rĩrĩa kwagomanwo kĩhingo-inĩ, ndangĩona wa kuuga.
Wisdom is too high for a fool: in the gate can he not open his mouth.
8 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũthugundaga ũũru-rĩ, andũ mamwĩtaga mungumania.
Him that deviseth to do evil, men call a master of wicked devices.
9 Mathugunda ma ũrimũ nĩ mehia, na mũnyũrũrania nĩ kĩndũ kĩrĩ magigi harĩ andũ.
The counsel of folly is sin; and an abomination to men is the scorner.
10 Ũngĩtuĩka wa kũũrwo nĩ hinya hĩndĩ ya thĩĩna, hinya waku kaĩ nĩ mũnini-ĩ!
If thou despond on the day of distress, thy strength is small.
11 Honokia arĩa maratwarĩrĩrio gĩkuũ-inĩ; girĩrĩria arĩa maratũgũũga merekeire gĩthĩnjĩro.
Deliver those that are taken unto death, and those that are moved away to the slaughter hold back.
12 Ũngiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũhoro ũcio tũtiraũmenyete,” githĩ ũrĩa ũthimaga ngoro tiwe ũmenyaga? Ũrĩa ũrangagĩra muoyo waku-rĩ, githĩ ndooĩ kana nĩguo? Githĩ ndakaarĩha o mũndũ kũringana na ũrĩa ekĩte?
If thou shouldst say, Behold, we know not this man: lo, he that weigheth hearts will truly regard it, and he that keepeth thy soul will surely know it; and he will give a recompense to man according to his doing.
13 Mũrũ wakwa, rĩa ũũkĩ, nĩgũkorwo nĩ mwega; ũũkĩ uumĩte magua-inĩ ũrĩ mũrĩo ũkĩũcama.
Eat honey, my son, because it is good; and the fine honey, which is sweet to thy palate:
14 Ningĩ menya atĩ ũũgĩ ũrĩ mũrĩo harĩ ngoro yaku; ũngĩgĩa naguo, nĩũkagĩa na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro, na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro gĩaku gĩtigaathira.
So obtain the knowledge of wisdom for thy soul: when thou hast found her, then shall there be a [happy] future, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
15 Ndũkanoohie mũndũ mũthingu njĩra-inĩ ũtharĩkĩre nyũmba yake ta mũitũ, ndũkanahithũkĩre gĩikaro gĩake;
Lie not in wait, O wicked man! against the dwelling of the righteous; waste not his resting-place;
16 nĩgũkorwo mũndũ mũthingu o na angĩgũa maita mũgwanja, agũũaga o agĩũkagĩra, no andũ arĩa aaganu marũndagwo nĩ mũtino.
For though the righteous were to fall seven times, he will rise up again; but the wicked shall stumble into misfortune.
17 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa thũ yaku yagũa-rĩ, ndũkanamĩkenerere; hĩndĩ ĩrĩa yahĩngwo-rĩ, ndũkareke ngoro yaku ĩkene,
At the fall of thy enemy do not rejoice; and at his stumbling let not thy heart be glad:
18 nĩguo Jehova ndakone ũndũ ũcio arakare, akĩhũndũre marakara make kuuma kũrĩ thũ ĩyo.
Lest the Lord see it and it be displeasing in his eyes, and he turn away from him his wrath.
19 Ndũkanathĩĩnĩke ngoro nĩ ũndũ wa andũ arĩa ooru, kana wĩrirĩrie kũhaanana na arĩa aaganu,
Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious of the wicked;
20 nĩgũkorwo mũndũ ũrĩa mũũru ndarĩ na mwĩhoko wa thuutha-inĩ, na tawa wa ũrĩa mwaganu nĩũkahorio.
For there will be no [happy] future for the bad man: the lamp of the wicked will be quenched.
21 Mũrũ wakwa, wĩtigĩre Jehova na wĩtigĩre mũthamaki, na ndũkagĩe na ngwatanĩro na andũ arĩa aremi,
My son, fear the Lord and the king: with those that are desirous to change do not mingle thyself;
22 nĩgũkorwo acio eerĩ no mamũrehithĩrie mwanangĩko wa narua, na nũũ ũngĩmenya nĩ mĩtino ĩrĩkũ mangĩrehe?
For suddenly will their calamity arise; and who knoweth the ruin of both of them!
23 O na ici no thimo cia andũ arĩa oogĩ: Kwenda mwena ũmwe gũkĩra ũrĩa ũngĩ ciira-inĩ ti ũndũ mwega:
These things also are for the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
24 Ũrĩa wothe wĩraga mũndũ ũrĩa ũrĩ na mahĩtia atĩrĩ, “Wee ndũrĩ na mahĩtia,” kĩrĩndĩ nĩgĩkamũruma, na athũũrwo nĩ ndũrĩrĩ.
Him that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, will the people denounce, him will nations hold accursed;
25 No arĩa matuagĩra andũ arĩa aaganu ciira, nĩmakona wega, na magĩe na kĩrathimo kĩega.
But to those that punish delight shall be given, and upon them shall come the blessing of the good.
26 Icookio rĩa wĩhokeku nĩ ta kĩmumunyano kĩa mĩromo.
Men will kiss the lips of him that giveth a proper answer.
27 Rĩĩkia wĩra wa gũtua mwako na nja, na ũhaarĩrie mĩgũnda yaku; thuutha ũcio cooka wĩakĩre nyũmba.
Prepare without thy work, and make it fit in the field for thyself: and afterward build thy house.
28 Ndũkanarute ũira ũigĩrĩre mũndũ wa itũũra rĩaku kĩgeenyo, kana ũheenanie na mĩromo yaku.
Be not without cause a witness against thy neighbor; for wouldst thou beguile with thy lips?
29 Ndũkanoige atĩrĩ, “Ngũmwĩka o ta ũrĩa anjĩkĩte; ngwĩrĩhĩria harĩ mũndũ ũcio kũringana na ũrĩa eekire.”
Say not, As he hath done to me so will I do to him: I will recompense every man according to his doing.
30 Ndaahĩtũkĩire mũgũnda-inĩ wa kĩgũũta, ngĩhĩtũkĩra mũgũnda-inĩ wa mĩthabibũ wa mũndũ ũtooĩ gũkũũrana maũndũ;
By the field of a slothful man I once passed along, and by the vineyard of a man void of sense:
31 na rĩrĩ, mĩigua yamerete kũndũ guothe, na mũgũnda ũkaiyũra riya, naruo rũthingo rwa mahiga rũkamomoka.
And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, nettles had covered its surface, and its stone-wall was broken down.
32 Nĩndacũũranirie na ngoro yakwa maũndũ macio ndonire, na ngĩĩruta ũndũ kuumana na ũrĩa ndonire:
And when I had indeed beheld [this] I took it to my heart: I saw it, and received a warning.
33 Mũtugo wa gũkoma hanini, gũcooka toro hanini, gũkũnja moko hanini ũhurũke;
“A little [more] sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”
34 naguo ũthĩĩni ũgaagũkorerera ta mũitũ, na wagi ũgũkorerere ta mũndũ wĩohete indo cia mbaara.
But then will thy poverty come like a rover; and thy wants as a man armed with a shield.