< Thimo 25 >
1 Ici nĩ thimo ingĩ cia Solomoni, iria ciacookanĩrĩirio na ikĩandĩkwo nĩ andũ a Hezekia ũrĩa warĩ mũthamaki wa Juda:
These are the miscellaneous instructions of Solomon, which the friends of Ezekias king of Judea copied out.
2 Kũhithĩrĩra ũndũ nĩ ũgooci wa Ngai; nakuo gũtuĩria ũndũ nĩkuo kũgoocithagia athamaki.
The glory of God conceals a matter: but the glory of a king honours business.
3 O ta ũrĩa igũrũ kũraihĩte na igũrũ, nakuo thĩ gũkarika mũno-rĩ, ũguo noguo ngoro cia athamaki itangĩtuĩrĩka.
Heaven is high, and earth is deep, and a king's heart is unsearchable.
4 Theria betha ĩthire gĩko, na nĩhegũtigara kĩndũ kĩa mũturi wa betha;
Beat the drossy silver, and it shall be made entirely pure.
5 eheria andũ arĩa aaganu harĩ mũthamaki, na gĩtĩ gĩake kĩa ũnene nĩgĩkũrũmio nĩ ũthingu.
Slay the ungodly from before the king, and his throne shall prosper in righteousness.
6 Ndũgetũũgĩrie harĩ mũthamaki, na ndũkerũgamie gatagatĩ ka anene;
Be not boastful in the presence of the king, and remain not in the places of princes;
7 kaba mũthamaki we mwene akwĩre, “Ambata, ũũke haha,” gũkĩra agũconorithie mbere ya mũndũ ũrĩ igweta. Ũndũ ũrĩa wonete na maitho-rĩ,
for [it is] better for thee that it should be said, Come up to me, than that [one] should humble thee in the presence of the prince; speak of that which thine eyes have seen.
8 ndũkahiũhe kũũtwara igooti-inĩ, tondũ-rĩ, ũgeeka atĩa marigĩrĩrio-inĩ, mũndũ wa itũũra rĩaku angĩkaaruta ũira agũconorithie?
Get not suddenly into a quarrel, lest thou repent at last.
9 Ciirai na mũndũ wa itũũra rĩaku we mwene, nĩguo ndũkoimie ndundu ya mũndũ ũcio ũngĩ nja,
Whenever thy friend shall reproach thee, retreat backward, despise [him] not;
10 kana ũiguuo nĩ mũndũ ũngĩ agũconore, ũtũũre na ngumo njũru ĩtagagũthira.
lest thy friend continue to reproach thee, so thy quarrel and enmity shall not depart, but shall be to thee like death. Favour and friendship set [a man] free, which do thou keep for thyself, lest thou be made liable to reproach; but take heed to thy ways peaceably.
11 Kiugo kĩarĩtio hĩndĩ ĩrĩa yagĩrĩire nĩ ta matunda ma thahabu marĩ thaani-inĩ ya betha.
[As] a golden apple in a necklace of sardius, so [is it] to speak a [wise] word.
12 Gĩcũhĩ gĩa gũtũ gĩa thahabu, kana ithaga rĩa thahabu ĩrĩa therie, nĩ taguo irũithia rĩa mũndũ mũũgĩ rĩtariĩ gũtũ-inĩ kwa mũndũ ũrĩa ũiguaga.
In an ear-ring of gold a precious sardius is also set; [so is] a wise word to an obedient ear.
13 Ta ũhehu wa tharunji hĩndĩ ya magetha, no taguo mũtwari ndũmĩrĩri mwĩhokeku ahaana kũrĩ arĩa mamũtũmaga; nĩatũmaga ngoro cia anene ake ikene.
As a fall of snow in the time of harvest is good against heat, so a faithful messenger [refreshes] those that send him; for he helps the souls of his employers.
14 O ta ũrĩa matu na rũhuho matarĩ mbura ihaana, no taguo mũndũ ahaana ũrĩa ũrahaga ũrĩa ekũheana iheo na ndaheane.
As winds and clouds and rains are most evident [objects], so is he that boasts of a false gift.
15 Ũkirĩrĩria no ũguucĩrĩrie ũrĩa waathanaga etĩkĩre ũndũ, naruo rũrĩmĩ ruororo no ruune ihĩndĩ.
In long-suffering is prosperity to kings, and a soft tongue breaks the bones.
16 Ũngĩona ũũkĩ-rĩ, rĩa o wa gũkũigana, ũngĩrĩa mũingĩ mũno nĩũgũtahĩka.
Having found honey, eat [only] what is enough, lest haply thou be filled, and vomit it up.
17 Nyiihia gũthiiaga kwa mũndũ wa itũũra, ũngĩthiĩ kaingĩ no anogio nĩwe agũthũũre.
Enter sparingly into thy friend's house, lest he be satiated with thy company, and hate thee.
18 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũheanaga ũira wa maheeni agookĩrĩra mũndũ wa itũũra, ahaana ta njũgũma, kana rũhiũ rwa njora, kana mũguĩ mũũgĩ.
[As] a club, and a dagger, and a pointed arrow, so also is a man who bears false witness against his friend.
19 Kwĩhoka mũndũ ũtarĩ mwĩhokeku hĩndĩ ya thĩĩna, no ta kwĩhoka igego ituĩku, kana kũgũrũ kũrathua.
The way of the wicked and the foot of the transgressor shall perish in an evil day.
20 Ũrĩa ũinagĩra mũndũ ũrĩ na ngoro nditũ nyĩmbo, no ta mũndũ kwĩruta nguo mũthenya wa heho, kana gũitĩrĩria thiki igata-inĩ.
As vinegar is bad for a sore, so trouble befalling the body afflicts the heart. As a moth in a garment, and a worm in wood, so the grief of a man hurts the heart.
21 Thũ yaku ĩngĩkorwo ĩhũtiĩ-rĩ, mĩhe irio ĩrĩe; ĩngĩkorwo ĩnyootiĩ-rĩ, mĩhe maaĩ ĩnyue.
If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink;
22 Weka ũguo-rĩ, nĩũkũmĩigĩrĩra makara ma mwaki mũtwe, nake Jehova nĩagakũrĩha.
for so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee [with] good.
23 O ta ũrĩa rũhuho rwa gathigathini rũrehaga mbura, noguo rũrĩmĩ rwa njuukũ rũrehaga ũhoro wa marakara.
The north wind raises clouds; so an impudent face provokes the tongue.
24 Nĩ kaba gũtũũra nyũmba-igũrũ koine-inĩ, gũkĩra gũtũũrania nyũmba thĩinĩ na mũtumia wa haaro.
[It is] better to dwell on a corner of the roof, than with a railing woman in an open house.
25 O ta ũrĩa maaĩ mahehu manyootoraga mũndũ mũnyootu, no taguo ũhoro mwega uumĩte bũrũri wa kũraya wĩkaga.
As cold water is agreeable to a thirsting soul, so is a good message from a land far off.
26 O ta gĩthima kĩiyũrĩte ndaka, kana itherũkĩro rĩa maaĩ riunjuge, ũguo nĩguo mũndũ mũthingu ahaanaga angĩĩrekereria harĩ andũ arĩa aaganu.
As if one should stop a well, and corrupt a spring of water, so [is it] unseemly for a righteous man to fall before an ungodly man.
27 Ti wega kũrĩa ũũkĩ mũingĩ mũno, o na ti ũndũ wa gũtĩĩka mũndũ gwĩcarĩria gĩtĩĩo we mwene.
[It is] not good to eat much honey; but it is right to honour venerable sayings.
28 Mũndũ ũtangĩhota gwatha ngoro yake atariĩ ta itũũra inene rĩmomoku, na rĩtarĩ na thingo.
As a city whose walls are broken down, and which is unfortified, so is a man who does anything without counsel.