< Thimo 25 >

1 Ici nĩ thimo ingĩ cia Solomoni, iria ciacookanĩrĩirio na ikĩandĩkwo nĩ andũ a Hezekia ũrĩa warĩ mũthamaki wa Juda:
These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the scribes of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
2 Kũhithĩrĩra ũndũ nĩ ũgooci wa Ngai; nakuo gũtuĩria ũndũ nĩkuo kũgoocithagia athamaki.
God's greatness is in doing things that can't be known, while the greatness of kings is in revealing things.
3 O ta ũrĩa igũrũ kũraihĩte na igũrũ, nakuo thĩ gũkarika mũno-rĩ, ũguo noguo ngoro cia athamaki itangĩtuĩrĩka.
Just as the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth can't be known, the king's thinking can't be known.
4 Theria betha ĩthire gĩko, na nĩhegũtigara kĩndũ kĩa mũturi wa betha;
Remove the waste from the silver, and the silversmith has pure silver to work with.
5 eheria andũ arĩa aaganu harĩ mũthamaki, na gĩtĩ gĩake kĩa ũnene nĩgĩkũrũmio nĩ ũthingu.
Remove the wicked from the king's presence and the king will rule securely and justly.
6 Ndũgetũũgĩrie harĩ mũthamaki, na ndũkerũgamie gatagatĩ ka anene;
Don't try to make yourself look great before the king, and don't pretend to be among the important people,
7 kaba mũthamaki we mwene akwĩre, “Ambata, ũũke haha,” gũkĩra agũconorithie mbere ya mũndũ ũrĩ igweta. Ũndũ ũrĩa wonete na maitho-rĩ,
for it's better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be humiliated before a nobleman. Even though you've seen something with your own eyes,
8 ndũkahiũhe kũũtwara igooti-inĩ, tondũ-rĩ, ũgeeka atĩa marigĩrĩrio-inĩ, mũndũ wa itũũra rĩaku angĩkaaruta ũira agũconorithie?
don't rush to take legal action, for what are you going to do in the end when your neighbor shows you're wrong and humiliates you?
9 Ciirai na mũndũ wa itũũra rĩaku we mwene, nĩguo ndũkoimie ndundu ya mũndũ ũcio ũngĩ nja,
Discuss the case with your neighbor himself, and don't betray someone else's secret,
10 kana ũiguuo nĩ mũndũ ũngĩ agũconore, ũtũũre na ngumo njũru ĩtagagũthira.
otherwise whoever hears it will make you ashamed and you'll never lose your bad reputation.
11 Kiugo kĩarĩtio hĩndĩ ĩrĩa yagĩrĩire nĩ ta matunda ma thahabu marĩ thaani-inĩ ya betha.
Advice given at the right time is like golden apples set in silver.
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.
Constructive criticism from the wise to someone who listens is like a gold ring and a necklace of fine gold.
13 Ta ũhehu wa tharunji hĩndĩ ya magetha, no taguo mũtwari ndũmĩrĩri mwĩhokeku ahaana kũrĩ arĩa mamũtũmaga; nĩatũmaga ngoro cia anene ake ikene.
Faithful messengers are as refreshing to their master as cold snow on a hot harvest day.
14 O ta ũrĩa matu na rũhuho matarĩ mbura ihaana, no taguo mũndũ ahaana ũrĩa ũrahaga ũrĩa ekũheana iheo na ndaheane.
Someone who boasts about a gift they never give is like cloud and wind without rain.
15 Ũkirĩrĩria no ũguucĩrĩrie ũrĩa waathanaga etĩkĩre ũndũ, naruo rũrĩmĩ ruororo no ruune ihĩndĩ.
If you're patient you can persuade your superior, and soft words can break down opposition.
16 Ũngĩona ũũkĩ-rĩ, rĩa o wa gũkũigana, ũngĩrĩa mũingĩ mũno nĩũgũtahĩka.
If you find honey, eat just enough, for if you eat too much, you'll be sick.
17 Nyiihia gũthiiaga kwa mũndũ wa itũũra, ũngĩthiĩ kaingĩ no anogio nĩwe agũthũũre.
Don't set foot in your neighbors' homes too often, otherwise they'll get fed up with you and hate you.
18 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũheanaga ũira wa maheeni agookĩrĩra mũndũ wa itũũra, ahaana ta njũgũma, kana rũhiũ rwa njora, kana mũguĩ mũũgĩ.
Telling lies in court against a friend is like attacking them with a mace, or a sword, or an arrow.
19 Kwĩhoka mũndũ ũtarĩ mwĩhokeku hĩndĩ ya thĩĩna, no ta kwĩhoka igego ituĩku, kana kũgũrũ kũrathua.
Trusting in unreliable people in times of trouble is like eating with a broken tooth or walking on a bad foot.
20 Ũrĩa ũinagĩra mũndũ ũrĩ na ngoro nditũ nyĩmbo, no ta mũndũ kwĩruta nguo mũthenya wa heho, kana gũitĩrĩria thiki igata-inĩ.
Singing happy songs to someone who's broken-hearted is like taking off your coat on a cold day, or pouring vinegar onto an open wound.
21 Thũ yaku ĩngĩkorwo ĩhũtiĩ-rĩ, mĩhe irio ĩrĩe; ĩngĩkorwo ĩnyootiĩ-rĩ, mĩhe maaĩ ĩnyue.
If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat; if he's thirsty, give him a drink of water.
22 Weka ũguo-rĩ, nĩũkũmĩigĩrĩra makara ma mwaki mũtwe, nake Jehova nĩagakũrĩha.
This will make him ashamed as if he had burning coals piled on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
23 O ta ũrĩa rũhuho rwa gathigathini rũrehaga mbura, noguo rũrĩmĩ rwa njuukũ rũrehaga ũhoro wa marakara.
In the same way that the north wind brings rain, slandering people makes them angry.
24 Nĩ kaba gũtũũra nyũmba-igũrũ koine-inĩ, gũkĩra gũtũũrania nyũmba thĩinĩ na mũtumia wa haaro.
It's better to live in a corner of a housetop than to share a whole house with an argumentative wife.
25 O ta ũrĩa maaĩ mahehu manyootoraga mũndũ mũnyootu, no taguo ũhoro mwega uumĩte bũrũri wa kũraya wĩkaga.
Good news from a distant country is like cold water to an exhausted traveler.
26 O ta gĩthima kĩiyũrĩte ndaka, kana itherũkĩro rĩa maaĩ riunjuge, ũguo nĩguo mũndũ mũthingu ahaanaga angĩĩrekereria harĩ andũ arĩa aaganu.
Good people who give in to the wicked are like a muddied spring or a polluted well.
27 Ti wega kũrĩa ũũkĩ mũingĩ mũno, o na ti ũndũ wa gũtĩĩka mũndũ gwĩcarĩria gĩtĩĩo we mwene.
It's not good to eat too much honey, or to want too much praise.
28 Mũndũ ũtangĩhota gwatha ngoro yake atariĩ ta itũũra inene rĩmomoku, na rĩtarĩ na thingo.
Someone without control is as exposed as a town whose walls have been breached.

< Thimo 25 >