< Thimo 25 >
1 Ici nĩ thimo ingĩ cia Solomoni, iria ciacookanĩrĩirio na ikĩandĩkwo nĩ andũ a Hezekia ũrĩa warĩ mũthamaki wa Juda:
Also these are the proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah the king of Judah have collected.
2 Kũhithĩrĩra ũndũ nĩ ũgooci wa Ngai; nakuo gũtuĩria ũndũ nĩkuo kũgoocithagia athamaki.
It is the honor of God to conceal a thing; but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.
3 O ta ũrĩa igũrũ kũraihĩte na igũrũ, nakuo thĩ gũkarika mũno-rĩ, ũguo noguo ngoro cia athamaki itangĩtuĩrĩka.
As are the heavens for height, and the earth is for depth, so should the heart of kings be unsearchable.
4 Theria betha ĩthire gĩko, na nĩhegũtigara kĩndũ kĩa mũturi wa betha;
Take away the dross from the silver, and there will come forth a vessel for the melter.
5 eheria andũ arĩa aaganu harĩ mũthamaki, na gĩtĩ gĩake kĩa ũnene nĩgĩkũrũmio nĩ ũthingu.
Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be firmly established in righteousness.
6 Ndũgetũũgĩrie harĩ mũthamaki, na ndũkerũgamie gatagatĩ ka anene;
Do not glorify thyself in the presence of the king, and force thyself not into the place of great men;
7 kaba mũthamaki we mwene akwĩre, “Ambata, ũũke haha,” gũkĩra agũconorithie mbere ya mũndũ ũrĩ igweta. Ũndũ ũrĩa wonete na maitho-rĩ,
For better it is that it be said unto thee, “Come up hither,” than that thou shouldst be put lower in the presence of the prince, which thy own eyes have [often] seen.
8 ndũkahiũhe kũũtwara igooti-inĩ, tondũ-rĩ, ũgeeka atĩa marigĩrĩrio-inĩ, mũndũ wa itũũra rĩaku angĩkaaruta ũira agũconorithie?
Do not proceed to a contest hastily, lest [thou know not] what thou wilt have to do at its end, when thy neighbor hath put thee to confusion.
9 Ciirai na mũndũ wa itũũra rĩaku we mwene, nĩguo ndũkoimie ndundu ya mũndũ ũcio ũngĩ nja,
Carry on thy cause with thy neighbor; but lay not open the secret of another:
10 kana ũiguuo nĩ mũndũ ũngĩ agũconore, ũtũũre na ngumo njũru ĩtagagũthira.
Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thy infamy never be removed.
11 Kiugo kĩarĩtio hĩndĩ ĩrĩa yagĩrĩire nĩ ta matunda ma thahabu marĩ thaani-inĩ ya betha.
Like apples of gold among figures of silver is a word spoken in a proper manner.
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.
As an earring of gold, and a pendant of fine gold, so is a wise reprover toward an ear that listeneth.
13 Ta ũhehu wa tharunji hĩndĩ ya magetha, no taguo mũtwari ndũmĩrĩri mwĩhokeku ahaana kũrĩ arĩa mamũtũmaga; nĩatũmaga ngoro cia anene ake ikene.
As the cooling of snow on a harvest-day, so is a faithful messenger to those that send him; for he refresheth the soul of his master.
14 O ta ũrĩa matu na rũhuho matarĩ mbura ihaana, no taguo mũndũ ahaana ũrĩa ũrahaga ũrĩa ekũheana iheo na ndaheane.
Like clouds and wind without rain, so is a man that vaunteth falsely of a gift.
15 Ũkirĩrĩria no ũguucĩrĩrie ũrĩa waathanaga etĩkĩre ũndũ, naruo rũrĩmĩ ruororo no ruune ihĩndĩ.
By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh bones.
16 Ũngĩona ũũkĩ-rĩ, rĩa o wa gũkũigana, ũngĩrĩa mũingĩ mũno nĩũgũtahĩka.
Hast thou found honey: eat so much as is sufficient for thee: lest thou consume too much of it, and have to vomit it forth.
17 Nyiihia gũthiiaga kwa mũndũ wa itũũra, ũngĩthiĩ kaingĩ no anogio nĩwe agũthũũre.
Make thy foot scarce in the house of thy friend: lest he have too much of thee, and so hate thee.
18 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũheanaga ũira wa maheeni agookĩrĩra mũndũ wa itũũra, ahaana ta njũgũma, kana rũhiũ rwa njora, kana mũguĩ mũũgĩ.
A battle-axe, and a sword, and a sharpened arrow is a man that testifieth as a false witness against his neighbor.
19 Kwĩhoka mũndũ ũtarĩ mwĩhokeku hĩndĩ ya thĩĩna, no ta kwĩhoka igego ituĩku, kana kũgũrũ kũrathua.
Like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint, is confidence in a treacherous man in a time of distress.
20 Ũrĩa ũinagĩra mũndũ ũrĩ na ngoro nditũ nyĩmbo, no ta mũndũ kwĩruta nguo mũthenya wa heho, kana gũitĩrĩria thiki igata-inĩ.
[As] he that taketh off his garment on a cold day, [as] vinegar is upon natron: so is he that singeth songs before an unhappy heart.
21 Thũ yaku ĩngĩkorwo ĩhũtiĩ-rĩ, mĩhe irio ĩrĩe; ĩngĩkorwo ĩnyootiĩ-rĩ, mĩhe maaĩ ĩnyue.
If thy enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 Weka ũguo-rĩ, nĩũkũmĩigĩrĩra makara ma mwaki mũtwe, nake Jehova nĩagakũrĩha.
For though thou gatherest coals of fire upon his head, yet will the Lord repay it unto thee.
23 O ta ũrĩa rũhuho rwa gathigathini rũrehaga mbura, noguo rũrĩmĩ rwa njuukũ rũrehaga ũhoro wa marakara.
The north wind bringeth forth rain: so doth secret talking, angry countenances.
24 Nĩ kaba gũtũũra nyũmba-igũrũ koine-inĩ, gũkĩra gũtũũrania nyũmba thĩinĩ na mũtumia wa haaro.
It is better to dwell in the corner of a roof, than with a quarrelsome woman even in a roomy house.
25 O ta ũrĩa maaĩ mahehu manyootoraga mũndũ mũnyootu, no taguo ũhoro mwega uumĩte bũrũri wa kũraya wĩkaga.
As cold water is to a fainting soul, so are good news from a far-off country.
26 O ta gĩthima kĩiyũrĩte ndaka, kana itherũkĩro rĩa maaĩ riunjuge, ũguo nĩguo mũndũ mũthingu ahaanaga angĩĩrekereria harĩ andũ arĩa aaganu.
Like a turbid spring and a corrupt fountain, is a righteous man that giveth way before the wicked.
27 Ti wega kũrĩa ũũkĩ mũingĩ mũno, o na ti ũndũ wa gũtĩĩka mũndũ gwĩcarĩria gĩtĩĩo we mwene.
To eat too much honey is not good: so is it honor to set a limit to men's honor.
28 Mũndũ ũtangĩhota gwatha ngoro yake atariĩ ta itũũra inene rĩmomoku, na rĩtarĩ na thingo.
Like a city that is broken in, and is without walls: so is the man that hath no control over his spirit.