Thimo 26
1 O ta ũrĩa tharunji ĩtaagĩrĩire kũgĩa hĩndĩ ya riũa, kana mbura kuura hĩndĩ ya magetha-rĩ, noguo gĩtĩĩo gĩtagĩrĩire mũndũ mũkĩĩgu.
Like snow in summer and rain at harvest, honor does not befit a fool.
2 Ta kanyoni-ka-nja gekũbatabata, kana thũngũrũrũ ĩkũhiũka-hiũka, noguo kĩrumi gĩtarĩ gĩtũmi gĩtarĩ ha kwĩgwatĩrĩra.
Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3 Kĩboko nĩ kĩa mbarathi, matamu nĩ ma ndigiri, na rũthanju nĩ rwa ciande cia andũ arĩa akĩĩgu!
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!
4 Ndũkanacookerie mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kũringana na ũrimũ wake, ndũkae gũtuĩka take.
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be like him.
5 Cookeria mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kũringana na ũrimũ wake, nĩguo ndakeyone taarĩ mũndũ mũũgĩ maitho-inĩ make.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.
6 Gũtũma ndũmĩrĩri na guoko kwa mũndũ mũkĩĩgu-rĩ, nĩ ta gwĩtinia magũrũ, kana kũnyua haaro.
Like cutting off one’s own feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.
7 O ta magũrũ ma gĩthua ũrĩa mathiiaga maniginĩte, noguo thimo ĩhaana ĩkĩario nĩ kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu.
Like lame legs hanging limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 Kũhe mũndũ mũkĩĩgu gĩtĩĩo no ta kuoherera ihiga kĩgũtha-inĩ.
Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
9 Thimo ĩkĩario nĩ kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu nĩ ta mũigua ũrĩ guoko-inĩ kwa mũrĩĩu.
Like a thorn that falls into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10 Mũndũ wandĩkaga mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kana mwĩhĩtũkĩri nĩ ta ũrĩa ũikagia mĩguĩ o ro ũguo agatiihia andũ.
Like an archer who wounds at random is he who hires a fool or passerby.
11 Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu acookagĩra ũrimũ wake o ta ũrĩa ngui ĩcookagĩrĩra matahĩko mayo.
As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
12 Wanona mũndũ wĩonaga arĩ mũũgĩ maitho-inĩ make? Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu arĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro gũkĩra mũndũ ũcio.
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 Kĩgũũta kiugaga atĩrĩ, “Njĩra-inĩ kũrĩ na mũrũũthi, mũrũũthi mũrĩĩani ũrorũũra njĩra-inĩ cia itũũra!”
The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!”
14 Ta ũrĩa mũrango ũtindaga ũkĩgarũrũka ihocio-inĩ ciaguo, noguo kĩgũũta gĩtindaga gĩkĩĩgarũra gĩkomete ũrĩrĩ-inĩ wakĩo.
As a door turns on its hinges, so the slacker turns on his bed.
15 Kĩgũũta gĩikagia guoko gwakĩo o thaani-inĩ; kĩnogagio nĩgũcooka gũkuoya gĩgũkinyie kanua-inĩ.
The slacker buries his hand in the dish; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
16 Kĩgũũta kĩĩonaga kĩrĩ kĩũgĩ maitho-inĩ makĩo, gũkĩra andũ mũgwanja arĩa macookagia ũhoro na ũũgĩ.
The slacker is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.
17 Mwĩhĩtũkĩri wĩtoonyagia inegene-inĩ rĩtamũkoniĩ no ta mũndũ ũkũnyiita ngui matũ.
Like one who grabs a dog by the ears is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own.
18 Ta mũgũrũki ũgũikia icinga cia mwaki, kana agaikia mĩguĩ ya gĩkuũ,
Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,
19 no taguo mũndũ ahaana ũrĩa ũheenagia mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake, agacooka kũmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩ itherũ nyuma narĩo!”
so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
20 Mwaki ũngĩaga ngũ no kũhora ũhoraga; ngarari cingĩaga mũhuhu no gũthira ithiraga.
Without wood, a fire goes out; without gossip, a conflict ceases.
21 O ta ũrĩa makara magwatagia marĩa mangĩ mwaki, na o ta ũrĩa ngũ ciakanagia mwaki, noguo mũndũ mũũgiti aakagĩrĩria haaro.
Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
22 Ndeto cia mũndũ wa mũhuhu nĩ ta twenyũ twega twa irio; tũmerũkaga tũgathiĩ mwĩrĩ wa mũndũ o thĩinĩ biũ.
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.
23 Ta ũrĩa indo cia rĩũmba inyorokagio ikahenia na igũrũ, no taguo mĩromo mĩnyoroku ĩhumbagĩra ngoro ĩrĩ na ũũru.
Like glaze covering an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart.
24 Mũndũ wa rũmena aaragia ũhinga na mĩromo yake, no thĩinĩ wa ngoro yake aiyũrĩtwo no maheeni.
A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart.
25 O na gũtuĩka mĩario yake nĩ ya gũkenania, ndũkanamwĩtĩkie, nĩgũkorwo ngoro yake ĩiyũrĩte maũndũ mũgwanja marĩ magigi.
When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.
26 Rũmena rwake no rũhithwo na maheeni, no waganu wake ũkaaguũrio kĩũngano-inĩ.
Though his hatred is concealed by deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Mũndũ angĩenja irima, nĩwe ũkaagũa rĩo; mũndũ angĩgaragaria ihiga, rĩkaagaragara rĩmũcookerere.
He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
28 Rũrĩmĩ rwa maheeni nĩkũmena rũmenete arĩa rũtuuragia, nako kanua ga kwĩyendithĩrĩria karehaga mwanangĩko.
A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
