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 when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 Ta kanyoni-ka-nja gekũbatabata, kana thũngũrũrũ ĩkũhiũka-hiũka, noguo kĩrumi gĩtarĩ gĩtũmi gĩtarĩ ha kwĩgwatĩrĩra.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 Kĩboko nĩ kĩa mbarathi, matamu nĩ ma ndigiri, na rũthanju nĩ rwa ciande cia andũ arĩa akĩĩgu!
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 Ndũkanacookerie mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kũringana na ũrimũ wake, ndũkae gũtuĩka take.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Cookeria mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kũringana na ũrimũ wake, nĩguo ndakeyone taarĩ mũndũ mũũgĩ maitho-inĩ make.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Gũtũma ndũmĩrĩri na guoko kwa mũndũ mũkĩĩgu-rĩ, nĩ ta gwĩtinia magũrũ, kana kũnyua haaro.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 O ta magũrũ ma gĩthua ũrĩa mathiiaga maniginĩte, noguo thimo ĩhaana ĩkĩario nĩ kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Kũhe mũndũ mũkĩĩgu gĩtĩĩo no ta kuoherera ihiga kĩgũtha-inĩ.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Thimo ĩkĩario nĩ kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu nĩ ta mũigua ũrĩ guoko-inĩ kwa mũrĩĩu.
Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
10 Mũndũ wandĩkaga mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kana mwĩhĩtũkĩri nĩ ta ũrĩa ũikagia mĩguĩ o ro ũguo agatiihia andũ.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu acookagĩra ũrimũ wake o ta ũrĩa ngui ĩcookagĩrĩra matahĩko mayo.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
12 Wanona mũndũ wĩonaga arĩ mũũgĩ maitho-inĩ make? Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu arĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro gũkĩra mũndũ ũcio.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 Kĩgũũta kiugaga atĩrĩ, “Njĩra-inĩ kũrĩ na mũrũũthi, mũrũũthi mũrĩĩani ũrorũũra njĩra-inĩ cia itũũra!”
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 Ta ũrĩa mũrango ũtindaga ũkĩgarũrũka ihocio-inĩ ciaguo, noguo kĩgũũta gĩtindaga gĩkĩĩgarũra gĩkomete ũrĩrĩ-inĩ wakĩo.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 Kĩgũũta gĩikagia guoko gwakĩo o thaani-inĩ; kĩnogagio nĩgũcooka gũkuoya gĩgũkinyie kanua-inĩ.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 Kĩgũũta kĩĩonaga kĩrĩ kĩũgĩ maitho-inĩ makĩo, gũkĩra andũ mũgwanja arĩa macookagia ũhoro na ũũgĩ.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Mwĩhĩtũkĩri wĩtoonyagia inegene-inĩ rĩtamũkoniĩ no ta mũndũ ũkũnyiita ngui matũ.
He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
18 Ta mũgũrũki ũgũikia icinga cia mwaki, kana agaikia mĩguĩ ya gĩkuũ,
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 no taguo mũndũ ahaana ũrĩa ũheenagia mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake, agacooka kũmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩ itherũ nyuma narĩo!”
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Mwaki ũngĩaga ngũ no kũhora ũhoraga; ngarari cingĩaga mũhuhu no gũthira ithiraga.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 O ta ũrĩa makara magwatagia marĩa mangĩ mwaki, na o ta ũrĩa ngũ ciakanagia mwaki, noguo mũndũ mũũgiti aakagĩrĩria haaro.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 Ndeto cia mũndũ wa mũhuhu nĩ ta twenyũ twega twa irio; tũmerũkaga tũgathiĩ mwĩrĩ wa mũndũ o thĩinĩ biũ.
The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
23 Ta ũrĩa indo cia rĩũmba inyorokagio ikahenia na igũrũ, no taguo mĩromo mĩnyoroku ĩhumbagĩra ngoro ĩrĩ na ũũru.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 Mũndũ wa rũmena aaragia ũhinga na mĩromo yake, no thĩinĩ wa ngoro yake aiyũrĩtwo no maheeni.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 O na gũtuĩka mĩario yake nĩ ya gũkenania, ndũkanamwĩtĩkie, nĩgũkorwo ngoro yake ĩiyũrĩte maũndũ mũgwanja marĩ magigi.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 Rũmena rwake no rũhithwo na maheeni, no waganu wake ũkaaguũrio kĩũngano-inĩ.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Mũndũ angĩenja irima, nĩwe ũkaagũa rĩo; mũndũ angĩgaragaria ihiga, rĩkaagaragara rĩmũcookerere.
He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
28 Rũrĩmĩ rwa maheeni nĩkũmena rũmenete arĩa rũtuuragia, nako kanua ga kwĩyendithĩrĩria karehaga mwanangĩko.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
