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 as rain in harvest, so kavod ·weighty glory· is not fitting for a fool.
2 Ta kanyoni-ka-nja gekũbatabata, kana thũngũrũrũ ĩkũhiũka-hiũka, noguo kĩrumi gĩtarĩ gĩtũmi gĩtarĩ ha kwĩgwatĩrĩra.
Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the 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 is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!
4 Ndũkanacookerie mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kũringana na ũrimũ wake, ndũkae gũtuĩka take.
Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also 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 be wise in his own eyes.
6 Gũtũma ndũmĩrĩri na guoko kwa mũndũ mũkĩĩgu-rĩ, nĩ ta gwĩtinia magũrũ, kana kũnyua haaro.
One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.
7 O ta magũrũ ma gĩthua ũrĩa mathiiaga maniginĩte, noguo thimo ĩhaana ĩkĩario nĩ kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu.
Like the legs of the lame that hang loose: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
8 Kũhe mũndũ mũkĩĩgu gĩtĩĩo no ta kuoherera ihiga kĩgũtha-inĩ.
As one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives kavod ·weighty glory· to a fool.
9 Thimo ĩkĩario nĩ kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu nĩ ta mũigua ũrĩ guoko-inĩ kwa mũrĩĩu.
Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
10 Mũndũ wandĩkaga mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kana mwĩhĩtũkĩri nĩ ta ũrĩa ũikagia mĩguĩ o ro ũguo agatiihia andũ.
As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.
11 Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu acookagĩra ũrimũ wake o ta ũrĩa ngui ĩcookagĩrĩra matahĩko mayo.
As a dog that makes teshuvah ·completely returns· to his vomit, so is a fool who 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 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 sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets!”
14 Ta ũrĩa mũrango ũtindaga ũkĩgarũrũka ihocio-inĩ ciaguo, noguo kĩgũũta gĩtindaga gĩkĩĩgarũra gĩkomete ũrĩrĩ-inĩ wakĩo.
As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.
15 Kĩgũũta gĩikagia guoko gwakĩo o thaani-inĩ; kĩnogagio nĩgũcooka gũkuoya gĩgũkinyie kanua-inĩ.
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 Kĩgũũta kĩĩonaga kĩrĩ kĩũgĩ maitho-inĩ makĩo, gũkĩra andũ mũgwanja arĩa macookagia ũhoro na ũũgĩ.
The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.
17 Mwĩhĩtũkĩri wĩtoonyagia inegene-inĩ rĩtamũkoniĩ no ta mũndũ ũkũnyiita ngui matũ.
Like one who grabs a dog’s ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.
18 Ta mũgũrũki ũgũikia icinga cia mwaki, kana agaikia mĩguĩ ya gĩkuũ,
Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death,
19 no taguo mũndũ ahaana ũrĩa ũheenagia mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake, agacooka kũmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩ itherũ nyuma narĩo!”
is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “Am I not joking?”
20 Mwaki ũngĩaga ngũ no kũhora ũhoraga; ngarari cingĩaga mũhuhu no gũthira ithiraga.
For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.
21 O ta ũrĩa makara magwatagia marĩa mangĩ mwaki, na o ta ũrĩa ngũ ciakanagia mwaki, noguo mũndũ mũũgiti aakagĩrĩria haaro.
As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to 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 whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts.
23 Ta ũrĩa indo cia rĩũmba inyorokagio ikahenia na igũrũ, no taguo mĩromo mĩnyoroku ĩhumbagĩra ngoro ĩrĩ na ũũru.
Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.
24 Mũndũ wa rũmena aaragia ũhinga na mĩromo yake, no thĩinĩ wa ngoro yake aiyũrĩtwo no maheeni.
A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart.
25 O na gũtuĩka mĩario yake nĩ ya gũkenania, ndũkanamwĩtĩkie, nĩgũkorwo ngoro yake ĩiyũrĩte maũndũ mũgwanja marĩ magigi.
When his speech is pleasant, don’t believe him; for there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Rũmena rwake no rũhithwo na maheeni, no waganu wake ũkaaguũrio kĩũngano-inĩ.
His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Mũndũ angĩenja irima, nĩwe ũkaagũa rĩo; mũndũ angĩgaragaria ihiga, rĩkaagaragara rĩmũcookerere.
Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28 Rũrĩmĩ rwa maheeni nĩkũmena rũmenete arĩa rũtuuragia, nako kanua ga kwĩyendithĩrĩria karehaga mwanangĩko.
A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.
