< Thimo 27 >
1 Tiga kwĩraha nĩ ũndũ wa rũciũ, nĩgũkorwo ndũũĩ kĩrĩa mũthenya ũngĩrehe.
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
2 Reke mũndũ ũngĩ akũgaathĩrĩrie, no ti kanua gaku mwene; mũndũ ũngĩ nĩakũgaathĩrĩrie, no ti mĩromo yaku mwene.
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth— a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 Ihiga nĩ iritũ na mũthanga nĩ mũrigo, no kũrakario nĩ mũndũ mũkĩĩgu nĩ kũritũ gũkĩra icio cierĩ.
A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.
4 Marakara matirĩ tha, namo marũrũ moinaga ta mũiyũro; no ũiru-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota kũwĩtiiria?
Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
5 Kaba kũrũithio nĩ mũndũ ũtekũhithĩrĩra ũndũ gũkĩra wendo mũhithe.
Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.
6 Nguraro cia gũtihio nĩ mũrata no ciĩhokwo, no imumunyano nyingĩ cia mũgũthũũri ti cia kwĩhokwo.
The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
7 Mũndũ mũhũũnu athũũraga o na ũũkĩ, no mũndũ mũhũũtu, o na kĩndũ kĩrũrũ aiguaga kĩrĩ mũrĩo.
The soul that is full loathes honey, but to a hungry soul, any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Mũndũ ũũrĩte gwake mũciĩ ahaana ta nyoni ĩtiganĩirie gĩtara kĩayo.
Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who wanders from his home.
9 Maguta manungi wega na ũbumba irehagĩra ngoro ya mũndũ gĩkeno, na noguo wega wa mũrata wa mũndũ wĩkaga akĩmũhe ũtaaro wake wa ma.
Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the sweetness of a friend is counsel to the soul.
10 Ndũkanateanĩrie mũrata waku kana mũrata wa thoguo, na ndũgathiĩ kwa mũrũ wa maitũguo rĩrĩa mũtino wagũkora: nĩ kaba mũndũ wa itũũra ũcio ũrĩ hakuhĩ, gũkĩra mũrũ wa nyina na mũndũ ũrĩ kũraya.
Do not forsake your friend or your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.
11 Mũrũ wakwa, tuĩka mũndũ mũũgĩ, ũgĩkenagie ngoro yakwa; na niĩ hotage gũcookagĩria mũndũ o wothe ũngĩĩnyarara.
Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, so that I can answer him who taunts me.
12 Mũndũ mũũgĩ oonaga ũgwati ũgĩũka akehitha, no arĩa matarĩ ũũgĩ mathiiaga o na mbere, nao magatoonya thĩĩna-inĩ.
The prudent see danger and take cover; but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
13 Oya nguo ya mũndũ ũrĩa ũrũgamagĩrĩra thiirĩ wa mũndũ wa kũngĩ; mĩige ĩrũgamĩrĩre thiirĩ ũcio wa mũndũ-wa-nja wa kũngĩ.
Take the garment of him who posts security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for a foreigner.
14 Mũndũ angĩrathima mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake rũciinĩ tene anĩrĩire-rĩ, ũndũ ũcio ũngĩtuĩka taarĩ kĩrumi.
If one blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be counted to him as a curse.
15 Mũtumia wa haaro ahaanaine na maaĩ maratata mategũtigithĩria hĩndĩ ya mbura;
A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike—
16 kũgeria kũmũgirĩrĩria nĩ ta kũgeria kũgirĩrĩria rũhuho, kana kũgeria gũkumbatĩria maguta na guoko.
restraining her is like holding back the wind or grasping oil with one’s right hand.
17 O ta ũrĩa kĩgera kĩnooraga kĩrĩa kĩngĩ, no taguo mũndũ ohĩgagia ũrĩa ũngĩ.
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
18 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũrĩmagĩra mũkũyũ nĩakaarĩa maciaro maguo, na mũndũ ũrĩa ũtungataga mwathi wake nĩagatĩĩo.
Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.
19 O ta ũrĩa mũndũ onaga ũthiũ wake maaĩ-inĩ, no taguo ngoro ya mũndũ yonanagia ũrĩa mũndũ atariĩ.
As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the true man.
20 Gĩkuũ na Mwanangĩko itiiganagia, na o namo maitho ma mũndũ matiiganagia. (Sheol )
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. (Sheol )
21 Nyũngũ nĩ ya gũthererio betha, na kĩrugutĩro nĩ gĩa gũthererio thahabu, no mũndũ athimagwo na igweta rĩrĩa agwetagwo narĩo.
A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but a man is tested by the praise accorded him.
22 O na ũngĩhũũrĩra mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ndĩrĩ-inĩ, ũmũhũũre na mũũthĩ ta ngano-rĩ, ndangiumwo nĩ ũrimũ wake.
Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle, yet his folly will not depart from him.
23 Thũũrimaga mahiũ maku na kĩyo, ũmenyagĩrĩre wega ndũũru ciaku;
Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds;
24 nĩgũkorwo ũtonga ndũtũũraga nginya tene, o nayo thũmbĩ ti ya gũkinyĩra njiarwa na njiarwa.
for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to every generation.
25 Nyeki ĩrĩa nyũmũ rĩrĩa yatũgũtwo na nyeki njerũ ĩkunũke-rĩ, nayo ĩrĩa ya irĩma-inĩ yũnganio na ĩinũkio-rĩ,
When hay is removed and new growth appears and the grain from the hills is gathered,
26 hĩndĩ ĩyo tũgondu nĩtũgaatũma ũgĩe na nguo, nacio mbũri itũme ũgĩe na gĩa kũgũra mũgũnda.
the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.
27 Nĩũkagĩa na iria rĩingĩ rĩa mbũri rĩa gũkũigana na rĩa kũnyuuo nĩ andũ a nyũmba yaku, o na rĩa gũtũũria airĩtu aku a wĩra.
You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed you— food for your household and nourishment for your maidservants.