< Thimo 27 >

1 Tiga kwĩraha nĩ ũndũ wa rũciũ, nĩgũkorwo ndũũĩ kĩrĩa mũthenya ũngĩrehe.
Don't boast about what you're going to do tomorrow, because you don't know what the day may bring.
2 Reke mũndũ ũngĩ akũgaathĩrĩrie, no ti kanua gaku mwene; mũndũ ũngĩ nĩakũgaathĩrĩrie, no ti mĩromo yaku mwene.
Let others praise you, not you yourself; someone else, not you personally.
3 Ihiga nĩ iritũ na mũthanga nĩ mũrigo, no kũrakario nĩ mũndũ mũkĩĩgu nĩ kũritũ gũkĩra icio cierĩ.
Stone may be heavy, and sand may weigh a lot, but the annoyance caused by stupid people is the biggest burden of all.
4 Marakara matirĩ tha, namo marũrũ moinaga ta mũiyũro; no ũiru-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota kũwĩtiiria?
Fury may be fierce and cruel, anger may be a destructive flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
5 Kaba kũrũithio nĩ mũndũ ũtekũhithĩrĩra ũndũ gũkĩra wendo mũhithe.
Open criticism is better than hidden love.
6 Nguraro cia gũtihio nĩ mũrata no ciĩhokwo, no imumunyano nyingĩ cia mũgũthũũri ti cia kwĩhokwo.
A friend's honest comments may hurt you, but an enemy's kisses are over the top.
7 Mũndũ mũhũũnu athũũraga o na ũũkĩ, no mũndũ mũhũũtu, o na kĩndũ kĩrũrũ aiguaga kĩrĩ mũrĩo.
If you're full up, you can't face honey; but if you're starving, even bitter food tastes sweet.
8 Mũndũ ũũrĩte gwake mũciĩ ahaana ta nyoni ĩtiganĩirie gĩtara kĩayo.
Having to leave home is like a bird having to leave its nest.
9 Maguta manungi wega na ũbumba irehagĩra ngoro ya mũndũ gĩkeno, na noguo wega wa mũrata wa mũndũ wĩkaga akĩmũhe ũtaaro wake wa ma.
Perfume and scented oils make you feel happy, but good advice from a friend is even better.
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.
Don't give up on your friends or your family's friends. Don't go to a relative's house when you've got trouble. A friend nearby is more useful than a relative far away.
11 Mũrũ wakwa, tuĩka mũndũ mũũgĩ, ũgĩkenagie ngoro yakwa; na niĩ hotage gũcookagĩria mũndũ o wothe ũngĩĩnyarara.
My son, make me happy by being wise, so I can respond to anyone who criticizes me.
12 Mũndũ mũũgĩ oonaga ũgwati ũgĩũka akehitha, no arĩa matarĩ ũũgĩ mathiiaga o na mbere, nao magatoonya thĩĩna-inĩ.
If you're sensible you see danger coming and get out of the way; but stupid people just keep going and suffer the consequences.
13 Oya nguo ya mũndũ ũrĩa ũrũgamagĩrĩra thiirĩ wa mũndũ wa kũngĩ; mĩige ĩrũgamĩrĩre thiirĩ ũcio wa mũndũ-wa-nja wa kũngĩ.
If someone guarantees a stranger's debt with their cloak, be sure to take it! Make sure you have whatever is pledged to an immoral woman!
14 Mũndũ angĩrathima mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake rũciinĩ tene anĩrĩire-rĩ, ũndũ ũcio ũngĩtuĩka taarĩ kĩrumi.
If when you get up every morning you shout a loud hello to your neighbors, they will see that as a curse!
15 Mũtumia wa haaro ahaanaine na maaĩ maratata mategũtigithĩria hĩndĩ ya mbura;
An argumentative wife is as irritating as constant dripping on a rainy day.
16 kũgeria kũmũgirĩrĩria nĩ ta kũgeria kũgirĩrĩria rũhuho, kana kũgeria gũkumbatĩria maguta na guoko.
Trying to stop her is like trying to make the wind stop or trying to hold olive oil in your hand.
17 O ta ũrĩa kĩgera kĩnooraga kĩrĩa kĩngĩ, no taguo mũndũ ohĩgagia ũrĩa ũngĩ.
An iron blade is sharpened with an iron tool, and one person's mind is sharpened by another's.
18 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũrĩmagĩra mũkũyũ nĩakaarĩa maciaro maguo, na mũndũ ũrĩa ũtungataga mwathi wake nĩagatĩĩo.
Those who care for a fig tree eat its fruit, and those who care for their master are rewarded.
19 O ta ũrĩa mũndũ onaga ũthiũ wake maaĩ-inĩ, no taguo ngoro ya mũndũ yonanagia ũrĩa mũndũ atariĩ.
Just as water reflects your face, your mind reflects who you really are.
20 Gĩkuũ na Mwanangĩko itiiganagia, na o namo maitho ma mũndũ matiiganagia. (Sheol h7585)
In the same way that the grave and destruction are never satisfied, human desire is never satisfied. (Sheol h7585)
21 Nyũngũ nĩ ya gũthererio betha, na kĩrugutĩro nĩ gĩa gũthererio thahabu, no mũndũ athimagwo na igweta rĩrĩa agwetagwo narĩo.
Just as a crucible tests silver, and a furnace tests gold, people are tested by the praise they receive.
22 O na ũngĩhũũrĩra mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ndĩrĩ-inĩ, ũmũhũũre na mũũthĩ ta ngano-rĩ, ndangiumwo nĩ ũrimũ wake.
Even if you ground stupid people in a mortar, crushing them like grain with the pestle, you can't get rid of stupidity from them.
23 Thũũrimaga mahiũ maku na kĩyo, ũmenyagĩrĩre wega ndũũru ciaku;
You should know the condition of your flocks really well and take good care of your herds,
24 nĩgũkorwo ũtonga ndũtũũraga nginya tene, o nayo thũmbĩ ti ya gũkinyĩra njiarwa na njiarwa.
for wealth doesn't last forever—is a crown passed down through all generations?
25 Nyeki ĩrĩa nyũmũ rĩrĩa yatũgũtwo na nyeki njerũ ĩkunũke-rĩ, nayo ĩrĩa ya irĩma-inĩ yũnganio na ĩinũkio-rĩ,
Once the hay is cut, and the new growth begins, and fodder from the mountains is gathered,
26 hĩndĩ ĩyo tũgondu nĩtũgaatũma ũgĩe na nguo, nacio mbũri itũme ũgĩe na gĩa kũgũra mũgũnda.
and the lambs have provided you wool to make clothing, and the sale of goats have paid for 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.
there'll be enough milk from your goats to feed you, your family, and your servant girls.

< Thimo 27 >