< Thimo 27 >
1 Tiga kwĩraha nĩ ũndũ wa rũciũ, nĩgũkorwo ndũũĩ kĩrĩa mũthenya ũngĩrehe.
Boast not of to-morrow; for you know not what the next day shall bring forth.
2 Reke mũndũ ũngĩ akũgaathĩrĩrie, no ti kanua gaku mwene; mũndũ ũngĩ nĩakũgaathĩrĩrie, no ti mĩromo yaku mwene.
Let your neighbor, and not your own mouth, praise you; 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 cumbersome; but a fool's wrath is heavier than both.
4 Marakara matirĩ tha, namo marũrũ moinaga ta mũiyũro; no ũiru-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota kũwĩtiiria?
Wrath is merciless, and anger sharp: but envy can bear nothing.
5 Kaba kũrũithio nĩ mũndũ ũtekũhithĩrĩra ũndũ gũkĩra wendo mũhithe.
Open reproofs are better than secret love.
6 Nguraro cia gũtihio nĩ mũrata no ciĩhokwo, no imumunyano nyingĩ cia mũgũthũũri ti cia kwĩhokwo.
The wounds of a friend are more to be trusted than the spontaneous kisses of an enemy.
7 Mũndũ mũhũũnu athũũraga o na ũũkĩ, no mũndũ mũhũũtu, o na kĩndũ kĩrũrũ aiguaga kĩrĩ mũrĩo.
A full soul scorns honeycombs; but to a hungry soul even bitter things appear sweet.
8 Mũndũ ũũrĩte gwake mũciĩ ahaana ta nyoni ĩtiganĩirie gĩtara kĩayo.
As when a bird flies down from its own nest, so a man is brought into bondage whenever he estranges himself from his own place.
9 Maguta manungi wega na ũbumba irehagĩra ngoro ya mũndũ gĩkeno, na noguo wega wa mũrata wa mũndũ wĩkaga akĩmũhe ũtaaro wake wa ma.
The heart delights in ointments and wines and perfumes: but the soul is broken by calamities.
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.
Your own friend, and your father's friend, forsake not; and when you are in distress go not into your brother's house: better is a friend [that is] near than a brother living far off.
11 Mũrũ wakwa, tuĩka mũndũ mũũgĩ, ũgĩkenagie ngoro yakwa; na niĩ hotage gũcookagĩria mũndũ o wothe ũngĩĩnyarara.
Son, be wise, that your heart may rejoice; and remove you from yourself reproachful words.
12 Mũndũ mũũgĩ oonaga ũgwati ũgĩũka akehitha, no arĩa matarĩ ũũgĩ mathiiaga o na mbere, nao magatoonya thĩĩna-inĩ.
A wise man, when evils are approaching, hides himself; but fools pass on, and will be punished.
13 Oya nguo ya mũndũ ũrĩa ũrũgamagĩrĩra thiirĩ wa mũndũ wa kũngĩ; mĩige ĩrũgamĩrĩre thiirĩ ũcio wa mũndũ-wa-nja wa kũngĩ.
Take away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste another's goods.
14 Mũndũ angĩrathima mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake rũciinĩ tene anĩrĩire-rĩ, ũndũ ũcio ũngĩtuĩka taarĩ kĩrumi.
Whosoever shall bless a friend in the morning with a loud voice, shall seem to differ nothing from one who curses [him].
15 Mũtumia wa haaro ahaanaine na maaĩ maratata mategũtigithĩria hĩndĩ ya mbura;
On a stormy day drops [of rain] drive a man out of his house; so also does a railing woman [drive a man] out of his own house.
16 kũgeria kũmũgirĩrĩria nĩ ta kũgeria kũgirĩrĩria rũhuho, kana kũgeria gũkumbatĩria maguta na guoko.
The north wind is sharp, but it is called by name propitious.
17 O ta ũrĩa kĩgera kĩnooraga kĩrĩa kĩngĩ, no taguo mũndũ ohĩgagia ũrĩa ũngĩ.
Iron sharpens iron; and a man sharpens his friend's countenance.
18 Mũndũ ũrĩa ũrĩmagĩra mũkũyũ nĩakaarĩa maciaro maguo, na mũndũ ũrĩa ũtungataga mwathi wake nĩagatĩĩo.
He that plants a fig tree shall eat the fruits of it: so he that waits on his own master shall be honored.
19 O ta ũrĩa mũndũ onaga ũthiũ wake maaĩ-inĩ, no taguo ngoro ya mũndũ yonanagia ũrĩa mũndũ atariĩ.
As faces are not like [other] faces, so neither are the thoughts of men.
20 Gĩkuũ na Mwanangĩko itiiganagia, na o namo maitho ma mũndũ matiiganagia. (Sheol )
Hell and destruction are not filled; so also are the eyes of men insatiable. [He that fixes his eye is an abomination to the Lord; and the uninstructed do not restrain their tongue.] (Sheol )
21 Nyũngũ nĩ ya gũthererio betha, na kĩrugutĩro nĩ gĩa gũthererio thahabu, no mũndũ athimagwo na igweta rĩrĩa agwetagwo narĩo.
Fire is the trial for silver and gold; and a man is tried by the mouth of them that praise him. The heart of the transgressor seeks after mischiefs; but an upright heart seeks knowledge.
22 O na ũngĩhũũrĩra mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ndĩrĩ-inĩ, ũmũhũũre na mũũthĩ ta ngano-rĩ, ndangiumwo nĩ ũrimũ wake.
Though you scourge a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the council, you will [still] in no wise remove his folly from him.
23 Thũũrimaga mahiũ maku na kĩyo, ũmenyagĩrĩre wega ndũũru ciaku;
Do you thoroughly know the number of your flock, and pay attention to your herds.
24 nĩgũkorwo ũtonga ndũtũũraga nginya tene, o nayo thũmbĩ ti ya gũkinyĩra njiarwa na njiarwa.
For a man [has] not strength and power for ever; neither does he transmit it from generation to generation.
25 Nyeki ĩrĩa nyũmũ rĩrĩa yatũgũtwo na nyeki njerũ ĩkunũke-rĩ, nayo ĩrĩa ya irĩma-inĩ yũnganio na ĩinũkio-rĩ,
Take care of the herbage in the field, and you shall cut grass, and gather the mountain hay;
26 hĩndĩ ĩyo tũgondu nĩtũgaatũma ũgĩe na nguo, nacio mbũri itũme ũgĩe na gĩa kũgũra mũgũnda.
that you may have [wool of] sheep for clothing: pay attention to the land, that you may have lambs.
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.
[My] son, you have from me words very useful for your life, and for the life of your servants.