< Thimo 30 >
1 Ĩno nĩyo mĩario ya Aguri mũrũ wa Jake, na nĩ ndũmĩrĩri nditũ: Mũndũ ũcio eerire Ithieli, akĩĩra Ithieli na Ukali atĩrĩ:
The words of the Gatherer, the son of the Vomiter. The vision that the man spoke. God is with him, and he, being strengthened by God and abiding with him, said:
2 “Niĩ ndĩ mũndũ mũriitu gũkĩra andũ arĩa angĩ; ndirĩ na ũtaũku ta wa mũndũ.
“I am the most foolish among men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
3 Ndiĩrutĩte kũgĩa na ũũgĩ, o na kana ngamenya Ũrĩa Mũtheru.
I have not learned wisdom, and I have not known the knowledge of sanctity.
4 Nũũ wanambata igũrũ na agacooka agaikũrũka gũkũ thĩ? Nũũ wanacookereria rũhuho ngundi-inĩ ciake? Maaĩ namo-rĩ, nũũ ũrĩ wamoohania na nguo yake ya igũrũ? Nũũ wahaandire ituri ciothe cia thĩ? Etagwo atĩa, nake mũriũ etagwo atĩa? Akorwo nĩũũĩ-rĩ, ndũkĩnjĩĩre!
Who has ascended to heaven and also descended? Who has grasped the wind in his hands? Who has tied the waters together, as with a garment? Who has raised all the limits of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son, if you know?
5 “Kiugo gĩothe kĩa Ngai gĩtirĩ mahĩtia; nĩwe ngo ya arĩa moragĩra harĩ we.
Every word of God is fire-tested. He is a bronze shield to those who hope in him.
6 Ndũkanongerere ciugo ciake, ndakae gũkũrũithia wonekane ũrĩ wa maheeni.
Do not add anything to his words, lest you be reproved and be discovered to be a liar.
7 “Nĩngũkũhooya maũndũ meerĩ, Wee Jehova; ndũkanarege kũhe mo mbere ya ngue:
Two things I have asked of you; do not deny them to me before I die.
8 Atĩrĩrĩ, njehereria maũndũ matarĩ ma ma, na ma maheeni, cindaihĩrĩrie mũno; ningĩ ndũkaahe ũthĩĩni kana ũtonga, no ũũheage irio cia o mũthenya.
Remove, far from me, vanity and lying words. Give me neither begging, nor wealth. Apportion to me only the necessities of my life,
9 Ndikaagĩe na indo nyingĩ mũno, ngũkaane, njũũrie atĩrĩ, ‘Jehova nũũ?’ Kana thĩĩne mũno, njiye, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩmenererie rĩĩtwa rĩa Ngai wakwa.
lest perhaps, being filled, I might be enticed into denial, and say: ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or, being compelled by destitution, I might steal, and then perjure myself in the name of my God.
10 “Ndũgacambie ndungata kũrĩ mũnene wayo, ndĩgagĩkũrume, nawe ũrĩhio ũũru ũcio.
Do not accuse a servant to his lord, lest he curse you, and you fall.
11 “Nĩ kũrĩ andũ marumaga maithe mao o na matangĩrathima manyina mao;
There is a generation which curses their father, and which does not bless their mother.
12 kũrĩ andũ arĩa meyonaga marĩ atheru maitho-inĩ mao, o rĩrĩa matathambĩtio gĩko kĩao;
There is a generation which seems pure to themselves, and yet they are not even washed from their filthiness.
13 nĩ arĩa marĩ maitho ma mwĩtĩĩo, o arĩa maroraga andũ manyiira;
There is a generation, whose eyes have been elevated, and their eyelids are lifted on high.
14 nĩo arĩa magego mao mahaana ta hiũ cia njora, na ngambucu ciao ihaana ta tũhiũ twa gũtambuura arĩa athĩĩni, mahuke thĩ, na arĩa abatari, mathire andũ-inĩ.
There is a generation which has swords in place of teeth, and which commands their molars to devour the indigent from the earth and the poor from among men.
15 “Thambara ĩrĩ airĩtu eerĩ. Matitigithagĩria kuuga, ‘Tũhei! Tũhei!’ “Kũrĩ indo ithatũ itarĩ hĩndĩ ihũũnaga, o na nĩ inya itarĩ hĩndĩ ingiuga, ‘Nĩndaigania!’
The leech has two daughters, who say, ‘Bring, bring.’ Three things are insatiable, and a fourth never says ‘Enough’:
16 Nacio nĩ mbĩrĩra, na nda thaata, na thĩ tondũ ndĩrĩ hĩndĩ ĩiganagia maaĩ, na mwaki tondũ ndũrĩ hĩndĩ uugaga, ‘Nĩndaigania!’ (Sheol )
Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and a land that is not filled with water. And truly, fire never says, ‘Enough.’ (Sheol )
17 “Riitho rĩa mũndũ ũrĩa ũnyũrũragia ithe, na akarurũka kũiguaga nyina, rĩgaakũũrwo nĩ mahuru ma kĩanda-inĩ, na rĩkaarĩĩo nĩ nderi.
The eye of one who mocks his father and who despises the childbearing of his mother, let the ravens of the torrent tear it out, and let the sons of the eagles consume it.
18 “Kũrĩ maũndũ matatũ mangegagia mũno makĩria, o na nĩ mana marĩa niĩ itakuũkagĩrwo nĩmo:
Three things are difficult for me, and about a fourth, I am nearly ignorant:
19 namo nĩ mũthiĩre wa nderi rĩera-inĩ, na mũthiĩre wa nyoka rwaro-inĩ rwa ihiga, na mũthiĩre wa marikabu ĩrĩ iria-inĩ gatagatĩ, na mũthiĩre wa mũndũ makĩendana na mũirĩtu.
the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man in adolescence.
20 “Ũyũ nĩguo mũthiĩre wa mũndũ-wa-nja mũtharia: Arĩĩaga na akehuura mĩromo, akoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Ndirĩ ũndũ mũũru njĩkĩte.’
Such is the way also of an adulterous woman, who eats, and wiping her mouth, says: “I have done no evil.”
21 “Kũrĩ maũndũ matatũ matũmaga thĩ ĩthingithe, o na nĩ mana ĩtangĩĩtiiria:
By three things, the earth is moved, and a fourth it is not able to sustain:
22 namo nĩ ndungata ĩtuĩkĩte mũthamaki, na mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ahũũnĩte irio,
by a slave when he reigns, by the foolish when he has been filled with food,
23 na mũndũ-wa-nja ũtangĩendeka ahikĩte, na ndungata ya mũirĩtu ĩtuĩkĩte mũtumia wa mũthuuri wa mũmĩathi.
by a hateful woman when she has been taken in matrimony, and by a handmaid when she has been heir to her mistress.
24 “Nĩ kũrĩ nyamũ inya nini gũkũ thĩ, no nĩ njũgĩ mũno:
Four things are least upon the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
25 Thigiriri-rĩ, nĩ ciũmbe itarĩ hinya, no nĩciĩigagĩra mũthiithũ wa irio hĩndĩ ya riũa;
the ants, an infirm people who provide food for themselves at the harvest,
26 ikami nĩ ciũmbe itarĩ ũhoti, no nĩciĩthondekagĩra ciikaro ciacio ndwaro-inĩ cia mahiga;
the rabbit, a sickened people who make their bed upon the rock.
27 ngigĩ itirĩ mũthamaki wacio, no nĩitwaranaga hamwe irĩ mbũtũ;
The locust has no king, but they all depart by their troops.
28 njagathi no inyiitwo na rũhĩ, no ĩtũũraga thĩinĩ wa nyũmba cia athamaki.
The lizard supports itself on hands and dwells in the buildings of kings.
29 “Kũrĩ indo ithatũ irĩ mũkinyũkĩrie mũgaacĩru, o na nĩ inya ngaacĩru rĩrĩa igũthiĩ:
There are three things that advance well, and a fourth that marches happily on:
30 nĩ mũrũũthi, arĩ guo ũrĩ hinya mũno gatagatĩ ka nyamũ iria ingĩ ciothe, na ndũngĩeherera nyamũ ĩrĩkũ kana ĩrĩkũ njĩra;
a lion, the strongest of beasts, who fears nothing that he meets,
31 nĩ njamba ya ngũkũ ĩrĩa ĩkinyũkagia na nguthi, na thenge, na mũthamaki mũthiũrũrũkĩrie nĩ mbũtũ ciake cia ita.
a rooster prepared at the loins, likewise a ram, and a king, whom none can resist.
32 “Angĩkorwo nĩwĩtuĩte mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, na ũgetũũgĩria, kana ũkorwo nĩũthugundĩte gwĩka ũũru-rĩ, humbĩra kanua gaku na rũhĩ!
There is one who has appeared foolish, after he was lifted up on high; for if he had understood, he would have placed his hand over his mouth.
33 Nĩgũkorwo o ta ũrĩa iria rĩthũcagwo, rĩkoima thiagĩ, na o ta ũrĩa iniũrũ rĩthioragwo rĩkoira thakame-rĩ, ũguo noguo gũthogotha marakara kũrehaga ngũĩ.”
But whoever strongly squeezes the udder to bring out the milk, presses out butter. And whoever violently blows his nose, brings out blood. And whoever provokes wrath, brings forth discord.”