< Thimo 30 >
1 Ĩno nĩyo mĩario ya Aguri mũrũ wa Jake, na nĩ ndũmĩrĩri nditũ: Mũndũ ũcio eerire Ithieli, akĩĩra Ithieli na Ukali atĩrĩ:
These are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. An oracle. This is what the man says, God, I'm really tired, I'm worn out.
2 “Niĩ ndĩ mũndũ mũriitu gũkĩra andũ arĩa angĩ; ndirĩ na ũtaũku ta wa mũndũ.
I'm so stupid I'm not really a man; I can't even think like a human being.
3 Ndiĩrutĩte kũgĩa na ũũgĩ, o na kana ngamenya Ũrĩa Mũtheru.
I have not learned wisdom; I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
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 gone up to heaven, and come down? Who holds the winds in the palm of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has set the earth's boundaries? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Are you sure you don't know?
5 “Kiugo gĩothe kĩa Ngai gĩtirĩ mahĩtia; nĩwe ngo ya arĩa moragĩra harĩ we.
Every word God says has been proved true. He defends everyone who comes to him for protection.
6 Ndũkanongerere ciugo ciake, ndakae gũkũrũithia wonekane ũrĩ wa maheeni.
Don't add anything to his words, or he will criticize you and you'll be shown to be a liar.
7 “Nĩngũkũhooya maũndũ meerĩ, Wee Jehova; ndũkanarege kũhe mo mbere ya ngue:
God, I want to request two things from you. Please don't refuse to let me have them before I come to die.
8 Atĩrĩrĩ, njehereria maũndũ matarĩ ma ma, na ma maheeni, cindaihĩrĩrie mũno; ningĩ ndũkaahe ũthĩĩni kana ũtonga, no ũũheage irio cia o mũthenya.
Keep me from being false, help me not to tell lies. Don't make me poor or rich; just provide me with the food I need.
9 Ndikaagĩe na indo nyingĩ mũno, ngũkaane, njũũrie atĩrĩ, ‘Jehova nũũ?’ Kana thĩĩne mũno, njiye, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩmenererie rĩĩtwa rĩa Ngai wakwa.
Otherwise if I have plenty of money, I may give up on you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” while if I'm poor I may steal and bring the name of my God into disrepute.
10 “Ndũgacambie ndungata kũrĩ mũnene wayo, ndĩgagĩkũrume, nawe ũrĩhio ũũru ũcio.
Don't slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you and you'll suffer for it.
11 “Nĩ kũrĩ andũ marumaga maithe mao o na matangĩrathima manyina mao;
There are some who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 kũrĩ andũ arĩa meyonaga marĩ atheru maitho-inĩ mao, o rĩrĩa matathambĩtio gĩko kĩao;
There are some who see themselves as pure but they're still filthy—they have not been washed.
13 nĩ arĩa marĩ maitho ma mwĩtĩĩo, o arĩa maroraga andũ manyiira;
There are some who think themselves so high and mighty, and who look down on others.
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 are some who have teeth like swords, incisors like knives, ready to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from society.
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 cry out, “Give me! Give me!” There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, “Enough!”:
16 Nacio nĩ mbĩrĩra, na nda thaata, na thĩ tondũ ndĩrĩ hĩndĩ ĩiganagia maaĩ, na mwaki tondũ ndũrĩ hĩndĩ uugaga, ‘Nĩndaigania!’ (Sheol )
The grave, the womb that doesn't become pregnant, the earth thirsty for water, and the fire that 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.
People who ridicule their fathers and despise obedience to the mother will have their eyes pecked out by wild ravens and eaten by young vultures.
18 “Kũrĩ maũndũ matatũ mangegagia mũno makĩria, o na nĩ mana marĩa niĩ itakuũkagĩrwo nĩmo:
These three things are amazingly hard for me, four things I just can't understand:
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 an eagle soars in the sky, the way a snake slides over a rock, the way a ship sails across the sea, the way a man and a woman fall in love.
20 “Ũyũ nĩguo mũthiĩre wa mũndũ-wa-nja mũtharia: Arĩĩaga na akehuura mĩromo, akoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Ndirĩ ũndũ mũũru njĩkĩte.’
This is the way of a woman who commits adultery: she eats, she wipes her mouth, and then says, “I haven't done anything wrong!”
21 “Kũrĩ maũndũ matatũ matũmaga thĩ ĩthingithe, o na nĩ mana ĩtangĩĩtiiria:
Three things make the earth tremble, there are four things it can't support:
22 namo nĩ ndungata ĩtuĩkĩte mũthamaki, na mũndũ mũkĩĩgu ahũũnĩte irio,
a slave becoming a king, a stupid person eating like a pig,
23 na mũndũ-wa-nja ũtangĩendeka ahikĩte, na ndungata ya mũirĩtu ĩtuĩkĩte mũtumia wa mũthuuri wa mũmĩathi.
an unbearable woman getting married, and a maidservant taking her mistress's place.
24 “Nĩ kũrĩ nyamũ inya nini gũkũ thĩ, no nĩ njũgĩ mũno:
There are four things on earth that are small, but very wise:
25 Thigiriri-rĩ, nĩ ciũmbe itarĩ hinya, no nĩciĩigagĩra mũthiithũ wa irio hĩndĩ ya riũa;
Ants—they're not strong, but they work hard all summer storing up food.
26 ikami nĩ ciũmbe itarĩ ũhoti, no nĩciĩthondekagĩra ciikaro ciacio ndwaro-inĩ cia mahiga;
Hyraxes—they don't have much power, but they make their homes in the rock.
27 ngigĩ itirĩ mũthamaki wacio, no nĩitwaranaga hamwe irĩ mbũtũ;
Locusts—they don't have a king, but they all march in line abreast.
28 njagathi no inyiitwo na rũhĩ, no ĩtũũraga thĩinĩ wa nyũmba cia athamaki.
Lizards—you can catch them in your hands, but they live in the king's palace.
29 “Kũrĩ indo ithatũ irĩ mũkinyũkĩrie mũgaacĩru, o na nĩ inya ngaacĩru rĩrĩa igũthiĩ:
There are three things that are glorious to watch as they walk, four that look dignified as they move:
30 nĩ mũrũũthi, arĩ guo ũrĩ hinya mũno gatagatĩ ka nyamũ iria ingĩ ciothe, na ndũngĩeherera nyamũ ĩrĩkũ kana ĩrĩkũ njĩra;
The lion, supreme among wild animals, who isn't frightened of anything.
31 nĩ njamba ya ngũkũ ĩrĩa ĩkinyũkagia na nguthi, na thenge, na mũthamaki mũthiũrũrũkĩrie nĩ mbũtũ ciake cia ita.
The strutting starling, the male goat, and a king with his army.
32 “Angĩkorwo nĩwĩtuĩte mũndũ mũkĩĩgu, na ũgetũũgĩria, kana ũkorwo nĩũthugundĩte gwĩka ũũru-rĩ, humbĩra kanua gaku na rũhĩ!
If you have been foolishly boasting about yourself, or if you've been planning to do something wrong, stop and put your hand over your 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.”
Just as churning milk produces butter, and twisting someone's nose makes it bleed, so stirring up anger causes arguments.