Thimo 4
1 Atĩrĩrĩ, inyuĩ ariũ akwa, ta thikĩrĩriai ũrũtani wa thoguo; njiguai nĩguo mwĩgĩĩre na kũmenya maũndũ.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 Tondũ ngũmũhe ũrutani mwega, nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũtigatirike ũrutani wakwa.
For I give you a good gift; forsake ye not my law.
3 Rĩrĩa ndaarĩ mwana nyũmba-inĩ ya baba, ndĩ o mũndũ mwĩthĩ, na ndĩ mwana wa mũmwe wa maitũ-rĩ,
For I also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved in the sight of [my] mother:
4 baba nĩandutire, akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Wĩgwatĩre ciugo ciakwa na ngoro yaku yothe; rũmia maathani makwa, na nĩũgũtũũra muoyo.
who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in thine heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:
5 Gĩa na ũũgĩ, gĩa na kũmenya maũndũ; ndũkanariganĩrwo nĩ ciugo ciakwa, kana wahũke kuuma harĩ cio.
and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.
6 Ndũkanatirike ũũgĩ, naguo nĩũrĩkũgitagĩra;
And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to thee: love it, and it shall keep thee.
7 Ũũgĩ ũkĩrĩte indo ciothe; nĩ ũndũ ũcio wĩgĩĩre na ũũgĩ. Ĩĩ, kaba kũruta indo ciaku ciothe wĩgĩĩre na kũmenya maũndũ.
8 Tũũgagĩria ũũgĩ mũno, naguo nĩũrĩkwambararagia; ũhĩmbagĩrie, naguo nĩũrĩgũtĩĩithagia.
Secure it, and it shall exalt thee: honour it, that it may embrace thee;
9 Nĩũgagwĩkĩra ithaga rĩa ũtugi mũtwe waku, na ũkũhe thũmbĩ thaka mũno.”
that it may give unto thy head a crown of graces, and may cover thee with a crown of delight.
10 Thikĩrĩria, wee mũrũ wakwa, na wĩtĩkĩre ũrĩa ngũkwĩra, nĩgeetha mĩaka ya muoyo waku ĩingĩhe.
Hear, [my] son, and receive my words; and the years of thy life shall be increased, that the resources of thy life may be many.
11 Nguonetie njĩra ya ũũgĩ, na ngagũtongoria njĩra-inĩ iria nũngarũ.
For I teach thee the ways of wisdom; and I cause thee to go in right paths.
12 Rĩrĩa ũgũthiĩ, makinya maku matikahĩngĩcwo; rĩrĩa ũkũhanyũka-rĩ, ndũkahĩngwo.
For when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not be distressed.
13 Rũmia ũrutani wakwa, na ndũkanareke ũkweherere; ũgitagĩre wega, nĩgũkorwo nĩguo muoyo waku.
Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for thyself for thy life.
14 Ndũkanagerere njĩra ya andũ arĩa aaganu, kana ũthiĩre njĩra ya andũ arĩa ooru.
Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
15 Mĩĩtheemage, na ndũkanamĩgerere; mĩhutatĩre, na wĩthiĩre na njĩra yaku.
In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not thither; but turn from them, and pass away.
16 Nĩgũkorwo andũ arĩa aaganu matingĩkoma nginya meeke ũũru; mooragwo nĩ toro nginya matũme mũndũ ahĩngwo, agwe.
For they cannot sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.
17 Marĩĩaga irio iria monete na ũmaramari, na makanyua ndibei matunyanĩte na hinya.
For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.
18 Mĩthiĩre ya andũ arĩa athingu ĩhaana ta ũtheri wa gũgĩkĩa, ũrĩa ũthiiaga ũgĩthererũkaga nginya mũthenya barigici.
But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.
19 No mĩthiĩre ya andũ arĩa aaganu ĩhaana ta nduma ndumanu; o matimenyaga kĩrĩa kĩamahĩnga.
But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.
20 Mũrũ wakwa, ta thikĩrĩria ũrĩa ngũkwĩra; tega gũtũ ũigue ciugo ciakwa.
[My] son, attend to my speech; and apply thine ear to my words:
21 Ndũkanareke ciehere maitho-inĩ maku, ciigage ngoro-inĩ yaku;
that thy fountains may not fail thee; keep them in [thine] heart.
22 nĩgũkorwo nĩcio itũũragia arĩa maciĩgwatĩire muoyo, na igekĩra mwĩrĩ wao wothe ũgima.
For they are life to those that find them, and health to all [their] flesh.
23 Makĩria ya macio mothe, rangagĩra ngoro yaku, nĩgũkorwo nĩyo gĩthima kĩrĩa gĩtherũkaga muoyo.
Keep thine heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.
24 Eheria rũnano kanua-inĩ gaku; nacio ndeto cia ũmaramari-rĩ, nĩciikare kũraya na iromo ciaku.
Remove from thee a froward mouth, and put far away from thee unjust lips.
25 Maitho maku nĩmarorage na mbere, ũcũthagĩrĩrie mbere yaku wega.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids assent [to] just [things].
26 Aragania njĩra iria magũrũ maku marĩthiiagĩra, na ũthiiagĩre o njĩra iria ngiindĩrĩku.
Make straight paths for thy feet, and order thy ways aright.
27 Ndũkanaahũke na mwena wa ũrĩo kana wa ũmotho; eheria kũgũrũ gwaku kuuma ũũru-inĩ.
Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away thy foot from an evil way.
