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 that you may know prudence.
2 Tondũ ngũmũhe ũrutani mwega, nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũtigatirike ũrutani wakwa.
I will give you a good gift, forsake 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 my father’s son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:
4 baba nĩandutire, akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Wĩgwatĩre ciugo ciakwa na ngoro yaku yothe; rũmia maathani makwa, na nĩũgũtũũra muoyo.
And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
5 Gĩa na ũũgĩ, gĩa na kũmenya maũndũ; ndũkanariganĩrwo nĩ ciugo ciakwa, kana wahũke kuuma harĩ cio.
Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Ndũkanatirike ũũgĩ, naguo nĩũrĩkũgitagĩra;
Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.
7 Ũũgĩ ũkĩrĩte indo ciothe; nĩ ũndũ ũcio wĩgĩĩre na ũũgĩ. Ĩĩ, kaba kũruta indo ciaku ciothe wĩgĩĩre na kũmenya maũndũ.
The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
8 Tũũgagĩria ũũgĩ mũno, naguo nĩũrĩkwambararagia; ũhĩmbagĩrie, naguo nĩũrĩgũtĩĩithagia.
Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.
9 Nĩũgagwĩkĩra ithaga rĩa ũtugi mũtwe waku, na ũkũhe thũmbĩ thaka mũno.”
She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.
10 Thikĩrĩria, wee mũrũ wakwa, na wĩtĩkĩre ũrĩa ngũkwĩra, nĩgeetha mĩaka ya muoyo waku ĩingĩhe.
Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.
11 Nguonetie njĩra ya ũũgĩ, na ngagũtongoria njĩra-inĩ iria nũngarũ.
I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:
12 Rĩrĩa ũgũthiĩ, makinya maku matikahĩngĩcwo; rĩrĩa ũkũhanyũka-rĩ, ndũkahĩngwo.
Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
13 Rũmia ũrutani wakwa, na ndũkanareke ũkweherere; ũgitagĩre wega, nĩgũkorwo nĩguo muoyo waku.
Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.
14 Ndũkanagerere njĩra ya andũ arĩa aaganu, kana ũthiĩre njĩra ya andũ arĩa ooru.
Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
15 Mĩĩtheemage, na ndũkanamĩgerere; mĩhutatĩre, na wĩthiĩre na njĩra yaku.
Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.
16 Nĩgũkorwo andũ arĩa aaganu matingĩkoma nginya meeke ũũru; mooragwo nĩ toro nginya matũme mũndũ ahĩngwo, agwe.
For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.
17 Marĩĩaga irio iria monete na ũmaramari, na makanyua ndibei matunyanĩte na hinya.
They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.
18 Mĩthiĩre ya andũ arĩa athingu ĩhaana ta ũtheri wa gũgĩkĩa, ũrĩa ũthiiaga ũgĩthererũkaga nginya mũthenya barigici.
But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.
19 No mĩthiĩre ya andũ arĩa aaganu ĩhaana ta nduma ndumanu; o matimenyaga kĩrĩa kĩamahĩnga.
The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
20 Mũrũ wakwa, ta thikĩrĩria ũrĩa ngũkwĩra; tega gũtũ ũigue ciugo ciakwa.
My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.
21 Ndũkanareke ciehere maitho-inĩ maku, ciigage ngoro-inĩ yaku;
Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy 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 flesh.
23 Makĩria ya macio mothe, rangagĩra ngoro yaku, nĩgũkorwo nĩyo gĩthima kĩrĩa gĩtherũkaga muoyo.
With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.
24 Eheria rũnano kanua-inĩ gaku; nacio ndeto cia ũmaramari-rĩ, nĩciikare kũraya na iromo ciaku.
Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.
25 Maitho maku nĩmarorage na mbere, ũcũthagĩrĩrie mbere yaku wega.
Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.
26 Aragania njĩra iria magũrũ maku marĩthiiagĩra, na ũthiiagĩre o njĩra iria ngiindĩrĩku.
Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
27 Ndũkanaahũke na mwena wa ũrĩo kana wa ũmotho; eheria kũgũrũ gwaku kuuma ũũru-inĩ.
Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.
