Thimo 4
1 Atĩrĩrĩ, inyuĩ ariũ akwa, ta thikĩrĩriai ũrũtani wa thoguo; njiguai nĩguo mwĩgĩĩre na kũmenya maũndũ.
Listen, sons, to a father's instruction, and pay attention so you will know what understanding is.
2 Tondũ ngũmũhe ũrutani mwega, nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũtigatirike ũrutani wakwa.
I am giving you good instructions; do not forsake my teaching.
3 Rĩrĩa ndaarĩ mwana nyũmba-inĩ ya baba, ndĩ o mũndũ mwĩthĩ, na ndĩ mwana wa mũmwe wa maitũ-rĩ,
When I was a son of my father, the tender and only child of my mother,
4 baba nĩandutire, akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Wĩgwatĩre ciugo ciakwa na ngoro yaku yothe; rũmia maathani makwa, na nĩũgũtũũra muoyo.
he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast to my words; keep my commands and live.
5 Gĩa na ũũgĩ, gĩa na kũmenya maũndũ; ndũkanariganĩrwo nĩ ciugo ciakwa, kana wahũke kuuma harĩ cio.
Acquire wisdom and understanding; do not forget and do not reject the words of my mouth;
6 Ndũkanatirike ũũgĩ, naguo nĩũrĩkũgitagĩra;
do not abandon wisdom and she will watch over you; love her and she will keep you safe.
7 Ũũgĩ ũkĩrĩte indo ciothe; nĩ ũndũ ũcio wĩgĩĩre na ũũgĩ. Ĩĩ, kaba kũruta indo ciaku ciothe wĩgĩĩre na kũmenya maũndũ.
Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom and spend all you own so you can get understanding.
8 Tũũgagĩria ũũgĩ mũno, naguo nĩũrĩkwambararagia; ũhĩmbagĩrie, naguo nĩũrĩgũtĩĩithagia.
Cherish wisdom and she will exalt you; she will honor you when you embrace her.
9 Nĩũgagwĩkĩra ithaga rĩa ũtugi mũtwe waku, na ũkũhe thũmbĩ thaka mũno.”
She will put a wreath of honor on your head; she will give you a beautiful crown.”
10 Thikĩrĩria, wee mũrũ wakwa, na wĩtĩkĩre ũrĩa ngũkwĩra, nĩgeetha mĩaka ya muoyo waku ĩingĩhe.
Listen, my son, and pay attention to my words, and you will have many years in your life.
11 Nguonetie njĩra ya ũũgĩ, na ngagũtongoria njĩra-inĩ iria nũngarũ.
I direct you in the way of wisdom; I lead you down straight paths.
12 Rĩrĩa ũgũthiĩ, makinya maku matikahĩngĩcwo; rĩrĩa ũkũhanyũka-rĩ, ndũkahĩngwo.
When you walk, no one will stand in your way and if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Rũmia ũrutani wakwa, na ndũkanareke ũkweherere; ũgitagĩre wega, nĩgũkorwo nĩguo muoyo waku.
Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it, for it is your life.
14 Ndũkanagerere njĩra ya andũ arĩa aaganu, kana ũthiĩre njĩra ya andũ arĩa ooru.
Do not follow the path of the wicked and do not go along the way of those who do evil.
15 Mĩĩtheemage, na ndũkanamĩgerere; mĩhutatĩre, na wĩthiĩre na njĩra yaku.
Avoid it, do not go on it; turn away from it and go another way.
16 Nĩgũkorwo andũ arĩa aaganu matingĩkoma nginya meeke ũũru; mooragwo nĩ toro nginya matũme mũndũ ahĩngwo, agwe.
For they cannot sleep until they do evil and they are robbed of sleep until they cause someone to stumble.
17 Marĩĩaga irio iria monete na ũmaramari, na makanyua ndibei matunyanĩte na hinya.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 Mĩthiĩre ya andũ arĩa athingu ĩhaana ta ũtheri wa gũgĩkĩa, ũrĩa ũthiiaga ũgĩthererũkaga nginya mũthenya barigici.
But the path of righteous people is like the first light that grows brighter; it shines more and more until the fullness of the day comes.
19 No mĩthiĩre ya andũ arĩa aaganu ĩhaana ta nduma ndumanu; o matimenyaga kĩrĩa kĩamahĩnga.
The way of the wicked is like darkness— they do not know what it is they stumble over.
20 Mũrũ wakwa, ta thikĩrĩria ũrĩa ngũkwĩra; tega gũtũ ũigue ciugo ciakwa.
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Ndũkanareke ciehere maitho-inĩ maku, ciigage ngoro-inĩ yaku;
Do not let them turn away from your eyes; keep them in your heart.
22 nĩgũkorwo nĩcio itũũragia arĩa maciĩgwatĩire muoyo, na igekĩra mwĩrĩ wao wothe ũgima.
For my words are life to those who find them and health to their whole body.
23 Makĩria ya macio mothe, rangagĩra ngoro yaku, nĩgũkorwo nĩyo gĩthima kĩrĩa gĩtherũkaga muoyo.
Keep your heart safe and guard it with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Eheria rũnano kanua-inĩ gaku; nacio ndeto cia ũmaramari-rĩ, nĩciikare kũraya na iromo ciaku.
Put crooked speech away from you and put corrupt talk far from you.
25 Maitho maku nĩmarorage na mbere, ũcũthagĩrĩrie mbere yaku wega.
Let your eyes look straight ahead and fix your gaze straight before you.
26 Aragania njĩra iria magũrũ maku marĩthiiagĩra, na ũthiiagĩre o njĩra iria ngiindĩrĩku.
Make a level path for your foot; then all your ways will be secure.
27 Ndũkanaahũke na mwena wa ũrĩo kana wa ũmotho; eheria kũgũrũ gwaku kuuma ũũru-inĩ.
Do not turn aside to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
