< Thimo 5 >
1 Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria ũũgĩ ũyũ wakwa, tega gũtũ wega ũigue ciugo ciakwa cia ũtaũku,
[My] son, attend to my wisdom, and apply your ear to my words;
2 nĩguo ũtũũrie ũbaarĩrĩri, nayo mĩromo yaku ĩtũũrie ũmenyo.
that you may keep good understanding, and the discretion of my lips gives you a charge. Give no heed to a worthless woman;
3 Nĩgũkorwo mĩromo ya mũtumia mũtharia itaataga ũũkĩ, na mĩario yake ĩnyorokete gũkĩra maguta;
for honey drops from the lips of a harlot, who for a season pleases your palate:
4 no marigĩrĩrio nĩmũrũrũ ta maaĩ ma nyongo, nĩ mũũgĩ ta rũhiũ rwa njora rũrĩa rũũgĩ mbarĩ cierĩ.
but afterwards you will find her more bitter than gall, and sharper than a two-edged sword.
5 Magũrũ make maikũrũkaga gĩkuũ-inĩ; makinya make mathiiaga merekeire o mbĩrĩra. (Sheol )
For the feet of folly lead those who deal with her down to the grave with death; and her steps are not established. (Sheol )
6 Ndeciiragia ũhoro wa njĩra ya muoyo; njĩra ciake nĩ njogomu, nowe ndooĩ ũguo.
For she goes not upon the paths of life; but her ways are slippery, and not easily known.
7 Atĩrĩrĩ, ariũ akwa, ta thikĩrĩriai; mũtikanatiganĩrie ũrĩa ngũmwĩra.
Now then, [my] son, hear me, and make not my words of none effect.
8 Thiiagĩrai njĩra ĩrĩ kũraya nake, mũtigakuhĩrĩrie mũrango wa nyũmba yake,
Remove your way far from her; draw not near to the doors of her house:
9 nĩguo mũtikaheane hinya wanyu mwega kũrĩ andũ angĩ, na mĩaka yanyu kũrĩ mũndũ ũtarĩ tha,
lest you give away your life to others, and your substance to the merciless:
10 nĩguo ageni matikehũũnie na ũtonga wanyu, na kĩrĩa ũnogeire gĩtongie mũciĩ wa mũndũ wa kũngĩ.
lest strangers be filled with your strength, and your labors come into the houses of strangers;
11 Marigĩrĩrio-inĩ ma muoyo waku nĩũgacaaya, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa nyama cia mwĩrĩ waku na mwĩrĩ waku igaakorwo ithirĩte hinya.
And you repent at last, when the flesh of your body is consumed,
12 Ũkoiga atĩrĩ, “Hĩ, kaĩ nĩndathũũrire gũtaarwo-ĩ! Hĩ, kaĩ ngoro yakwa nĩyamenete kũrũithio-ĩ!
and you shall say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart avoided reproofs!
13 Ndingĩathĩkĩire arutani akwa, kana thikĩrĩrie ataarani akwa.
I heard not the voice of him that instructed me, and taught me, neither did I apply mine ear.
14 Nĩnginyĩte hũgũrũrũ-inĩ cia mwanangĩko, ndĩ o gatagatĩ-inĩ ga kĩũngano gĩothe.”
I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
15 Atĩrĩrĩ, nyuuaga maaĩ ma itangi rĩaku we mwene, maaĩ marĩa mathereraga moimĩte gĩthima-inĩ gĩaku mwene.
Drink waters out of your own vessels, and out of your own springing wells.
16 Nĩ kwagĩrĩire ithima ciaku ciunagĩre maaĩ barabara-inĩ, kana tũrũũĩ twaku tuunagĩre ihaaro-inĩ cia mũingĩ?
Let not waters out of your fountain be spilt by you, but let your waters go into your streets.
17 Nĩmagĩtũũre marĩ maku wiki, matigatuĩke maku na mũndũ wa kũngĩ o na rĩ.
Let them be only your own, and let no stranger partake with you.
18 Gĩthima gĩaku kĩrorathimwo, nawe ũkenagĩre mũtumia wa ũnini waku.
Let your fountain of water be [truly] your own; and rejoice with the wife of your youth.
19 Athakarĩte ta thwariga ya mũgoma, akaagĩra ta gathiiya ka mũgoma: kĩiganagwo nĩ nyondo ciake hĩndĩ ciothe, ũkenagio nĩ wendo wake hĩndĩ ciothe.
Let [your] loving hart and your graceful colt company with you, and let her be considered your own, and be with you at all times; for ravished with her love you shall be greatly increased.
20 Mũrũ wakwa, nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩtũma ũkenio nĩ mũtumia mũtharia? Nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩtũma ũhĩmbĩrie gĩthũri kĩa mũtumia wa mũndũ ũngĩ?
Be not intimate with a strange woman, neither fold yourself in the arms of a woman not your own.
21 Nĩgũkorwo mĩthiĩre ya mũndũ nĩyonagwo nĩ Jehova, nake nĩatuĩragia njĩra ciake ciothe.
For the ways of a man are before the eyes of God, and he looks on all his paths.
22 Ciĩko njũru cia mũndũ mwaganu nĩcio imũtegaga; nga cia mehia make nĩcio imuohaga, ikamũrũmia biũ.
Iniquities ensnare a man, and every one is bound in the chains of his own sins.
23 Mũndũ ũcio nĩagaakua nĩ kwaga ũtaaro, akoora nĩ ũndũ wa ũrimũ wake mũnene.
Such a man dies with the uninstructed; and he is cast forth from the abundance of his own substance, and has perished through folly.