< Thimo 5 >
1 Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria ũũgĩ ũyũ wakwa, tega gũtũ wega ũigue ciugo ciakwa cia ũtaũku,
My son, attend unto my wisdom; to my understanding incline thou thy ear:
2 nĩguo ũtũũrie ũbaarĩrĩri, nayo mĩromo yaku ĩtũũrie ũmenyo.
That thou mayest observe discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 Nĩgũkorwo mĩromo ya mũtumia mũtharia itaataga ũũkĩ, na mĩario yake ĩnyorokete gũkĩra maguta;
For as of fine honey drop the lips of an adulterous woman, and smoother than oil is her palate;
4 no marigĩrĩrio nĩmũrũrũ ta maaĩ ma nyongo, nĩ mũũgĩ ta rũhiũ rwa njora rũrĩa rũũgĩ mbarĩ cierĩ.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, it is sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Magũrũ make maikũrũkaga gĩkuũ-inĩ; makinya make mathiiaga merekeire o mbĩrĩra. (Sheol )
Her feet go down to death, her steps take firm hold on the nether world: (Sheol )
6 Ndeciiragia ũhoro wa njĩra ya muoyo; njĩra ciake nĩ njogomu, nowe ndooĩ ũguo.
So that she cannot balance the path of life; her tracks are unsteady, and she knoweth it not.
7 Atĩrĩrĩ, ariũ akwa, ta thikĩrĩriai; mũtikanatiganĩrie ũrĩa ngũmwĩra.
And now, O ye children, hearken unto me, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
8 Thiiagĩrai njĩra ĩrĩ kũraya nake, mũtigakuhĩrĩrie mũrango wa nyũmba yake,
Remove far from her thy way, and come not nigh to the door of her house;
9 nĩguo mũtikaheane hinya wanyu mwega kũrĩ andũ angĩ, na mĩaka yanyu kũrĩ mũndũ ũtarĩ tha,
That thou mayest not give up unto others thy vigor, and thy years unto the cruel;
10 nĩguo ageni matikehũũnie na ũtonga wanyu, na kĩrĩa ũnogeire gĩtongie mũciĩ wa mũndũ wa kũngĩ.
That strangers may not satisfy themselves with thy strength, and with thy exertions, in the house of an alien:
11 Marigĩrĩrio-inĩ ma muoyo waku nĩũgacaaya, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa nyama cia mwĩrĩ waku na mwĩrĩ waku igaakorwo ithirĩte hinya.
While thou moanest at thy end, when thy flesh and thy body are coming to their end,
12 Ũkoiga atĩrĩ, “Hĩ, kaĩ nĩndathũũrire gũtaarwo-ĩ! Hĩ, kaĩ ngoro yakwa nĩyamenete kũrũithio-ĩ!
And thou sayest, How have I hated correction, and how hath my heart rejected reproof;
13 Ndingĩathĩkĩire arutani akwa, kana thikĩrĩrie ataarani akwa.
While I hearkened not to the voice of my instructors, and to my teachers I inclined not my ear;
14 Nĩnginyĩte hũgũrũrũ-inĩ cia mwanangĩko, ndĩ o gatagatĩ-inĩ ga kĩũngano gĩothe.”
But little more was wanting, and I had been in all [kinds of] unhappiness 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 water out of thy own cistern, and running waters out of thy own well.
16 Nĩ kwagĩrĩire ithima ciaku ciunagĩre maaĩ barabara-inĩ, kana tũrũũĩ twaku tuunagĩre ihaaro-inĩ cia mũingĩ?
So will thy springs overflow abroad; and in the open streets will be thy rivulets of water;
17 Nĩmagĩtũũre marĩ maku wiki, matigatuĩke maku na mũndũ wa kũngĩ o na rĩ.
They will be thy own only, and not those of strangers with thee.
18 Gĩthima gĩaku kĩrorathimwo, nawe ũkenagĩre mũtumia wa ũnini waku.
Thy fountain will be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth, —
19 Athakarĩte ta thwariga ya mũgoma, akaagĩra ta gathiiya ka mũgoma: kĩiganagwo nĩ nyondo ciake hĩndĩ ciothe, ũkenagio nĩ wendo wake hĩndĩ ciothe.
The lovely gazelle and the graceful chamois: let her bosom satisfy thee abundantly at all times; with her love be thou ravished continually.
20 Mũrũ wakwa, nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩtũma ũkenio nĩ mũtumia mũtharia? Nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩtũma ũhĩmbĩrie gĩthũri kĩa mũtumia wa mũndũ ũngĩ?
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with an adulteress, and embrace the bosom of an alien woman?
21 Nĩgũkorwo mĩthiĩre ya mũndũ nĩyonagwo nĩ Jehova, nake nĩatuĩragia njĩra ciake ciothe.
For before the eyes of the Lord are the ways of man, and all his tracks doth he weigh in the balance.
22 Ciĩko njũru cia mũndũ mwaganu nĩcio imũtegaga; nga cia mehia make nĩcio imuohaga, ikamũrũmia biũ.
His own iniquities will truly catch the wicked, and with the cords of his sin will he be held firmly.
23 Mũndũ ũcio nĩagaakua nĩ kwaga ũtaaro, akoora nĩ ũndũ wa ũrimũ wake mũnene.
He will indeed die for want of correction; and through the abundance of his folly will he sink into error.