< Thimo 6 >

1 Mũrũ wakwa, ũngĩkorwo ũigĩte kĩndũ gĩa kũrũgamĩrĩra thiirĩ wa mũndũ wa itũũra rĩaku, ũkorwo atĩ nĩwe ũtuĩkĩte wa kũmũrĩhĩra thiirĩ harĩ mũndũ ũngĩ-rĩ,
My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,
2 ũngĩkorwo ũtegeetwo nĩ ũrĩa uugĩte, ũkagwatithio nĩ ciugo cia kanua gaku-rĩ,
You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.
3 gĩĩke atĩrĩ, mũrũ wakwa, nĩguo wĩteithũre, kuona atĩ nĩũgwĩte moko-inĩ ma mũndũ wa itũũra rĩaku: Thiĩ wĩnyiihie wee mwene; mũthaithe mũno akuohere.
Do this, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour.
4 Ndũkareke maitho maku mone toro, kana ũreke imone ciaku icũnge.
Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;
5 Wĩteithũre o ta ũrĩa thwariga ĩĩteithũraga kuuma moko-inĩ ma mũguĩmi, o na kana ta ũrĩa nyoni ĩĩteithũraga kuuma mũtego-inĩ wa mũtegi.
Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her.
6 Thiĩ harĩ thigiriri, wee kĩgũũta gĩkĩ; ũcũũranie mĩtugo yayo nĩguo ũũhĩge!
Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:
7 Ndĩrĩ mũnene, kana mũmĩrũgamĩrĩri, o na kana mũmĩathi,
Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 no nĩĩigagĩra mũthiithũ wa irio hĩndĩ ya riũa, na ĩgacookanĩrĩria irio ciayo hĩndĩ ya magetha.
She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.
9 Ũgũkoma hau nginya-rĩ, wee kĩgũũta gĩkĩ? Ũrĩũkĩra rĩ, ũtige toro waku?
How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?
10 Komakoma gatoro kanini, na ũcũngacũnge hanini, na ũkũnje moko hanini nĩguo ũhurũke;
A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
11 atĩrĩ, ũthĩĩni ũgaagũkorerera ta mũitũ, ũkorererwo nĩ wagi ũhaana ta mũndũ wĩohete indo cia mbaara.
Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man
12 Mũndũ kĩmaramari na mwaganu-rĩ, ũrĩa ũthiiaga akĩaragia ndeto itarĩ nũngĩrĩru,
A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;
13 ũcio uunagĩra andũ riitho, na akaheenereria andũ na makinya make, o na akaheneria andũ na ciara ciake-rĩ,
Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;
14 ũcio ũthugundaga ũũru arĩ na maheeni ngoro-inĩ yake: ũcio hĩndĩ ciothe ahuraga maũndũ ma nyamũkano.
His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.
15 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũtino ũkaamũhubanĩria o rĩmwe aterĩgĩrĩire; mwanangĩko ũtarĩ kĩhonia nĩũkamũniina biũ.
For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.
16 Kũrĩ maũndũ matandatũ mathũirwo nĩ Jehova, ĩĩ, o na nĩ mũgwanja marĩa onaga marĩ magigi, nĩmo:
Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:
17 maitho ma mwĩtĩĩo, na rũrĩmĩ rũrĩa rũheenanagia, na moko marĩa maitaga thakame ya andũ matehĩtie,
Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;
18 na ngoro ĩrĩa ĩthugundaga maũndũ ma waganu, na magũrũ marĩa matengʼeraga gũthiĩ gwĩka ũũru,
A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;
19 na mũira ũtarĩ wa ma ũrĩa ũthothoraga ndeto cia maheeni, o na mũndũ ũrĩa ũrehaga nyamũkano gatagatĩ ka andũ a nyina ũmwe.
A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers.
20 Mũrũ wakwa, tũũra ũrũmĩtie maathani ma thoguo, na ndũgatirike ũrutani wa maitũguo.
My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:
21 Moherere ngoro-inĩ yaku nginya tene; makundĩke marigiicĩrie ngingo yaku.
Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.
22 Rĩrĩa ũgũthiĩ-rĩ, nĩmarĩgũtongoragia; wakoma-rĩ, nĩmarĩkũmenyagĩrĩra; na rĩrĩa warahũka-rĩ, nĩmarĩkwaragĩria.
In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have talk with you.
23 Nĩgũkorwo maathani maya nĩ tawa, na ũrutani ũyũ nĩ ũtheri, namo mataaro ma kũrũnga mũndũ-rĩ, nĩmo njĩra ya muoyo,
For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life.
24 magakweheragia harĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio mwaganu, na magakũhonokia kuuma kũrĩ rũrĩmĩ rũnyoroku rwa mũtumia ũcio ngʼenyũ.
They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.
25 Ndũkerirĩrie ũthaka wake ngoro-inĩ yaku, kana ũreke akũguucĩrĩrie na maitho make,
Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.
26 nĩgũkorwo mũmaraya atũmaga mũndũ athĩĩne nginya ahooyage kenyũ ka mũgate, na mũtumia mũtharia aguĩmaga muoyo waku guo mwene.
For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life.
27 Mũndũ no atahĩre mwaki gĩthũri-inĩ gĩake, na nguo ciake itihĩe?
May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?
28 Mũndũ no agerere igũrũ rĩa makara marĩ na mwaki, na makinya make matihĩe?
Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 Ũguo no taguo mũndũ ũrĩa ũkomaga na mũtumia wa mũndũ ũngĩ atariĩ; gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩmũhutia na ndaherithio.
So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment.
30 Andũ matimenaga mũici angĩkorwo aiyĩte nĩguo eniinĩre ngʼaragu rĩrĩa arĩ mũhũũtu.
Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:
31 No rĩrĩ, angĩnyiitwo-rĩ, no nginya arĩhe maita mũgwanja, o na angĩkorwo ekũrĩha na ũtonga wa nyũmba yake wothe.
But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house.
32 No mũndũ ũrĩa ũtharagia nĩagĩte wĩciirio; ũrĩa wothe wĩkaga ũguo nĩwe mwene wĩyanangaga.
He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul.
33 Nguraro na kwĩnyararithia nĩcio igai rĩake, na cio thoni icio ciake gũtirĩ hĩndĩ igaathario ithire;
Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.
34 nĩgũkorwo ũiru nĩguo warahũraga mangʼũrĩ ma mũthuuri, na ndakaigua tha akĩĩrĩhĩria.
For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.
35 Ndagetĩkĩra irĩhi o na rĩrĩkũ; nĩakaarega ihaki o na rĩrĩ inene atĩa.
He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.

< Thimo 6 >