< Thimo 1 >

1 Ici nĩ thimo cia Solomoni mũrũ wa Daudi, ũrĩa warĩ mũthamaki wa Isiraeli:
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 nĩ thimo cia gũtũma mũndũ agĩe na ũũgĩ, na ataarĩke; nĩ cia gũtũma ahote gũtaũkĩrwo nĩ ciugo cia ũũgĩ;
To know wisdom and instruction; To discern the words of understanding;
3 nĩ cia gũtũma mũndũ ataarĩke ahote kũbarĩrĩra mũtũũrĩre wake, ekage maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire, na ma kĩhooto, na marĩa mega;
To receive instruction in wise dealing, In righteousness and justice and equity;
4 nĩ cia gũtũma ũrĩa ũtarĩ na ũũgĩ agĩe na ũmenyo, na cia gũtũma mũndũ mwĩthĩ agĩe na ũmenyo na ũgereri:
To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion:
5 arĩa oogĩ-rĩ, nĩmathikĩrĩrie na mongerere wĩruti wao, nao arĩa akũũrani maũndũ metĩkĩre gũtongorio.
That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; And that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:
6 Ningĩ nĩ cia gũtũma mũndũ ataũkĩrwo nĩ thimo na ngerekano, na ataũkĩrwo nĩ ciugo cia andũ arĩa oogĩ, na ndaĩ ciao.
To understand a proverb, and a figure, The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 Kĩambĩrĩria kĩa ũmenyo nĩ gwĩtigĩra Jehova, no arĩa akĩĩgu nĩ mathũire ũũgĩ na ũtaaro.
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge; [But] the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria mataaro ma thoguo, na ndũgatigane na ũrutani wa maitũguo.
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 Maũndũ macio magaatuĩka ithaga rĩa kũgemia mũtwe waku, na ta mũgathĩ wa kũgemia ngingo yaku.
For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.
10 Mũrũ wakwa, ehia mangĩgakũheenereria-rĩ, ndũkanetĩkanie nao.
My son, if sinners entice thee, Consent thou not.
11 Mangĩgakwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũka ũthiĩ hamwe na ithuĩ; reke tuoherie mũndũ tũite thakame yake, reke tũcemaceeme mũndũ o na ũtehĩtie;
If they say, Come with us, Let us lay wait for blood; Let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;
12 ningĩ reke tũmamerie marĩ muoyo, o ta ũrĩa mbĩrĩra ĩĩkaga, na marĩ agima, o ta arĩa maharũrũkaga irima; (Sheol h7585)
Let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, And whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 Na ithuĩ-rĩ, tũkĩgĩe na indo cia goro cia mĩthemba yothe, na tũiyũrie nyũmba ciitũ na indo cia ndaho;
We shall find all precious substance; We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 rutithania wĩra na ithuĩ, tũkorwo na mũhuko ũmwe ithuothe”;
Thou shalt cast thy lot among us; We will all have one purse:
15 mũrũ wakwa, tiga gũtwarana nao, ndũkagerere njĩra ciao;
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path:
16 nĩgũkorwo magũrũ mao mahanyũkaga mathiĩ mehia-inĩ, nao mahiũhaga magaite thakame.
For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Kaĩ nĩ wĩra wa tũhũ kũiga gĩkerenge nyoni ciothe igĩkuonaga-ĩ!
For in vain is the net spread In the sight of any bird:
18 Andũ aya mohagĩria thakame yao ene; maceemaga o mĩoyo yao ene!
And these lay wait for their own blood; They lurk privily for their own lives.
19 Ũcio nĩguo mũthia wa arĩa othe magĩaga na indo na njĩra ya ungumania; indo icio iniinaga mĩoyo ya arĩa magĩaga nacio.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; It taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
20 Ũũgĩ nĩ aretana anĩrĩire njĩra-inĩ, ningĩ agakayũrũrũka arĩ ihaaro-inĩ cia mũingĩ;
Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places;
21 Aragũthũka na mũgambo mũnene arĩ magomano-inĩ ma njĩra kũu kũrĩ inegene, o na itoonyero rĩa itũũra inene akoria atĩrĩ:
She crieth in the chief place of concourse; At the entrance of the gates, In the city, she uttereth her words:
22 “Inyuĩ mũtarĩ ũũgĩ-rĩ, nĩ nginya rĩ mũgũtũũra mwendete njĩra cianyu itarĩ cia ũũgĩ? Nĩ nginya rĩ anyũrũrania megũtũũra makenagĩra kĩnyũrũri, na arĩa akĩĩgu mathũire ũmenyo?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And scoffers delight them in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
23 Korwo nĩmwetĩkĩrire kũigua ũtaaro wakwa-rĩ, nĩingĩamũhingũrĩire ngoro yakwa, ndũme mũmenye meciiria makwa.
Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you.
24 No tondũ nĩmwaregire kũnjigua rĩrĩa ndetanire, na gũtirĩ mũndũ werũmbũirie hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndatambũrũkirie guoko gwakwa,
Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded;
25 na mũkĩagĩra mataaro makwa mothe bata, na mũkĩaga gwĩtĩkĩra ikaanania rĩakwa-rĩ,
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof:
26 niĩ na niĩ nĩngamũthekerera hĩndĩ yanyu ya mwanangĩko, na ndĩmũnyũrũrie rĩrĩa mũgaakorererwo nĩ mũtino:
I also will laugh in [the day of] your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 ĩĩ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa guoya ũkaamũkorerera ta kĩhuhũkanio, rĩrĩa mwanangĩko ũkaamũhaata ta rũhuho rwa kĩhuhũkanio, rĩrĩa mũgaakinyĩrĩrwo nĩ mĩnyamaro na ruo rwa ngoro.
When your fear cometh as a storm, And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩmakangaĩra, no ndikametĩka; nĩmakanjetha na kĩyo, no matikanyona.
Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:
29 Tondũ nĩmathũũrire ũmenyo, na matiigana gũthuura gwĩtigĩra Jehova,
For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah,
30 tondũ matietĩkĩrire mataaro makwa, na nĩmamenire ikaanania rĩakwa,
They would none of my counsel, They despised all my reproof.
31 makaarĩa maciaro ma mĩthiĩre yao, na mahũũnio nĩ maciaro ma mathugunda mao.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices.
32 Nĩgũkorwo ũgenyũ wa arĩa matarĩ ũũgĩ nĩũkamooraga, nakuo kwĩgangara kwa arĩa akĩĩgu nĩgũkamaniina;
For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.
33 no ũrĩa wothe ũnjiguaga arĩtũũraga na thayũ, na atũũre ahooreire, atarĩ ũgwati angĩĩtigĩra.”
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil.

< Thimo 1 >