< Thimo 1 >
1 Ici nĩ thimo cia Solomoni mũrũ wa Daudi, ũrĩa warĩ mũthamaki wa Isiraeli:
These are the proverbs of Solomon 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;
for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
3 nĩ cia gũtũma mũndũ ataarĩke ahote kũbarĩrĩra mũtũũrĩre wake, ekage maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire, na ma kĩhooto, na marĩa mega;
and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, 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 impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,
5 arĩa oogĩ-rĩ, nĩmathikĩrĩrie na mongerere wĩruti wao, nao arĩa akũũrani maũndũ metĩkĩre gũtongorio.
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
6 Ningĩ nĩ cia gũtũma mũndũ ataũkĩrwo nĩ thimo na ngerekano, na ataũkĩrwo nĩ ciugo cia andũ arĩa oogĩ, na ndaĩ ciao.
by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 Kĩambĩrĩria kĩa ũmenyo nĩ gwĩtigĩra Jehova, no arĩa akĩĩgu nĩ mathũire ũũgĩ na ũtaaro.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
8 Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria mataaro ma thoguo, na ndũgatigane na ũrutani wa maitũguo.
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
9 Maũndũ macio magaatuĩka ithaga rĩa kũgemia mũtwe waku, na ta mũgathĩ wa kũgemia ngingo yaku.
For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
10 Mũrũ wakwa, ehia mangĩgakũheenereria-rĩ, ndũkanetĩkanie nao.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
11 Mangĩgakwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũka ũthiĩ hamwe na ithuĩ; reke tuoherie mũndũ tũite thakame yake, reke tũcemaceeme mũndũ o na ũtehĩtie;
If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
12 ningĩ reke tũmamerie marĩ muoyo, o ta ũrĩa mbĩrĩra ĩĩkaga, na marĩ agima, o ta arĩa maharũrũkaga irima; (Sheol )
let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. (Sheol )
13 Na ithuĩ-rĩ, tũkĩgĩe na indo cia goro cia mĩthemba yothe, na tũiyũrie nyũmba ciitũ na indo cia ndaho;
We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.
14 rutithania wĩra na ithuĩ, tũkorwo na mũhuko ũmwe ithuothe”;
Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—
15 mũrũ wakwa, tiga gũtwarana nao, ndũkagerere njĩra ciao;
my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.
16 nĩgũkorwo magũrũ mao mahanyũkaga mathiĩ mehia-inĩ, nao mahiũhaga magaite thakame.
For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
17 Kaĩ nĩ wĩra wa tũhũ kũiga gĩkerenge nyoni ciothe igĩkuonaga-ĩ!
How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!
18 Andũ aya mohagĩria thakame yao ene; maceemaga o mĩoyo yao ene!
But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush 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.
Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
20 Ũũgĩ nĩ aretana anĩrĩire njĩra-inĩ, ningĩ agakayũrũrũka arĩ ihaaro-inĩ cia mũingĩ;
Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
21 Aragũthũka na mũgambo mũnene arĩ magomano-inĩ ma njĩra kũu kũrĩ inegene, o na itoonyero rĩa itũũra inene akoria atĩrĩ:
in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
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, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?
23 Korwo nĩmwetĩkĩrire kũigua ũtaaro wakwa-rĩ, nĩingĩamũhingũrĩire ngoro yakwa, ndũme mũmenye meciiria makwa.
If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.
24 No tondũ nĩmwaregire kũnjigua rĩrĩa ndetanire, na gũtirĩ mũndũ werũmbũirie hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndatambũrũkirie guoko gwakwa,
Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
25 na mũkĩagĩra mataaro makwa mothe bata, na mũkĩaga gwĩtĩkĩra ikaanania rĩakwa-rĩ,
because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
26 niĩ na niĩ nĩngamũthekerera hĩndĩ yanyu ya mwanangĩko, na ndĩmũnyũrũrie rĩrĩa mũgaakorererwo nĩ mũtino:
in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
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 dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
28 “Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩmakangaĩra, no ndikametĩka; nĩmakanjetha na kĩyo, no matikanyona.
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
29 Tondũ nĩmathũũrire ũmenyo, na matiigana gũthuura gwĩtigĩra Jehova,
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
30 tondũ matietĩkĩrire mataaro makwa, na nĩmamenire ikaanania rĩakwa,
They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
31 makaarĩa maciaro ma mĩthiĩre yao, na mahũũnio nĩ maciaro ma mathugunda mao.
So they will eat 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 waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 no ũrĩa wothe ũnjiguaga arĩtũũraga na thayũ, na atũũre ahooreire, atarĩ ũgwati angĩĩtigĩra.”
But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”