< Thimo 1 >

1 Ici nĩ thimo cia Solomoni mũrũ wa Daudi, ũrĩa warĩ mũthamaki wa Isiraeli:
The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, who reigned in 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, and to perceive 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 also hard saying, and to understand true justice, and [how] to direct judgement;
4 nĩ cia gũtũma ũrĩa ũtarĩ na ũũgĩ agĩe na ũmenyo, na cia gũtũma mũndũ mwĩthĩ agĩe na ũmenyo na ũgereri:
that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man discernment and understanding.
5 arĩa oogĩ-rĩ, nĩmathikĩrĩrie na mongerere wĩruti wao, nao arĩa akũũrani maũndũ metĩkĩre gũtongorio.
For by the hearing of these a wise man will be wiser, and man of understanding will gain direction;
6 Ningĩ nĩ cia gũtũma mũndũ ataũkĩrwo nĩ thimo na ngerekano, na ataũkĩrwo nĩ ciugo cia andũ arĩa oogĩ, na ndaĩ ciao.
and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the saying of the wise also, and riddles.
7 Kĩambĩrĩria kĩa ũmenyo nĩ gwĩtigĩra Jehova, no arĩa akĩĩgu nĩ mathũire ũũgĩ na ũtaaro.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and [there is] good understanding to all that practise it: and piety towards God is the beginning of discernment; but the ungodly will set at nothing wisdom and instruction.
8 Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria mataaro ma thoguo, na ndũgatigane na ũrutani wa maitũguo.
Hear, [my] son, the instruction of your father, and reject not the rules of your mother.
9 Maũndũ macio magaatuĩka ithaga rĩa kũgemia mũtwe waku, na ta mũgathĩ wa kũgemia ngingo yaku.
For you shall receive for your head a crown of graces, and a chain of gold round your neck.
10 Mũrũ wakwa, ehia mangĩgakũheenereria-rĩ, ndũkanetĩkanie nao.
[My] son, let not ungodly men lead you astray, neither consent you [to them].
11 Mangĩgakwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũka ũthiĩ hamwe na ithuĩ; reke tuoherie mũndũ tũite thakame yake, reke tũcemaceeme mũndũ o na ũtehĩtie;
If they should exhort you, saying, Come with us, partake in blood, and let us unjustly hide the just man in the earth:
12 ningĩ reke tũmamerie marĩ muoyo, o ta ũrĩa mbĩrĩra ĩĩkaga, na marĩ agima, o ta arĩa maharũrũkaga irima; (Sheol h7585)
and let us swallow him alive, as Hades [would], and remove the memorial of him from the earth: (Sheol h7585)
13 Na ithuĩ-rĩ, tũkĩgĩe na indo cia goro cia mĩthemba yothe, na tũiyũrie nyũmba ciitũ na indo cia ndaho;
let us seize on his valuable property, and let us fill our houses with spoils:
14 rutithania wĩra na ithuĩ, tũkorwo na mũhuko ũmwe ithuothe”;
but do you cast in your lot with us, and let us all provide a common purse, and let us have one pouch:
15 mũrũ wakwa, tiga gũtwarana nao, ndũkagerere njĩra ciao;
go not in the way with them, but turn aside your foot from their paths:
16 nĩgũkorwo magũrũ mao mahanyũkaga mathiĩ mehia-inĩ, nao mahiũhaga magaite thakame.
[For their feet run to do evil, and are swift to shed blood. ]
17 Kaĩ nĩ wĩra wa tũhũ kũiga gĩkerenge nyoni ciothe igĩkuonaga-ĩ!
for nets are not without cause spread for birds.
18 Andũ aya mohagĩria thakame yao ene; maceemaga o mĩoyo yao ene!
For they that are concerned in murder store up evils for themselves; and the overthrow of transgressors is evil.
19 Ũcio nĩguo mũthia wa arĩa othe magĩaga na indo na njĩra ya ungumania; indo icio iniinaga mĩoyo ya arĩa magĩaga nacio.
These are the ways of all that perform lawless deeds; for by ungodliness they destroy their own life.
20 Ũũgĩ nĩ aretana anĩrĩire njĩra-inĩ, ningĩ agakayũrũrũka arĩ ihaaro-inĩ cia mũingĩ;
Wisdom sings aloud in passages, and in the broad places speaks boldly.
21 Aragũthũka na mũgambo mũnene arĩ magomano-inĩ ma njĩra kũu kũrĩ inegene, o na itoonyero rĩa itũũra inene akoria atĩrĩ:
And she makes proclamation on the top of the walls, and sits by the gates of princes; and at the gates of the city boldly says,
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?
So long as the simple cleave to justice, they shall not be ashamed: but the foolish being lovers of haughtiness, having become ungodly have hated knowledge, and are become subject to reproofs.
23 Korwo nĩmwetĩkĩrire kũigua ũtaaro wakwa-rĩ, nĩingĩamũhingũrĩire ngoro yakwa, ndũme mũmenye meciiria makwa.
Behold, I will bring forth to you the utterance of my breath, and I will instruct you in my speech.
24 No tondũ nĩmwaregire kũnjigua rĩrĩa ndetanire, na gũtirĩ mũndũ werũmbũirie hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndatambũrũkirie guoko gwakwa,
Since I called, and you did not listen; and I spoke at length, and you gave no heed;
25 na mũkĩagĩra mataaro makwa mothe bata, na mũkĩaga gwĩtĩkĩra ikaanania rĩakwa-rĩ,
but you set at nothing my counsels, and disregarded my reproofs;
26 niĩ na niĩ nĩngamũthekerera hĩndĩ yanyu ya mwanangĩko, na ndĩmũnyũrũrie rĩrĩa mũgaakorererwo nĩ mũtino:
therefore I also will laugh at your destruction; and I will rejoice against [you] when ruin comes upon you:
27 ĩĩ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa guoya ũkaamũkorerera ta kĩhuhũkanio, rĩrĩa mwanangĩko ũkaamũhaata ta rũhuho rwa kĩhuhũkanio, rĩrĩa mũgaakinyĩrĩrwo nĩ mĩnyamaro na ruo rwa ngoro.
yes when dismay suddenly comes upon you, and [your] overthrow shall arrive like a tempest; and when tribulation and distress shall come upon you, or when ruin shall come upon you.
28 “Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩmakangaĩra, no ndikametĩka; nĩmakanjetha na kĩyo, no matikanyona.
For it shall be that when you call upon me, I will not listen to you: wicked men shall seek me, but shall not find [me].
29 Tondũ nĩmathũũrire ũmenyo, na matiigana gũthuura gwĩtigĩra Jehova,
For they hated wisdom, and did not choose the word of the Lord:
30 tondũ matietĩkĩrire mataaro makwa, na nĩmamenire ikaanania rĩakwa,
neither would they attend to my counsels, but derided my reproofs.
31 makaarĩa maciaro ma mĩthiĩre yao, na mahũũnio nĩ maciaro ma mathugunda mao.
Therefore shall they eat the fruits of their own way, and shall be filled with their own ungodliness.
32 Nĩgũkorwo ũgenyũ wa arĩa matarĩ ũũgĩ nĩũkamooraga, nakuo kwĩgangara kwa arĩa akĩĩgu nĩgũkamaniina;
For because they wronged the simple, they shall be slain; and an inquisition shall ruin the ungodly.
33 no ũrĩa wothe ũnjiguaga arĩtũũraga na thayũ, na atũũre ahooreire, atarĩ ũgwati angĩĩtigĩra.”
But he that hearkens to me shall dwell in confidence, and shall rest securely from all evil.

< Thimo 1 >