< 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;
That one may learn wisdom and instruction, And receive words of understanding;
3 nĩ cia gũtũma mũndũ ataarĩke ahote kũbarĩrĩra mũtũũrĩre wake, ekage maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire, na ma kĩhooto, na marĩa mega;
That one may gain the instruction of prudence, Justice, equity, and uprightness;
4 nĩ cia gũtũma ũrĩa ũtarĩ na ũũgĩ agĩe na ũmenyo, na cia gũtũma mũndũ mwĩthĩ agĩe na ũmenyo na ũgereri:
Which will give caution to the simple, To the young man wisdom and discretion;
5 arĩa oogĩ-rĩ, nĩmathikĩrĩrie na mongerere wĩruti wao, nao arĩa akũũrani maũndũ metĩkĩre gũtongorio.
Let the wise man hear, and he will increase his knowledge, And the man of understanding will gain wise counsels;
6 Ningĩ nĩ cia gũtũma mũndũ ataũkĩrwo nĩ thimo na ngerekano, na ataũkĩrwo nĩ ciugo cia andũ arĩa oogĩ, na ndaĩ ciao.
So as to understand a proverb and a deep maxim, 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 the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria mataaro ma thoguo, na ndũgatigane na ũrutani wa maitũguo.
Hear, O my son! the instruction of thy father, And neglect not the teaching of thy mother!
9 Maũndũ macio magaatuĩka ithaga rĩa kũgemia mũtwe waku, na ta mũgathĩ wa kũgemia ngingo yaku.
For they shall be a graceful wreath for thy head, And a chain around 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 lie in wait for blood, Let us lurk secretly for him who is innocent in vain;
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, like the underworld, Yea, in full health, 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 kinds of 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 thou not in their way, 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 make haste to shed blood.
17 Kaĩ nĩ wĩra wa tũhũ kũiga gĩkerenge nyoni ciothe igĩkuonaga-ĩ!
For as the net is spread in vain Before the eyes of any bird,
18 Andũ aya mohagĩria thakame yao ene; maceemaga o mĩoyo yao ene!
So they lie in wait for their own blood; They lurk secretly 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.
Such are the ways of every one greedy of unjust gain; It taketh away the life of the possessor thereof.
20 Ũũgĩ nĩ aretana anĩrĩire njĩra-inĩ, ningĩ agakayũrũrũka arĩ ihaaro-inĩ cia mũingĩ;
Wisdom crieth out in the highway; In the market-place she uttereth her voice;
21 Aragũthũka na mũgambo mũnene arĩ magomano-inĩ ma njĩra kũu kũrĩ inegene, o na itoonyero rĩa itũũra inene akoria atĩrĩ:
At the head of the noisy streets she crieth aloud; At the entrances of the gates, throughout the city, she proclaimeth her words [[saying]]:
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? How long will scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?
23 Korwo nĩmwetĩkĩrire kũigua ũtaaro wakwa-rĩ, nĩingĩamũhingũrĩire ngoro yakwa, ndũme mũmenye meciiria makwa.
Turn ye at my reproof! Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make known my words to 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, —Because I have stretched out my hand, and no one hath regarded.
25 na mũkĩagĩra mataaro makwa mothe bata, na mũkĩaga gwĩtĩkĩra ikaanania rĩakwa-rĩ,
Because ye have rejected all my counsel, And have slighted my rebuke, —
26 niĩ na niĩ nĩngamũthekerera hĩndĩ yanyu ya mwanangĩko, na ndĩmũnyũrũrie rĩrĩa mũgaakorererwo nĩ mũtino:
I also will laugh at 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 upon you like a storm. And destruction overtaketh you like 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 early, But they shall not find me!
29 Tondũ nĩmathũũrire ũmenyo, na matiigana gũthuura gwĩtigĩra Jehova,
Because they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of the LORD, —
30 tondũ matietĩkĩrire mataaro makwa, na nĩmamenire ikaanania rĩakwa,
Because they would not attend to my counsel, And have 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 to the full with their own devices;
32 Nĩgũkorwo ũgenyũ wa arĩa matarĩ ũũgĩ nĩũkamooraga, nakuo kwĩgangara kwa arĩa akĩĩgu nĩgũkamaniina;
Yea, the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the carelessness of fools shall destroy them.
33 no ũrĩa wothe ũnjiguaga arĩtũũraga na thayũ, na atũũre ahooreire, atarĩ ũgwati angĩĩtigĩra.”
But whoso hearkeneth to me shall dwell securely, And shall not be disquieted with the fear of evil.”

< Thimo 1 >