Mithali 1
1 Mithali za Solomoni mwana wa Daudi, mfalme wa Israeli:
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel:
2 Kwa kupata hekima na nidhamu; kwa kufahamu maneno ya busara;
To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the sayings of understanding;
3 kwa kujipatia nidhamu na busara, kufanya lililo sawa, haki na bila kupendelea;
To accept the instruction of intelligence, righteousness, and justice, and equity;
4 huwapa busara wajinga, maarifa na akili kwa vijana;
To give to the simple prudence, to the youth knowledge and discretion.
5 wenye hekima na wasikilize nao waongeze elimu yao, wenye kupambanua na wapate mwongozo;
The wise will hear, and will increase [his] information; and the man of understanding will obtain wise counsels:
6 kwa kufahamu mithali na mifano, misemo na vitendawili vya wenye hekima.
To understand a proverb, and a sage sentence; the words of the wise, and their riddles.
7 Kumcha Bwana ndicho chanzo cha maarifa, lakini wapumbavu hudharau hekima na adabu.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: wisdom and instruction fools [alone] despise.
8 Mwanangu, sikiliza mwongozo wa baba yako, wala usiyaache mafundisho ya mama yako.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and cast not off the teaching of thy mother;
9 Hayo yatakuwa taji la maua la neema kichwani pako, na mkufu wa kuipamba shingo yako.
For a wreath of grace are they unto thy head, and chains for thy throat.
10 Mwanangu, kama wenye dhambi wakikushawishi, usikubaliane nao.
My son, if sinners wish to entice thee, consent thou not.
11 Kama wakisema, “Twende tufuatane; tukamvizie mtu na kumwaga damu, njoo tukavizie nafsi isiyo na hatia;
If they should say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us watch in concealment for the uselessly innocent;
We will swallow them up like the grave alive; and the men of integrity, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 Tutapata aina zote za vitu vya thamani na kujaza nyumba zetu kwa nyara.
We shall find all [kinds of] precious wealth, we will fill our houses with booty;
14 Njoo ushirikiane nasi, vitu vyote tutakavyopata tutagawana.”
Thy lot must thou cast in our midst; one purse shall be for us all:
15 Mwanangu, usiandamane nao. Usiweke mguu wako katika njia zao,
My son, walk not thou on the way with them; withhold thy foot from their path;
16 kwa kuwa miguu yao hukimbilia kwenye dhambi, ni wepesi kumwaga damu.
For their feet run after evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 Tazama ni jinsi gani ilivyo kazi bure kutandaza wavu wakati ndege wote wanakuona!
For uselessly is the net spread out before the eyes of every winged bird:
18 Watu hawa huvizia kumwaga damu yao wenyewe; hujivizia tu wenyewe!
While they lie in wait for their [own] blood; they watch in concealment for their [own] lives.
19 Huu ndio mwisho wa wote ambao wanajipatia mali kwa hila; huuondoa uhai wa wale wenye mali.
So are the paths of every one that is greedy after [unlawful] gain; it taketh away the life of those that own it.
20 Hekima huita kwa sauti kuu barabarani, hupaza sauti yake kwenye viwanja vikubwa;
Wisdom crieth loudly without; in the public places she uttereth her voice;
21 kwenye makutano ya barabara za mji zenye makelele mengi hupaza sauti, kwenye malango ya mji hutoa hotuba yake:
At the corner of noisy streets she calleth, at the entrances of gates; in the city she sayeth her speeches:
22 “Enyi wajinga, mtangʼangʼania ujinga wenu hadi lini? Mpaka lini wenye mizaha watafurahia mizaha, na wapumbavu kuchukia maarifa?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners take their delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Kama mngekuwa mmeitikia karipio langu, ningekuwa nimemimina roho yangu kwenu na kuwafahamisha maneno yangu.
Turn back to my admonition: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Lakini kwa kuwa mlinikataa nilipowaita na hakuna yeyote aliyekubali niliponyoosha mkono wangu,
Whereas I called, and ye refused; I stretched out my hand, and no man was attentive;
25 kwa kuwa mliyapuuza mashauri yangu yote na hamkukubali karipio langu,
And ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would not accept my admonition:
26 mimi nami nitawacheka katika maafa yenu, nitawadhihaki wakati janga litawapata:
[Therefore] I also will truly laugh at your calamity; I will deride [you] when your terror cometh;
27 wakati janga litawapata kama tufani, wakati maafa yatawazoa kama upepo wa kisulisuli, wakati dhiki na taabu zitawalemea.
When your terror cometh like the tempest-cloud, and your calamity hasteneth like a whirlwind; when there come upon you distress and affliction.
28 “Ndipo watakaponiita lakini sitawajibu; watanitafuta lakini hawatanipata.
Then will they call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me;
29 Kwa kuwa walichukia maarifa, wala hawakuchagua kumcha Bwana,
For the reason that they hated knowledge, and the fear of the Lord they did not choose;
30 kwa kuwa hawakukubali mashauri yangu, na kukataa maonyo yangu,
[That] they would not attend to my counsel: [that] they rejected all my admonition.
31 watakula matunda ya njia zao, na watashibishwa matunda ya hila zao.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and from their own counsels shall they be satisfied.
32 Kwa kuwa ukaidi wa wajinga utawaua, nako kuridhika kwa wajinga kutawaangamiza.
For the defection of the simple will slay them, and the prosperity of fools will cause them to be lost.
33 Lakini yeyote anisikilizaye ataishi kwa usalama, atatulia, bila kuwa na hofu ya madhara.”
But he that hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from the dread of evil.
