Mithali 11
1 Bwana huchukia sana mizani za udanganyifu, bali vipimo sahihi ni furaha yake.
Yahweh detests [people who use] scales that do not weigh correctly; he is delighted with [those who use] correct weights on the scales.
2 Kiburi kinapokuja, ndipo huja aibu, bali unyenyekevu huja na hekima.
[People who are] proud will [eventually] be disgraced; it is wise to be humble.
3 Uadilifu wa wenye haki huwaongoza, bali wasio waaminifu huharibiwa na hila yao.
[People who are] good are guided by [doing what is] honest; those who are not honest will be ruined because of the wrong things that they do.
4 Utajiri haufaidi kitu katika siku ya ghadhabu, bali haki huokoa kutoka mautini.
[Your] money will not help [you] on the day that [God] judges [and punishes people]; but if you live righteously, you will live a long time.
5 Haki ya wasio na lawama, huwatengenezea njia iliyonyooka, bali waovu huangushwa kwa uovu wao wenyewe.
When people are honest and good, that will (direct their paths/show them what is right for them to do); but wicked [people will] experience disasters because of the evil things that they do.
6 Haki ya wanyofu huwaokoa, bali wasio waaminifu hunaswa na tamaa mbaya.
[God] rescues/protects righteous [people] because they (are honest/do what is right), but those who (are treacherous/cannot be trusted) will be trapped because of their being greedy.
7 Wakati mtu mwovu anapokufa, matumaini yake hutoweka; yote aliyoyatazamia kutokana na nguvu zake huwa si kitu.
When wicked [people] die, they cannot confidently expect to receive anything [that is good]; they expect that [their money] will help/save them, but it will not.
8 Mtu mwenye haki huokolewa kutoka taabu, naye mtu mwovu huingia humo badala yake.
[Yahweh] rescues righteous [people] from their troubles/difficulties; instead, it is the wicked who will have troubles.
9 Kwa kinywa chake mtu asiyemwamini Mungu humwangamiza jirani yake, bali kwa maarifa mwenye haki huokolewa.
Godless people can ruin others by what they say [MTY], but righteous [people will] be saved by [their (own] good sense/being wise).
10 Wakati mwenye haki anapofanikiwa, mji hufurahi; mwovu atowekapo, kuna kelele za furaha.
When things go well for righteous [people], [the people in] [MTY] their city are happy, and they shout joyfully when wicked [people] die.
11 Kutokana na baraka ya mtu mnyofu mji hukwezwa, bali kwa kinywa cha mwovu mji huharibiwa.
When righteous [people request God to] bless a city, that city will become great, but cities are ruined by what wicked [people] say [MTY].
12 Mtu asiye na akili humdharau jirani yake, bali mtu mwenye ufahamu huuzuia ulimi wake.
It is foolish to despise others; those who (have good sense/are wise) do not say anything [to criticize others].
13 Masengenyo husaliti tumaini, bali mtu mwaminifu hutunza siri.
Those who (spread gossip/tell bad things about others) will tell your secrets [to others], but if there is someone whom you can trust, you can trust him to not tell your secrets [to others].
14 Pasipo ushauri wa hekima taifa huanguka, bali washauri wengi hufanya ushindi uwe wa hakika.
A nation will be destroyed/ruined if it does not have [leaders] who guide it [wisely]; but if there are many [good] advisors, the nation remains secure.
15 Yeye amdhaminiye mgeni hakika atateseka, bali yeyote akataaye kuunga mkono dhamana ni salama.
If you promise a stranger that you will pay his debt [if he cannot pay it himself], you will regret it. You will be safe if you refuse to guarantee that you will pay someone else’s debts.
16 Mwanamke mwenye moyo wa huruma hupata heshima, bali wanaume wakorofi hupata mali tu.
[People] honor/respect women who are kind/gracious; ruthless/violent people may get a lot of money, [but that is all that they will get].
17 Mwenye huruma hujinufaisha mwenyewe, bali mkatili hujiletea taabu mwenyewe.
Those who are kind benefit themselves [because others will be kind to them], but those who are cruel will hurt themselves [because others will be cruel to them].
18 Mtu mwovu hupata ujira wa udanganyifu, bali yeye apandaye haki huvuna tuzo ya uhakika.
If wicked people earn a lot of money, that will deceive them [because they will not keep it for very long], but those who do what is right will surely be rewarded [by God forever].
19 Mtu mwenye haki kweli kweli hupata uzima, bali yeye afuatiliaye ubaya huendea kifo chake.
Those who always do what is right will live [a long/happy life], but those who insist on doing what is wrong will not live [very long].
20 Bwana huwachukia sana watu wenye moyo wa upotovu, bali hupendezwa na wale ambao njia zao hazina lawama.
Yahweh hates those who are always thinking about doing evil things, but he is delighted with those who always do what is right.
21 Uwe na hakika na hili: Waovu hawataepuka kuadhibiwa, bali wenye haki watakuwa huru.
It is certain that [Yahweh] will punish evil people and that righteous people will escape [from being punished].
22 Kama pete ya dhahabu katika pua ya nguruwe ndivyo alivyo mwanamke mzuri ambaye hana busara.
[It is] ([unsuitable/not proper/disgusting]) for a beautiful woman not to know what is right to do, like [SIM] [it is unsuitable/disgusting] for a pig to have a gold ring in its snout/nose.
23 Shauku ya mwenye haki huishia tu kwenye mema, bali tumaini la mwovu huishia tu kwenye ghadhabu.
When the things that righteous people want happen, it brings good [to them and to others], but when the wicked get what they want, it causes everyone else to become angry.
24 Kuna mtu atoaye kwa ukarimu, hata hivyo hupata zaidi, mwingine huzuia, lakini huwa maskini.
Some people give [their money] generously [to poor people], but they become richer [in spite of that], and some people hold tightly to their money, but they still become poor [in spite of that].
25 Mtu mkarimu atastawi; yeye awaburudishaye wengine ataburudishwa mwenyewe.
Those who give generously [to others] will prosper; if you help others, [they/someone] will help you, too.
26 Watu humlaani mtu awanyimae watu nafaka, bali baraka itamkalia kichwani kama taji yeye aliye radhi kuiuza.
People curse/despise someone who hoards his grain [and does not sell it], waiting to get a higher/bigger price for it, but they praise someone who sells it [when people need it, even when the price is not high].
27 Yeye atafutaye mema hupata ukarimu, bali ubaya huja kwake yeye autafutaye.
If you sincerely want to [do what is] right, [people] will respect you, but if you are wanting to cause trouble, trouble is what you will get.
28 Yeyote ategemeaye utajiri wake ataanguka, bali mwenye haki atastawi kama jani bichi.
Those who trust in their money will [disappear like the] withered [leaves that fall from the trees], but righteous [people] will keep going strong, like green leaves [in the summer].
29 Yeye aletaye taabu kwa jamaa yake atarithi tu upepo, naye mpumbavu atakuwa mtumishi wa wenye hekima.
Those who bring troubles to their families will inherit nothing [MET] [from them], and those who do foolish things [like that] will [some day] become the servants of wise [people].
30 Tunda la mwenye haki ni mti wa uzima, naye mwenye hekima huvuta roho za watu.
Those who live righteously will live [for a long time], but [those who act] violently will destroy [their own] lives (OR, those who are wise will have many people come and live with them).
31 Kama wenye haki watapokea ujira wao duniani, si zaidi sana yule asiyemcha Mungu na mwenye dhambi?
[Sometimes] righteous [people] are rewarded [here] on the earth, but it is much more certain that very wicked people [DOU] [will be rewarded by being punished].
