Mithali 12
1 Yeyote apendaye kuadibishwa hupenda maarifa, bali yeye achukiaye kuonywa ni mpumbavu.
Those who want to know [what is right to do] want to be (disciplined/corrected) when they do what is wrong; it is foolish to not want to be (corrected/told that what you did is wrong).
2 Mtu mwema hupata kibali kutoka kwa Bwana, bali Bwana humhukumu mwenye hila.
Yahweh is pleased with good people, but he condemns those who plan to harm [others].
3 Mtu hathibitiki kutokana na uovu, bali mwenye haki hataondolewa.
People do not become secure/safe by doing what is wicked; righteous [people] will be very safe and secure [LIT] like [MET] a tree that has deep roots.
4 Mke mwenye tabia nzuri ni taji ya mumewe, bali aaibishaye ni kama uozo katika mifupa ya mumewe.
A good wife is one who causes her husband to be greatly honored, but a wife who does things that cause her husband to be ashamed [will destroy him] like [SIM] cancer [destroys] his bones.
5 Mipango ya mtu mwadilifu ni ya haki, bali ushauri wa mwovu ni udanganyifu.
What righteous [people] want to do is [to treat people] fairly; what wicked [people] want to do is to deceive people.
6 Maneno ya waovu huotea kumwaga damu, bali maneno ya waadilifu huwaokoa.
What wicked [people] say is like a trap [MET] that kills [MTY] people [who pass by], but what righteous [people] say [MTY] rescues those whom [wicked people threaten to harm].
7 Watu waovu huondolewa na kutoweka, bali nyumba ya mwenye haki husimama imara.
Wicked [people] will die [before they become old and we will see] them no more, but righteous people will live [for many years] and have many descendants.
8 Mtu husifiwa kulingana na hekima yake, bali watu wenye akili zilizopotoka hudharauliwa.
[People will] praise those who have good sense, but [people will] despise those (who are always thinking about doing evil things/whose thinking is twisted).
9 Heri mtu wa hali ya chini mwenye mtumishi, kuliko kujifanya mtu wa hali ya juu nawe huna chakula.
It is better to be a humble/ordinary person who has only one servant than to think that you are very important while you have nothing to eat.
10 Mtu mwenye haki hujali mahitaji ya mnyama wake, bali matendo ya huruma ya mwovu ni ukatili.
Righteous people take care of their domestic animals, but wicked people act cruelly [toward their animals].
11 Yeye alimaye shamba lake atakuwa na chakula tele, bali yeye afuataye mambo ya upuzi hana akili.
Farmers who work hard in their fields will [produce good crops] that will give them plenty to eat, but those who waste their time working on worthless projects are foolish.
12 Waovu hutamani mateka ya watu wabaya, bali shina la mwenye haki hustawi.
Wicked [people] desire to take away what [other] evil people have, but [Yahweh] enables righteous/godly [people] to be steadfast and productive [MET].
13 Mtu mwovu hunaswa kwa mazungumzo yake ya dhambi, bali mwenye haki huepuka taabu.
Evil people are trapped by the evil things that they say [MTY], but righteous [people] escape from trouble.
14 Kutokana na tunda la midomo yake mtu hujazwa na mambo mema, hakika kama ilivyo kazi ya mikono yake humtunza.
People are rewarded for [the good things] that they say [to others], and people are [also] rewarded for the good work that they do [MTY].
15 Njia ya mpumbavu huonekana sawa machoni pake mwenyewe, bali mtu mwenye hekima husikiliza ushauri.
Foolish people [always] think that what they are doing is right; wise people heed [other people when they give them good] advice.
16 Mpumbavu huonyesha kuudhika kwake mara moja, bali mtu wa busara hupuuza matukano.
Foolish people quickly become angry when someone does something that they don’t like; but those who have good sense ignore it when others insult them.
17 Shahidi wa kweli hutoa ushuhuda wa kuaminika, bali shahidi wa uongo husema uongo.
[In the courtroom], honest people say what is true, but untruthful/dishonest people tell [nothing but] lies.
18 Maneno ya kipumbavu huchoma kama upanga, bali ulimi wa mwenye hekima huleta uponyaji.
What some people say [hurts people badly], as much as [SIM] a sword can; but what wise [people] say (heals [others’ souls]/comforts others).
19 Midomo isemayo kweli hudumu milele, bali ulimi wa uongo hudumu kwa muda mfupi tu.
When people tell [MTY] lies, others soon realize that what they said is not true [IDM]; but when people say what is true, others will remember that forever.
20 Upo udanganyifu katika mioyo ya wale ambao hupanga mabaya, bali kuna furaha kwa wale wanaoleta amani.
Those who plan to do what is evil are always wanting to deceive [others], but things will go well for those who plan [to do] good things.
21 Hakuna dhara linalompata mwenye haki, bali waovu wana taabu nyingi.
Bad things [usually] [HYP] do not happen to righteous [people], but wicked [people] always have troubles.
22 Bwana anachukia sana midomo idanganyayo, bali hufurahia watu ambao ni wa kweli.
Yahweh detests those [MTY] who tell lies, but he is delighted with those who faithfully do what they promise that they will do.
23 Mtu mwenye busara hujihifadhia maarifa yeye mwenyewe, bali moyo wa wapumbavu hububujika upumbavu.
Those with good sense do not reveal [all] that they know; foolish people show [clearly] by what they say that they (are ignorant/have not learned much).
24 Mikono yenye bidii itatawala, bali uvivu huishia katika kazi za utumwa.
Those [SYN] who work hard become rulers [of others]; those who are lazy become slaves [of others.]
25 Moyo wa wasiwasi humlemea mtu, bali neno la huruma humfurahisha.
When people are anxious/worried, they become depressed/dejected, but when others speak kindly to them, it causes them to be cheerful again.
26 Mtu mwenye haki ni mwangalifu katika urafiki, bali njia ya waovu huwapotosha.
Godly/Righteous people try to [give good advice to] their friends (OR, try to make friends with others), but the manner in which wicked [people] live misleads their friends.
27 Mtu mvivu haoki mawindo yake, bali mtu mwenye bidii ana mali za thamani.
Lazy people do not even [cook the meat of] the animals that they catch/kill, but those who work hard will acquire (OR, are like) a valuable treasure.
28 Katika njia ya haki kuna uzima; katika mapito hayo kuna maisha ya milele.
Those who (live righteously/continually do what is right) are [walking] on the road to a long life; (it is not a road to death/they will not die when they are still young).
