Mithali 17
1 Afadhali kula ukoko mkavu ukiwa na amani na utulivu kuliko kukaa kwenye nyumba ya karamu kukiwa na magomvi.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 Mtumishi mwenye hekima atatawala juu ya mwana aaibishaye, naye atashirikiana katika urithi kama mmoja wa hao ndugu.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 Kalibu ni kwa ajili ya fedha na tanuru ni kwa ajili ya dhahabu, bali Bwana huujaribu moyo.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 Mtu mwovu husikiliza midomo mibaya; mwongo husikiliza kwa makini ulimi wa madhara.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 Yeye anaye mdhihaki maskini huonyesha dharau kwa Muumba wake; yeyote afurahiaye maafa hataepuka kuadhibiwa.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Wana wa wana ni taji la wazee, nao wazazi ni fahari ya watoto wao.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Midomo yenye uwezo wa ushawishi haimfai mpumbavu: je, ni mibaya kiasi gani zaidi midomo ya uongo kwa mtawala!
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Kipawa ni kama kito cha thamani machoni pake yeye aliye nacho; kokote kigeukiapo, hufanikiwa.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 Yeye anayesamehe kosa hudumisha upendo, bali yeyote arudiaye jambo hutenganisha marafiki wa karibu.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 Karipio humwingia sana mtu mwenye kutambua kuliko mapigo mia kwa mpumbavu.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Mtu mbaya hupenda kuasi tu; mjumbe asiye na huruma atatumwa dhidi yake.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Ni afadhali ukutane na dubu aliyenyangʼanywa watoto wake, kuliko mpumbavu katika upumbavu wake.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 Ikiwa mtu atalipa baya kwa jema, kamwe ubaya hautaondoka katika nyumba yake.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Kuanzisha ugomvi ni kama kutoboa bwawa la maji; kwa hiyo acha jambo hilo kabla mabishano hayajaanza.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 Yeye asemaye kuwa asiye na haki ana haki, naye asemaye kuwa mwenye haki hana haki: Bwana huwachukia sana wote wawili.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 Fedha ina faida gani mikononi mwa mpumbavu, wakati yeye hana haja ya kupata hekima?
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 Rafiki hupenda wakati wote naye ndugu amezaliwa kwa ajili ya wakati wa shida.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Mtu mjinga hupana mkono ili kuweka rehani, naye huweka dhamana kwa jirani yake.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 Yeye apendaye ugomvi apenda dhambi; naye ainuaye sana lango lake hutafuta uharibifu.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 Mtu mwenye moyo mpotovu hawezi kufanikiwa; naye ambaye ulimi wake ni mdanganyifu huanguka kwenye taabu.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 Kuwa na mwana mpumbavu huleta huzuni; hakuna furaha kwa baba wa mpumbavu.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Moyo wenye furaha ni dawa nzuri, bali roho iliyopondeka hukausha mifupa.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Mtu mwovu hukubali rushwa kwa siri ili kupotosha njia ya haki.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Mtu wa ufahamu huitazama hekima, lakini macho ya mpumbavu huhangaika hadi kwenye miisho ya dunia.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 Mwana mpumbavu huleta huzuni kwa baba yake na uchungu kwa yeye aliyemzaa.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Si vizuri kumwadhibu mtu asiye na hatia, au kuwapiga sana maafisa kwa ajili ya uadilifu wao.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Mtu mwenye maarifa hutumia maneno kwa kujizuia, naye mtu mwenye ufahamu ana moyo wa utulivu.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 Hata mtu mpumbavu hudhaniwa kuwa na hekima kama akinyamaza, na mwenye ufahamu kama akiuzuia ulimi wake.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
