Mithali 19
1 Afadhali mtu maskini ambaye mwenendo wake hauna lawama, kuliko mpumbavu ambaye midomo yake imepotoka.
Conducting our lives as we should [even though] we are poor is better than being foolish and telling lies.
2 Sio vizuri kuwa na juhudi bila maarifa, wala kufanya haraka na kuikosa njia.
Being enthusiastic but not thinking carefully [about what we are about to do] is not good; doing things hastily can cause us a lot of trouble [IDM].
3 Upumbavu wa mtu mwenyewe huharibu maisha yake hata hivyo moyo wake humkasirikia Bwana.
Some people are ruined as a result of their [own] foolish actions, and when that happens, they [SYN] angrily say that it is Yahweh’s fault.
4 Mali huleta marafiki wengi, bali rafiki wa mtu maskini humwacha.
Those who are rich easily find people who want to be their friends, but when [people become] poor, their friends [often] desert them.
5 Shahidi wa uongo hataacha kuadhibiwa, naye amwagaye uongo hataachwa huru.
Those who tell lies in court will surely be punished [LIT]; they will not escape it.
6 Wengi hujipendekeza kwa mtawala na kila mmoja ni rafiki wa mtu atoaye zawadi.
Many [people] try to persuade important people to do favors for them; everyone [wants to] be a friend of those who give gifts.
7 Mtu maskini huepukwa na ndugu zake wote: Je, marafiki zake watamkwepa kiasi gani! Ingawa huwafuata kwa kuwasihi, hawapatikani popote.
[Even] the relatives of someone who becomes poor hate him, and his friends certainly stay away from him, too; [even] if he tries to talk with them, they will not be his friends [again].
8 Yeye apataye hekima huipenda nafsi yake mwenyewe, yeye ahifadhiye ufahamu hustawi.
Those who become wise [IDM] are doing a favor for themselves; those who get good sense will prosper.
9 Shahidi wa uongo hataacha kuadhibiwa, naye amwagaye uongo ataangamia.
Those who tell lies in court will certainly be punished [LIT]; they will be ruined.
10 Haistahili mpumbavu kuishi katika anasa, itakuwa vibaya kiasi gani kwa mtumwa kuwatawala wakuu.
It is not appropriate for foolish people to live (luxuriously/like rich people), and it is even less appropriate for slaves to rule important officials.
11 Hekima ya mtu humpa uvumilivu, ni kwa utukufu wake kusamehe makosa.
Those who have good sense do not quickly become angry; people respect those who ignore offensive [things that people say to them].
12 Ghadhabu ya mfalme ni kama mngurumo wa simba, bali wema wake ni kama umande juu ya nyasi.
When a king is angry, [that causes people to be afraid of him], like the roar of a lion [causes people to be afraid] [SIM], but if he acts kindly toward people, [they like it just] like [they like] dew on the grass [in the morning].
13 Mwana mpumbavu ni maangamizi ya babaye, naye mke mgomvi ni kama kutonatona kusikoisha.
Foolish children [can] cause disasters to happen to their parents. A wife who constantly (nags/quarrels with) [her husband is as annoying as] water that continually drips [MET].
14 Nyumba na mali hurithiwa kutoka kwa wazazi, bali mke mwenye busara hutoka kwa Bwana.
We [can] inherit a house or money from our parents [when they die], but only Yahweh [can] give someone a sensible wife.
15 Uvivu huleta usingizi mzito, naye mtu mzembe huona njaa.
Those who are lazy sleep soundly, but if they are lazy, they will be hungry [because of not earning money to buy food].
16 Yeye ambaye hutii mafundisho huulinda uhai wake, bali yeye anayezidharau njia zake atakufa.
Those who obey [God’s] commandments will remain alive [for a long time]; those who despise/disobey them (OR, those who do not control their own conduct) will die [while they are still young].
17 Yeye amhurumiaye maskini humkopesha Bwana, naye atamtuza kwa aliyotenda.
When we give things to poor [people], [it is as though] we are lending to Yahweh, and he will (pay us back/reward us for what we did).
18 Mrudi mwanao, kwa maana katika hiyo kuna tumaini, usiwe mshirika katika mauti yake.
Discipline your children while [they are young], while you still hope that [they will learn to behave as they should]; [if you do not discipline them], you are helping them to destroy [themselves].
19 Mtu mwenye kukasirika haraka ni lazima atapata adhabu yake, kama utamwokoa, itakubidi kufanya hivyo tena.
Those who (do not control their temper/quickly become very angry) will have to endure what happens as a result; [but] if we rescue them [from those troubles once], we will have to continue rescuing them.
20 Sikiliza mashauri na ukubali mafundisho, nawe mwishoni utakuwa na hekima.
Pay attention when [people give you good] advice and learn from them, in order that you will become wise for the rest of your life.
21 Kuna mipango mingi ndani ya moyo wa mtu, lakini kusudi la Bwana ndilo litakalosimama.
People plan to do many [kinds of things], but what will happen is what Yahweh has decided will happen.
22 Lile mtu alionealo shauku ni upendo usio na mwisho, afadhali kuwa maskini kuliko kuwa mwongo.
People want others to be loyal to them; it is better to be poor than to tell a lie [to a judge in court in order to get money].
23 Kumcha Bwana huongoza kwenye uzima, kisha mtu hupumzika akiwa ameridhika, bila kuguswa na shida.
[Those who have] an awesome respect for Yahweh will live [a long life]; they rest peacefully and are not harmed [during the night].
24 Mtu mvivu hutumbukiza mkono wake kwenye sahani, lakini hawezi hata kuupeleka kwenye kinywa chake!
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to take some food] but do not even lift the food up to their mouths.
25 Mpige mwenye mzaha, naye mjinga atajifunza busara, mkemee mwenye ufahamu naye atapata maarifa.
If you punish someone who makes fun of those who are wise, those who (are naive/need to be instructed) will learn to do what is smart; if you rebuke those who are wise, they will [listen to what you say and] become wiser.
26 Yeye amwibiaye baba yake na kumfukuza mama yake ni mwana aletaye aibu na fedheha.
Anyone who mistreats/abuses his father or forces his mother to leave the home is a child who is acting shamefully and disgracefully.
27 Mwanangu, ukiacha kusikiliza mafundisho, utatangatanga mbali na maneno ya maarifa.
My son, if you stop learning things, you will [soon] forget what [you already] know.
28 Shahidi mla rushwa hudhihaki hukumu na kinywa cha mtu mwovu humeza ubaya kwa upesi.
Worthless witnesses [in court] make fun of [judges who try to] make fair decisions, and wicked people [enjoy] doing evil [like] they enjoy eating [good food] [MET].
29 Adhabu zimeandaliwa kwa ajili ya wenye dhihaka na mapigo kwa ajili ya migongo ya wapumbavu.
[God] is ready to punish those who make fun [of him/religion]; those who do foolish things deserve to be flogged/whipped.
