Mithali 23
1 Uketipo kula chakula na mtawala, angalia vyema kile kilicho mbele yako,
When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;
2 na utie kisu kooni mwako kama ukiwa mlafi.
And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.
3 Usitamani vyakula vyake vitamu kwa kuwa chakula hicho ni cha hila.
Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.
4 Usijitaabishe ili kuupata utajiri, uwe na hekima kuonyesha kujizuia.
Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.
5 Kufumba na kufumbua utajiri hutoweka, huwa kama umepata mabawa ghafula, ukaruka na kutoweka angani kama tai.
Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.
6 Usile chakula cha mtu mchoyo, usitamani vyakula vyake vitamu,
Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:
7 kwa maana yeye ni aina ya mtu ambaye kila mara anafikiri juu ya gharama. Anakuambia, “Kula na kunywa,” lakini moyo wake hauko pamoja nawe.
For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.
8 Utatapika kile kidogo ulichokula, nawe utakuwa umepoteza bure maneno yako ya kumsifu.
The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.
9 Usizungumze na mpumbavu, kwa maana atadhihaki hekima ya maneno yako.
Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.
10 Usisogeze jiwe la mpaka wa zamani wala kunyemelea kwenye mashamba ya yatima,
Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;
11 kwa kuwa Mtetezi wao ni mwenye nguvu, atalichukua shauri lao dhidi yako.
For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.
12 Elekeza moyo wako kwenye mafundisho na masikio yako kwenye maneno ya maarifa.
Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Usimnyime mtoto adhabu, ukimwadhibu kwa fimbo, hatakufa.
Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.
Give him blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 Mwanangu, kama moyo wako una hekima, basi moyo wangu utafurahi,
My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;
16 utu wangu wa ndani utafurahi, wakati midomo yako itakapozungumza lililo sawa.
And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.
17 Usiuruhusu moyo wako kuwaonea wivu wenye dhambi, bali kila mara uwe na bidii katika kumcha Bwana.
Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;
18 Hakika kuna tumaini la baadaye kwa ajili yako, nalo tarajio lako halitakatiliwa mbali.
For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Sikiliza, mwanangu na uwe na hekima, weka moyo wako kwenye njia iliyo sawa.
Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.
20 Usiwe miongoni mwa wanywao mvinyo, au wale walao nyama kwa pupa,
Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:
21 kwa maana walevi na walafi huwa maskini, nako kusinzia huwavika matambara.
For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.
22 Msikilize baba yako, aliyekuzaa, wala usimdharau mama yako atakapokuwa mzee.
Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.
23 Nunua kweli wala usiiuze, pata hekima, adabu na ufahamu.
Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.
24 Baba wa mwenye haki ana furaha kubwa, naye aliye na mwana mwenye hekima humfurahia.
The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.
25 Baba yako na mama yako na wafurahi, mama aliyekuzaa na ashangilie!
Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.
26 Mwanangu, nipe moyo wako, macho yako na yafuate njia zangu,
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.
27 kwa maana kahaba ni shimo refu na mwanamke mpotovu ni kisima chembamba.
For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.
28 Kama mnyangʼanyi, hungojea akivizia, naye huzidisha wasio waaminifu miongoni mwa wanaume.
Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.
29 Ni nani mwenye ole? Ni nani mwenye huzuni? Ni nani mwenye ugomvi? Ni nani mwenye malalamiko? Ni nani aliye na majeraha yasiyo na sababu? Ni nani mwenye macho mekundu?
Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?
30 Ni hao wakaao sana kwenye mvinyo, hao waendao kuonja mabakuli ya mvinyo uliochanganywa.
Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.
31 Usiukodolee macho mvinyo wakati ukiwa mwekundu, wakati unapometameta kwenye bilauri, wakati ushukapo taratibu!
Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:
32 Mwishowe huuma kama nyoka na kutia sumu yake kama nyoka mwenye sumu.
In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.
33 Macho yako yataona mambo mageni na moyo wako kuwazia mambo yaliyopotoka.
Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.
34 Utakuwa kama alalaye katikati ya bahari, alalaye juu ya kamba ya merikebu.
Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.
35 Utasema, “Wamenipiga lakini sikuumia! Wamenichapa, lakini sisikii! Nitaamka lini ili nikanywe tena?”
They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.
