Mithali 23
1 Uketipo kula chakula na mtawala, angalia vyema kile kilicho mbele yako,
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well him that is before thee;
2 na utie kisu kooni mwako kama ukiwa mlafi.
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Usitamani vyakula vyake vitamu kwa kuwa chakula hicho ni cha hila.
Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food.
4 Usijitaabishe ili kuupata utajiri, uwe na hekima kuonyesha kujizuia.
Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Kufumba na kufumbua utajiri hutoweka, huwa kama umepata mabawa ghafula, ukaruka na kutoweka angani kama tai.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
6 Usile chakula cha mtu mchoyo, usitamani vyakula vyake vitamu,
Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties;
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 one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: 'Eat and drink', saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Utatapika kile kidogo ulichokula, nawe utakuwa umepoteza bure maneno yako ya kumsifu.
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Usizungumze na mpumbavu, kwa maana atadhihaki hekima ya maneno yako.
Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Usisogeze jiwe la mpaka wa zamani wala kunyemelea kwenye mashamba ya yatima,
Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless;
11 kwa kuwa Mtetezi wao ni mwenye nguvu, atalichukua shauri lao dhidi yako.
For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with thee.
12 Elekeza moyo wako kwenye mafundisho na masikio yako kwenye maneno ya maarifa.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Usimnyime mtoto adhabu, ukimwadhibu kwa fimbo, hatakufa.
Withhold not correction from the child; for though thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou beatest him with the rod, and wilt deliver his soul from the nether-world. (Sheol h7585)
15 Mwanangu, kama moyo wako una hekima, basi moyo wangu utafurahi,
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;
16 utu wangu wa ndani utafurahi, wakati midomo yako itakapozungumza lililo sawa.
Yea, my reins will rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Usiuruhusu moyo wako kuwaonea wivu wenye dhambi, bali kila mara uwe na bidii katika kumcha Bwana.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all the day;
18 Hakika kuna tumaini la baadaye kwa ajili yako, nalo tarajio lako halitakatiliwa mbali.
For surely there is a future; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Sikiliza, mwanangu na uwe na hekima, weka moyo wako kwenye njia iliyo sawa.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
20 Usiwe miongoni mwa wanywao mvinyo, au wale walao nyama kwa pupa,
Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of flesh;
21 kwa maana walevi na walafi huwa maskini, nako kusinzia huwavika matambara.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22 Msikilize baba yako, aliyekuzaa, wala usimdharau mama yako atakapokuwa mzee.
Hearken unto thy father that begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Nunua kweli wala usiiuze, pata hekima, adabu na ufahamu.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 Baba wa mwenye haki ana furaha kubwa, naye aliye na mwana mwenye hekima humfurahia.
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
25 Baba yako na mama yako na wafurahi, mama aliyekuzaa na ashangilie!
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
26 Mwanangu, nipe moyo wako, macho yako na yafuate njia zangu,
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 kwa maana kahaba ni shimo refu na mwanamke mpotovu ni kisima chembamba.
For a harlot is a deep ditch; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.
28 Kama mnyangʼanyi, hungojea akivizia, naye huzidisha wasio waaminifu miongoni mwa wanaume.
She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the faithless 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 crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? who hath contentions? who hath raving? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 Ni hao wakaao sana kwenye mvinyo, hao waendao kuonja mabakuli ya mvinyo uliochanganywa.
They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
31 Usiukodolee macho mvinyo wakati ukiwa mwekundu, wakati unapometameta kwenye bilauri, wakati ushukapo taratibu!
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it glideth down smoothly;
32 Mwishowe huuma kama nyoka na kutia sumu yake kama nyoka mwenye sumu.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.
33 Macho yako yataona mambo mageni na moyo wako kuwazia mambo yaliyopotoka.
Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter confused things.
34 Utakuwa kama alalaye katikati ya bahari, alalaye juu ya kamba ya merikebu.
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 Utasema, “Wamenipiga lakini sikuumia! Wamenichapa, lakini sisikii! Nitaamka lini ili nikanywe tena?”
'They have struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'
