Mithali 23
1 Uketipo kula chakula na mtawala, angalia vyema kile kilicho mbele yako,
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider well what is before thee;
2 na utie kisu kooni mwako kama ukiwa mlafi.
For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man given to appetite!
3 Usitamani vyakula vyake vitamu kwa kuwa chakula hicho ni cha hila.
Long not for his dainties. For they are deceitful meat.
4 Usijitaabishe ili kuupata utajiri, uwe na hekima kuonyesha kujizuia.
Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
5 Kufumba na kufumbua utajiri hutoweka, huwa kama umepata mabawa ghafula, ukaruka na kutoweka angani kama tai.
Wilt thou let thine eyes fly toward them? They are gone! For riches truly make to themselves wings; They fly away like the eagle toward heaven.
6 Usile chakula cha mtu mchoyo, usitamani vyakula vyake vitamu,
Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for 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 he thinketh in his heart, 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, thou shalt vomit up; And thou wilt have thrown away 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 avenger is mighty; He will maintain their cause against thee.
12 Elekeza moyo wako kwenye mafundisho na masikio yako kwenye maneno ya maarifa.
Apply thy heart to instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Usimnyime mtoto adhabu, ukimwadhibu kwa fimbo, hatakufa.
Withhold not correction from a child; If thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Beat him thyself with the rod, And thou shalt rescue him from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 Mwanangu, kama moyo wako una hekima, basi moyo wangu utafurahi,
My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even mine;
16 utu wangu wa ndani utafurahi, wakati midomo yako itakapozungumza lililo sawa.
Yea, my reins shall exult, 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 continue thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long;
18 Hakika kuna tumaini la baadaye kwa ajili yako, nalo tarajio lako halitakatiliwa mbali.
For surely there shall be a reward, And thine expectation 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 let thy heart go forward in the way!
20 Usiwe miongoni mwa wanywao mvinyo, au wale walao nyama kwa pupa,
Be not thou among winebibbers, And riotous 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 will clothe a man with rags.
22 Msikilize baba yako, aliyekuzaa, wala usimdharau mama yako atakapokuwa mzee.
Hearken to thy father, who begat 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; Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding.
24 Baba wa mwenye haki ana furaha kubwa, naye aliye na mwana mwenye hekima humfurahia.
The father of a righteous man shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
25 Baba yako na mama yako na wafurahi, mama aliyekuzaa na ashangilie!
Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, 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; Yea, a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Kama mnyangʼanyi, hungojea akivizia, naye huzidisha wasio waaminifu miongoni mwa wanaume.
Like a robber she lieth in wait, And increaseth the treacherous 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 hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness 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 in to seek 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 sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth 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 an adder.
33 Macho yako yataona mambo mageni na moyo wako kuwazia mambo yaliyopotoka.
Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will utter perverse things.
34 Utakuwa kama alalaye katikati ya bahari, alalaye juu ya kamba ya merikebu.
Yea, thou shalt be as one that lieth down in the midst of the sea, And as one that lieth down upon the top of a mast.
35 Utasema, “Wamenipiga lakini sikuumia! Wamenichapa, lakini sisikii! Nitaamka lini ili nikanywe tena?”
They have stricken me [[shalt thou say]], —I suffered no pain! They have beaten me, —I felt it not! When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
