Mithali 24
1 Usiwaonee wivu watu waovu, usitamani ushirika nao;
Do not envy evil people; do not desire to associate with them,
2 kwa maana mioyo yao hupanga mambo ya jeuri, nayo midomo yao husema juu ya kuleta madhara.
because they are [constantly] thinking about acting violently, and whenever they speak [MTY], they talk about (causing trouble/hurting someone).
3 Kwa hekima nyumba hujengwa, nayo kwa njia ya ufahamu huimarishwa
People make good houses (OR, families) by doing what is wise, and they make their houses (OR, families) strong by [heeding] good advice.
4 kwa njia ya maarifa vyumba vyake hujazwa vitu vya thamani na vya kupendeza.
By using good sense, [they are able to buy] valuable and beautiful things and put them in the rooms of their houses.
5 Mtu mwenye hekima ana uwezo mkubwa, naye mtu mwenye maarifa huongeza nguvu,
Being wise is better than being strong/powerful; those who know [many things can accomplish more] than those who are [very] strong.
6 kwa kufanya vita unahitaji uongozi na kwa ushindi washauri wengi.
Leaders can fight battles if they have wise advisors, and they win those battles if they have many good advisors.
7 Hekima i juu mno kwa mpumbavu, katika kusanyiko langoni hana lolote la kusema.
Foolish people cannot understand wise sayings/talk; at public meetings they are not [able to] say anything [that is useful].
8 Yeye apangaye mabaya atajulikana kama mtu wa hila.
Those who are [always] planning to do evil things will be called troublemakers.
9 Mipango ya upumbavu ni dhambi, watu huchukizwa na mwenye dhihaka.
It is sinful to plan to do foolish things, and people hate those who make fun of [everything that is good].
10 Ukikata tamaa wakati wa taabu, jinsi gani nguvu zako ni kidogo!
If you [act as though] you are helpless when you have troubles, you are [truly very] weak.
11 Okoa wale wanaoongozwa kwenye kifo; wazuie wote wanaojikokota kuelekea machinjoni.
[If it is unjustly decided] that someone must be executed, [try hard to] rescue them [DOU].
12 Kama mkisema, “Lakini hatukujua lolote kuhusu hili,” je, yule apimaye mioyo halitambui hili? Je, yule awalindaye maisha yenu halijui hili? Je, hatamlipa kila mtu kulingana na aliyotenda?
If you say, “I did not know anything about it, [so (it is not my concern/I did not try to help him)],” remember that God knows what we have done, and he knows what we were thinking [IDM, RHQ], and he will certainly [RHQ] repay us as we deserve for what we have done or for not doing what we should have done.
13 Ule asali mwanangu, kwa kuwa ni nzuri; asali kutoka kwenye sega ni tamu kwa kuonja.
My child/son, eat honey, because it is good [for you]; the honey that drips from honeycombs tastes [very] sweet.
14 Ujue pia kwamba hekima ni tamu kwa nafsi yako, kama ukiipata, kuna matumaini kwako ya siku zijazo, nalo tumaini lako halitakatiliwa mbali.
Similarly, being wise is good for your soul; if you become wise, you will be [happy in] the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do [LIT].
15 Usivizie kama haramia afanyavyo ili kuyashambulia makao ya mwenye haki, wala usiyavamie makazi yake,
Do not be like wicked people who [hide and] wait to break into the houses of righteous/good [people] and rob/steal things.
16 Kwa maana ingawa mtu mwenye haki huanguka mara saba, huinuka tena, lakini waovu huangushwa chini na maafa.
[Even if] good people fall down seven/many times, they [always] stand/get up again, but when a disaster happens to wicked [people], it ruins/destroys them.
17 Usitazame kwa kufurahia adui yako aangukapo; wakati ajikwaapo, usiruhusu moyo wako ushangilie.
Do not be happy when something bad happens to one of your enemies; do not rejoice when he stumbles and falls,
18 Bwana asije akaona na kuchukia akaiondoa ghadhabu yake mbali naye.
because Yahweh will know what you are thinking, and he will not like it, and [as a result] he will not punish that enemy of yours.
19 Usikasirike kwa sababu ya watu wabaya wala usiwaonee wivu waovu,
Do not become angry/upset about those who do what is evil, and do not [SYN] envy them,
20 kwa maana mtu mbaya hana tumaini la siku zijazo, nayo taa ya waovu itazimwa.
because [nothing good] will happen to wicked people; they are [like] a lamp that will soon be extinguished [MET].
21 Mwanangu, mche Bwana na mfalme, wala usijiunge na waasi,
My child/son, revere Yahweh and [also] honor the king, and do not associate with people who want to rebel against either of them,
22 kwa maana hao wawili watatuma maangamizi ya ghafula juu yao, naye ni nani ajuaye maafa wawezayo kuleta?
because those people will suddenly experience disasters; and no one knows [RHQ] what great disasters that God or the king can cause to happen to them.
23 Hii pia ni misemo ya wenye hekima: Kuonyesha upendeleo katika hukumu si vyema:
Here are more things that wise [people] have said: It is wrong for judges to decide matters unfairly [IDM].
24 Yeyote amwambiaye mwenye hatia, “Wewe huna hatia,” Kabila zitamlaani na mataifa yatamkana.
If they say to people who are guilty, “You (are innocent/have not done something that is wrong),” [even] people in other nations will curse and despise them,
25 Bali itakuwa vyema kwa wale watakaowatia hatiani wenye hatia, nazo baraka tele zitawajilia juu yao.
but if judges say that guilty people must be punished, things will go well for those judges, and (they will receive blessings/God will bless them).
26 Jawabu la uaminifu ni kama busu la midomoni.
Those who answer others honestly show that they are truly their friends [IDM].
27 Maliza kazi zako za nje, nawe uweke mashamba yako tayari, baada ya hayo, jenga nyumba yako.
First, do the work [that needs to be done] outside [your house], and prepare your fields, [and then plant things], and after you finish doing that, build your house.
28 Usishuhudie dhidi ya jirani yako bila sababu, au kutumia midomo yako kudanganya.
[In the courtroom] do not testify against someone when you have no reason to do that, and do not [try to] deceive [people] by what you say [MTY].
29 Usiseme, “Nitamtenda kama alivyonitenda mimi; nitamlipiza mtu yule kwa kile alichonitendea.”
Do not say, “I will do to him what he did to me; I will pay him back for [the bad things that] he did to me.”
30 Nilipita karibu na shamba la mvivu, karibu na shamba la mizabibu la mtu asiye na akili,
One day I walked by the vineyards of a lazy man, a man who did not have good sense.
31 miiba ilikuwa imeota kila mahali, ardhi ilikuwa imefunikwa na magugu, na ukuta wa mawe ulikuwa umebomoka.
I was surprised to see that the fields were full of all kinds of thorny bushes, and the stone wall [around the garden] had (collapsed/fallen down).
32 Nikatafakari moyoni mwangu lile nililoliona, nami nikajifunza somo kutokana na niliyoyaona:
When I saw that, I thought about it, and I learned this:
33 Bado kulala kidogo, kusinzia kidogo, bado kukunja mikono kidogo upate kupumzika:
[If you spend a lot of time] sleeping and napping and folding your hands while you rest,
34 hivyo umaskini utakuja juu yako kama mnyangʼanyi, na kupungukiwa kutakujia kama mtu mwenye silaha.
[soon] you will become poor; [it will be as though] [PRS, SIM] a bandit who had a weapon in his hand [attacked you and stole all that you had].
