Mithali 26
1 Kama theluji wakati wa kiangazi au mvua wakati wa mavuno, ndivyo asivyostahili heshima mpumbavu.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Kama shomoro apigapigavyo mabawa yake au mbayuwayu katika kuruka kwake kasi, ndivyo ilivyo laana isiyo na sababu haimpati mtu.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Mjeledi kwa farasi, lijamu kwa punda, nayo fimbo kwa migongo ya wapumbavu!
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Usimjibu mpumbavu sawasawa na upumbavu wake, ama wewe mwenyewe utakuwa kama yeye.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Mjibu mpumbavu sawasawa na upumbavu wake, ama atakuwa mwenye hekima machoni pake mwenyewe.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Kama vile ilivyo kujikata miguu au kunywa hasara, ndivyo ilivyo kutuma ujumbe kwa mkono wa mpumbavu.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Kama miguu ya kiwete inavyoningʼinia ndivyo ilivyo mithali katika kinywa cha mpumbavu.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Kama kufunga jiwe kwenye kombeo, ndivyo ilivyo kumpa mpumbavu heshima.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Kama mwiba kwenye mkono wa mlevi ndivyo ilivyo mithali kinywani mwa mpumbavu.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Kama mpiga upinde ambaye hujeruhi ovyo, ndivyo alivyo yeye aajiriye mpumbavu au yeyote apitaye njiani.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Kama mbwa ayarudiavyo matapiko yake, ndivyo mpumbavu arudiavyo upumbavu wake.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Je, unamwona mtu ajionaye mwenye hekima machoni pake mwenyewe? Liko tumaini zaidi kwa mpumbavu kuliko kwake.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Mvivu husema, “Yuko simba barabarani, simba mkali anazunguka mitaa!”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Kama vile mlango ugeukavyo kwenye bawaba zake, ndivyo mvivu ajigeuzavyo kitandani mwake.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Mtu mvivu hutumbukiza mkono wake kwenye sahani, naye huchoka kuupeleka kwenye kinywa chake.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Mtu mvivu ni mwenye hekima machoni pake mwenyewe, kuliko watu saba wawezao kujibu kwa busara.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Kama yeye amkamataye mbwa kwa masikio, ndivyo alivyo mtu apitaye njiani na kujiingiza kwenye ugomvi usiomhusu.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Kama mtu mwendawazimu atupaye vijinga vya moto au mishale ya kufisha,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 ndivyo alivyo mtu amdanganyaye jirani yake na kusema, “Nilikuwa nikifanya mzaha tu!”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Bila kuni moto huzimika; pasipo uchongezi ugomvi humalizika.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Kama makaa juu ya makaa yanayowaka, na kama kuni kwenye moto, ndivyo alivyo mtu mgomvi kwa kuchochea ugomvi.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Maneno ya mchongezi ni kama chakula kitamu; huingia sehemu za ndani sana za mtu.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Kama rangi ingʼaayo iliyopakwa kwenye vyombo vya udongo ndivyo ilivyo midomo laini pamoja na moyo mbaya.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Mtu mwenye nia ya kudhuru wengine hujificha kwa maneno ya midomo yake, lakini moyoni mwake huficha udanganyifu.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Ingawa maneno yake huvutia, usimwamini, kwa maana machukizo saba hujaza moyo wake.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Nia yake ya kudhuru wengine inaweza kufichwa na udanganyifu, lakini uovu wake utafichuliwa kwenye kusanyiko.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Kama mtu akichimba shimo, atatumbukia ndani yake, kama mtu akivingirisha jiwe, litamrudia.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Ulimi wa uongo, huwachukia wale unaowaumiza, nacho kinywa cha kujipendekeza hutenda uharibifu.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
