Mithali 27
1 Usijisifu kwa ajili ya kesho, kwa kuwa hujui ni nini kitakachozaliwa kwa siku moja.
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what the future day may bring.
2 Mwache mwingine akusifu, wala si kinywa chako mwenyewe; mtu mwingine afanye hivyo na si midomo yako mwenyewe.
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth: an outsider, and not your own lips.
3 Jiwe ni zito na mchanga ni mzigo, lakini kukasirishwa na mpumbavu ni kuzito kuliko vyote viwili.
A stone is weighty, and sand is burdensome; but the wrath of the foolish is heavier than both.
4 Hasira ni ukatili na ghadhabu kali ni gharika, lakini ni nani awezaye kusimama mbele ya wivu?
Anger holds no mercy, nor does fury when it erupts. And who can bear the assault of one who has been provoked?
5 Afadhali karipio la wazi kuliko upendo uliofichika.
An open rebuke is better than hidden love.
6 Majeraha kutoka kwa rafiki yaonyesha uaminifu, bali kubusu kwa adui ni kwingi sana.
The wounds of a loved one are better than the deceitful kisses of a hateful one.
7 Yeye aliyeshiba huchukia kabisa asali, bali kwa mwenye njaa hata kile kilicho kichungu kwake ni kitamu.
A sated soul will trample the honeycomb. And a hungry soul will accept even bitter in place of sweet.
8 Kama ndege atangatangavyo mbali na kiota chake, ndivyo alivyo mtu atangatangaye mbali na nyumbani mwake.
Just like a bird migrating from her nest, so also is a man who abandons his place.
9 Manukato na uvumba huleta furaha moyoni, nao uzuri wa rafiki huchipuka kutoka kwenye ushauri wake wa uaminifu.
Ointment and various perfumes delight the heart. And the good advice of a friend is sweet to the soul.
10 Usimwache rafiki yako wala rafiki wa baba yako, tena usiende nyumbani mwa ndugu yako wakati umepatwa na maafa. Bora jirani wa karibu kuliko ndugu aliye mbali.
Do not dismiss your friend or your father’s friend. And do not enter your brother’s house in the day of your affliction. A close neighbor is better than a distant brother.
11 Mwanangu, uwe na hekima, nawe ulete furaha moyoni mwangu, ndipo nitakapoweza kumjibu yeyote anitendaye kwa dharau.
My son, study wisdom, and rejoice my heart, so that you may be able to respond to the one who reproaches.
12 Mtu mwenye busara huona hatari na kujificha, bali mjinga huendelea mbele nayo ikamtesa.
The discerning man, seeing evil, hides himself. The little ones, continuing on, sustain losses.
13 Chukua vazi la yule awekaye dhamana kwa ajili ya mgeni; lishikilie iwe dhamana kama anafanya hivyo kwa ajili ya mwanamke mpotovu.
Take away the garment of him who has vouched for an outsider. And take a pledge from him on behalf of foreigners.
14 Kama mtu akimbariki jirani yake kwa sauti kuu asubuhi na mapema, itahesabiwa kama ni laana.
Whoever blesses his neighbor with a grand voice, rising in the night, shall be like one who curses.
15 Mke mgomvi ni kama matone yasiyokoma ya siku ya mvua.
A roof leaking on a cold day, and an argumentative woman, are comparable.
16 Kumzuia yeye ni kama kuuzuia upepo au kukamata mafuta kwa kiganja cha mkono.
He who would restrain her, he is like one who would grasp the wind, or who would gather together oil with his right hand.
17 Kama vile chuma kinoavyo chuma, ndivyo mtu amnoavyo mwenzake.
Iron sharpens iron, and a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
18 Yeye autunzaye mtini atakula tunda lake, naye amtunzaye bwana wake ataheshimiwa.
Whoever maintains the fig tree shall eat its fruit. And whoever is the keeper of his master shall be glorified.
19 Kama uso uonekanavyo kwenye maji, ndivyo hivyo moyo wa mtu humwonyesha alivyo.
In the manner of faces looking into shining water, so are the hearts of men made manifest to the prudent.
Hell and perdition are never filled; similarly the eyes of men are insatiable. (Sheol h7585)
21 Kalibu ni kwa ajili ya fedha na tanuru kwa ajili ya dhahabu, bali mtu hupimwa kwa sifa azipokeazo.
In the manner of silver being tested in the refinery, and gold in the furnace, so also is a man tested by the mouth of one who praises. The heart of the iniquitous inquires after evils, but the heart of the righteous inquires after knowledge.
22 Hata ukimtwanga mpumbavu kwenye kinu, ukimtwanga kama nafaka kwa mchi, hutauondoa upumbavu wake.
Even if you were to crush the foolish with a mortar, as when a pestle strikes over pearled barley, his foolishness would not be taken from him.
23 Hakikisha kuwa unajua hali ya makundi yako ya kondoo na mbuzi, angalia kwa bidii ngʼombe zako.
Be diligent to know the countenance of your cattle, and consider your own flocks,
24 Kwa kuwa utajiri haudumu milele, nayo taji haidumu vizazi vyote.
for you will not always hold this power. But a crown shall be awarded from generation to generation.
25 Wakati majani makavu yameondolewa na mapya yamechipua, nayo majani toka milimani yamekusanywa,
The meadows are open, and the green plants have appeared, and the hay has been collected from the mountains.
26 wana-kondoo watakupatia mavazi na mbuzi thamani ya shamba.
Lambs are for your clothing, and goats are for the price of a field.
27 Utakuwa na maziwa mengi ya mbuzi kukulisha wewe na jamaa yako, na kuwalisha watumishi wako wa kike.
Let the milk of goats be sufficient for your food, and for the necessities of your household, and for the provisions of your handmaids.
