Mithali 27
1 Usijisifu kwa ajili ya kesho, kwa kuwa hujui ni nini kitakachozaliwa kwa siku moja.
Do not boast about [what you will do] tomorrow, because you do not know what will happen [PRS] on any day.
2 Mwache mwingine akusifu, wala si kinywa chako mwenyewe; mtu mwingine afanye hivyo na si midomo yako mwenyewe.
Do not praise yourself [MTY, PRS]; allow others to praise you. If someone else praises you, that is okay.
3 Jiwe ni zito na mchanga ni mzigo, lakini kukasirishwa na mpumbavu ni kuzito kuliko vyote viwili.
[It causes pain to our bodies to carry heavy] stones or [a pail full of] sand, but doing something stupid/foolish [can cause] great [pain to other people’s spirits.]
4 Hasira ni ukatili na ghadhabu kali ni gharika, lakini ni nani awezaye kusimama mbele ya wivu?
It is cruel to be angry [with others], and our being angry sometimes destroys [others], but being jealous of someone is [RHQ] often more cruel than that.
5 Afadhali karipio la wazi kuliko upendo uliofichika.
It is better to correct someone openly than to show that you l don’t love that person [by not correcting him].
6 Majeraha kutoka kwa rafiki yaonyesha uaminifu, bali kubusu kwa adui ni kwingi sana.
If a friend criticizes you, [he is a good friend and] you can trust him; but if one of your enemies kisses you, he is [probably wanting to] deceive you.
7 Yeye aliyeshiba huchukia kabisa asali, bali kwa mwenye njaa hata kile kilicho kichungu kwake ni kitamu.
When someone’s stomach is full, he does not want to eat honey; but when someone is [very] hungry, he thinks that [even] bitter things taste sweet.
8 Kama ndege atangatangavyo mbali na kiota chake, ndivyo alivyo mtu atangatangaye mbali na nyumbani mwake.
Anyone who wanders [far] from his home/family is like [SIM] a bird that is far from its nest.
9 Manukato na uvumba huleta furaha moyoni, nao uzuri wa rafiki huchipuka kutoka kwenye ushauri wake wa uaminifu.
[Putting olive] oil and perfume on a person’s skin causes him to feel good, but having a friend [who gives] good advice [is even better].
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 neglect your friends or your parents’ friends; and at a time when you are experiencing a disaster, do not go to a relative [who lives far away to request his help]; someone who lives near you can help you more than relatives who live far away.
11 Mwanangu, uwe na hekima, nawe ulete furaha moyoni mwangu, ndipo nitakapoweza kumjibu yeyote anitendaye kwa dharau.
My child/son, cause me to be happy by becoming wise, in order that I will [know how to] reply to those who would criticize me [about your behavior].
12 Mtu mwenye busara huona hatari na kujificha, bali mjinga huendelea mbele nayo ikamtesa.
Those who have good sense will realize that there is something dangerous ahead, and they will hide; those who do not have good sense [just] keep going, and later they will suffer because of [doing] that.
13 Chukua vazi la yule awekaye dhamana kwa ajili ya mgeni; lishikilie iwe dhamana kama anafanya hivyo kwa ajili ya mwanamke mpotovu.
[You deserve to] have your property taken from you if you [foolishly] promise to a stranger (OR, a strange woman) that you will pay what she owes if she is unable to pay it [DOU].
14 Kama mtu akimbariki jirani yake kwa sauti kuu asubuhi na mapema, itahesabiwa kama ni laana.
If you rise early in the morning and call out a greeting to your neighbor [while he is still sleeping], he will consider it to be a curse, [not a blessing].
15 Mke mgomvi ni kama matone yasiyokoma ya siku ya mvua.
[Having] a wife that is [constantly] nagging is as [bad as listening] to rain continually dripping on a rainy day.
16 Kumzuia yeye ni kama kuuzuia upepo au kukamata mafuta kwa kiganja cha mkono.
[Trying] to restrain/stop her [from doing that] is as [difficult] [SIM] [as trying] to stop the wind or [trying] to hold oil in your hand.
17 Kama vile chuma kinoavyo chuma, ndivyo mtu amnoavyo mwenzake.
[We can use one] iron tool to sharpen [another] iron [tool]; similarly [SIM], [when one person shares] what he is thinking, it can help other people [to think more clearly].
18 Yeye autunzaye mtini atakula tunda lake, naye amtunzaye bwana wake ataheshimiwa.
Those who take care of fig trees will have figs to eat; [similarly], servants who protect their master will be honored [by him].
19 Kama uso uonekanavyo kwenye maji, ndivyo hivyo moyo wa mtu humwonyesha alivyo.
[When a person looks] in the water, he sees his own face; similarly [SIM], [when we look at] a person’s behavior, we know what he is thinking.
[It is as though] the place where the dead people are is always wanting more people to [die and] come there; and humans [SYN] are always wanting to acquire more things, [too]. (Sheol h7585)
21 Kalibu ni kwa ajili ya fedha na tanuru kwa ajili ya dhahabu, bali mtu hupimwa kwa sifa azipokeazo.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and [SIM] people learn [what we are really like when they see how we react when people] praise us.
22 Hata ukimtwanga mpumbavu kwenye kinu, ukimtwanga kama nafaka kwa mchi, hutauondoa upumbavu wake.
Even if you beat/crush a fool severely [like] [MET] you pulverize grain with a pestle, you [probably] will not be able to cause him to stop (being foolish/doing foolish things).
23 Hakikisha kuwa unajua hali ya makundi yako ya kondoo na mbuzi, angalia kwa bidii ngʼombe zako.
Take good care of your flocks of sheep and herds of cattle,
24 Kwa kuwa utajiri haudumu milele, nayo taji haidumu vizazi vyote.
because the money [that you acquired from selling animals previously] will not (last/stay with you) forever; similarly [SIM], governments [MTY] certainly do not [RHQ] last forever.
25 Wakati majani makavu yameondolewa na mapya yamechipua, nayo majani toka milimani yamekusanywa,
After you cut the hay [DOU] and [store it to feed the animals in the winter while] a new crop of hay is growing,
26 wana-kondoo watakupatia mavazi na mbuzi thamani ya shamba.
you will be able to [shear the sheep and] make clothes from the wool, and you will get money from selling [some of] the goats to buy [more] land,
27 Utakuwa na maziwa mengi ya mbuzi kukulisha wewe na jamaa yako, na kuwalisha watumishi wako wa kike.
and you will get enough milk from the [other] goats for you and your family and your female servants.
