Mithali 28
1 Mtu mwovu hukimbia ingawa hakuna yeyote anayemfukuza, bali wenye haki ni wajasiri kama simba.
Wicked [people] run away [even] when no one is pursuing them, but righteous/good [people are not afraid]; they are as brave as lions.
2 Wakati nchi inapokuwa na uasi, inakuwa na viongozi wengi, bali mwenye ufahamu na maarifa hudumisha utaratibu.
When [the people of] a nation sin, they will have one ruler after another; but when their leaders are wise and have good sense, their government will last for a long time.
3 Mtu maskini amwoneaye yeye aliye maskini zaidi ni kama mvua ya dhoruba isiyosaza mazao.
A poor person who oppresses [other] poor [people] is [like] [MET] a very heavy/hard rain that [destroys the crops], with the result that there is no food [for people to eat].
4 Wale waiachao sheria huwasifu waovu, bali wale waishikao sheria huwapinga.
Those who reject/disobey [God’s] laws always speak well of wicked [people]; but those who obey [God’s] laws [always] oppose what wicked people do.
5 Watu wabaya hawaelewi haki, bali wale wamtafutao Bwana wanaielewa kikamilifu.
Evil people do not understand what it means to act justly, but those who try to obey/worship Yahweh understand that very well.
6 Afadhali maskini ambaye mwenendo wake hauna lawama kuliko tajiri ambaye njia zake ni potovu.
It is better to be honest [even] though you are poor than to be dishonest [even] though you are rich.
7 Yeye ashikaye sheria ni mwana mwenye ufahamu, bali rafiki wa walafi humwaibisha baba yake.
Young people who obey the laws are wise [IDM]; parents whose children associate with those who (carouse/go to wild parties) are humiliated/disgraced because of what their children do.
8 Yeye aongezaye utajiri wake kwa riba kubwa mno hukusanya kwa ajili ya mwingine, ambaye atawahurumia maskini.
When people become very rich by charging very high interest [DOU], their money will [eventually] go to someone who does kind things for the poor.
9 Kama mtu yeyote akikataa kusikia sheria, hata maombi yake ni chukizo.
If people do not obey [MTY] [God’s] laws, [God] (detests their prayers/considers that their prayers stink).
10 Yeye ambaye humwongoza mwenye haki kwenye mapito mabaya, ataanguka kwenye mtego wake mwenyewe, bali wasio na lawama watapokea urithi mwema.
Those who cause honest/good [people] to do what is evil will fall into their own pits/traps, but good things will happen to those who (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
11 Mtu tajiri anaweza kuwa na hekima machoni pake mwenyewe, bali mtu maskini mwenye ufahamu atamfichua.
[Many] rich people think that they are wise, but poor people who have good sense will find out whether rich people really are wise or not.
12 Mwenye haki ashindapo, kuna furaha kubwa, bali waovu watawalapo, watu hujificha.
When righteous/good [people] (succeed/win [elections]), everyone (celebrates/is happy); but when wicked [people win], everyone hides [because they are afraid of what the wicked people will do].
13 Yeye afichaye dhambi zake hatafanikiwa, bali yeyote aziungamaye na kuziacha hupata rehema.
Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper, but [God] acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.
14 Amebarikiwa mtu ambaye siku zote humcha Bwana, bali yeye afanyaye moyo wake kuwa mgumu huangukia kwenye taabu.
[God] is pleased with those who always revere him, but those who are stubborn [IDM] will experience disasters.
15 Kama simba angurumaye au dubu ashambuliaye, ndivyo alivyo mtu mwovu atawalaye wanyonge.
Wicked people who [mistreat] poor people whom they rule are [as dangerous to them as] [SIM] a lion roaring [at them] or a bear springing up [to attack them].
16 Mtawala dhalimu hana akili, bali yeye achukiaye mapato ya udhalimu atafurahia maisha marefu.
Rulers who do not have good sense cruelly oppress [the people they rule], but rulers who do not want to become rich by cheating/deceiving [people] will live (OR, rule) for a long time.
17 Mtu mwenye kusumbuliwa na hatia ya kuua atakuwa mtoro mpaka kufa; mtu yeyote na asimsaidie.
Those who are guilty of murdering [MTY] another person will (be fugitives/keep running away) until they die; do not help them to escape.
18 Yeye ambaye mwenendo wake hauna lawama hulindwa salama, bali yeye ambaye njia zake ni potovu ataanguka ghafula.
Those who [continually] do what is right will be safe/protected, but those who are dishonest will [suddenly] be ruined.
19 Yeye alimaye shamba lake atakuwa na chakula tele, bali yule afuataye mambo ya upuzi atakuwa na umaskini wa kumtosha.
Farmers who work [hard] in their fields will [produce good crops and always] have plenty of food [to eat], but those who spend all their time (on useless projects/doing things that do not benefit anyone) will become very poor.
20 Mtu mwaminifu atabarikiwa sana, bali yeye atamaniye kupata utajiri kwa haraka hataacha kuadhibiwa.
[God] will greatly bless those who (are trustworthy/always do what they say that they will do), but he will certainly punish [LIT] those who try to become rich quickly.
21 Kuonyesha upendeleo si vizuri, hata hivyo mtu atafanya kosa kwa kipande cha mkate.
It is not good [for judges] to decide matters unfairly/unjustly, but [some] people will do what is wrong [even] if they receive [only] a very small bribe [HYP] [for doing it].
22 Mtu mchoyo ana tamaa ya kupata utajiri, naye hana habari kuwa umaskini unamngojea.
Selfish people [IDM] are very eager to become rich quickly; they do not realize that they will [soon] become poor.
23 Yeye amkemeaye mtu mwishoni hupata kibali zaidi, kuliko mwenye maneno ya kusifu isivyostahili.
Those who rebuke someone will be appreciated/thanked more than those who [say nice things to others merely] to (flatter them/cause them to feel good).
24 Yeye amwibiaye babaye au mamaye na kusema, “Si kosa,” yeye ni mwenzi wa yule aharibuye.
Anyone who steals things from his father or his mother and says “That is not sinful” is as bad as a bandit.
25 Mtu mwenye tamaa huchochea fitina, bali yule amtegemeaye Bwana atafanikiwa.
Greedy people cause trouble/strife; those who trust in Yahweh will prosper [IDM].
26 Yeye ajitumainiaye mwenyewe ni mpumbavu, bali yeye atembeaye katika hekima hulindwa salama.
Those who believe that what they think [is always right] are foolish; those who act wisely will (escape danger/be safe).
27 Yeye ampaye maskini hatapungukiwa na kitu chochote, bali yeye awafumbiaye maskini macho hupata laana nyingi.
Those who give things to poor [people] will not become poor, but many [people] will curse those who refuse to help [IDM] poor people.
28 Wakati waovu watawalapo, watu huenda mafichoni, bali waovu wanapoangamia, wenye haki hufanikiwa.
When wicked [people] become rulers, people hide [because they are afraid of what those wicked people will do]; but when wicked people are no longer rulers, good/righteous [people will] become the rulers.
