Mithali 30
1 Misemo ya Aguri mwana wa Yake, usia: Huyu mtu alimwambia Ithieli, naam, kwa Ithieli na kwa Ukali:
These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 “Mimi ni mjinga kuliko wanadamu wote; sina ufahamu wa kibinadamu.
It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.
3 Sijajifunza hekima, wala sina maarifa ya kumjua yeye Aliye Mtakatifu.
I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.
4 Ni nani ameshapanda mbinguni na kushuka? Ni nani ameshakusanya upepo kwenye vitanga vya mikono yake? Ni nani ameshafungia maji kwenye nguo yake? Ni nani ameimarisha miisho yote ya dunia? Jina lake ni nani, na mwanawe anaitwa nani? Niambie kama unajua!
[But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].
5 “Kila neno la Mungu ni kamilifu; yeye ni ngao kwa wale wanaomkimbilia.
Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.
6 Usiongeze kwenye maneno yake, ama atakukemea na kukuthibitisha kuwa mwongo.
Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.
7 “Ninakuomba vitu viwili, Ee Bwana; usininyime kabla sijafa:
[God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them before I die:
8 Uutenge mbali nami udanganyifu na uongo; usinipe umaskini wala utajiri, bali unipe chakula cha kunitosha kila siku.
Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;
9 Nisije nikawa na vingi vya kuzidi nikakukana na kusema, ‘Bwana ni nani?’ Au nisije nikawa maskini nikaiba, nami nikaliaibisha jina la Mungu wangu.
because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.
10 “Usimchongee mtumishi kwa bwana wake, asije akakulaani, ukapatilizwa kwalo.
Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.
11 “Wako watu wale ambao huwalaani baba zao na wala hawawabariki mama zao;
[I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.
12 wale ambao ni safi machoni pao wenyewe kumbe hawakuoshwa uchafu wao;
Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.
13 wale ambao daima macho yao ni ya kiburi, ambao kutazama kwao ni kwa dharau;
Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.
14 wale ambao meno yao ni panga na ambao mataya yao yamewekwa visu kuwaangamiza maskini katika nchi, na wahitaji kutoka miongoni mwa wanadamu.
Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.
15 “Mruba anao binti wawili waliao, ‘Nipe! Nipe!’ “Kuna vitu vitatu visivyotosheka kamwe, naam, viko vinne visivyosema, ‘Yatosha!’:
Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:
16 Ni kaburi, tumbo lisilozaa, nchi isiyoshiba maji kamwe, na moto, usiosema kamwe, ‘Yatosha!’ (Sheol h7585)
The place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (Sheol h7585)
17 “Jicho lile limdhihakilo baba, lile linalodharau kumtii mama, litangʼolewa na kunguru wa bondeni, litaliwa na tai.
Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.
18 “Kuna vitu vitatu vinavyonishangaza sana, naam, vinne nisivyovielewa:
There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:
19 Ni mwendo wa tai katika anga, mwendo wa nyoka juu ya mwamba, mwendo wa meli katika maji makuu ya bahari, nao mwendo wa mtu pamoja na msichana.
How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.
20 “Huu ndio mwendo wa mwanamke mzinzi, hula akapangusa kinywa chake na kusema, ‘Sikufanya chochote kibaya.’
This is what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”
21 “Kwa mambo matatu nchi hutetemeka, naam, kwa mambo manne haiwezi kuvumilia:
There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:
22 Mtumwa awapo mfalme, mpumbavu ashibapo chakula,
[What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,
23 mwanamke asiyependwa aolewapo, naye mtumishi wa kike achukuapo nafasi ya bibi yake.
[what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.
24 “Vitu vinne duniani vilivyo vidogo, lakini vina akili nyingi sana:
[There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:
25 Mchwa ni viumbe wenye nguvu ndogo, hata hivyo hujiwekea akiba ya chakula chao wakati wa kiangazi.
Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].
26 Pelele ni viumbe vyenye uwezo mdogo hata hivyo hujitengenezea nyumba zao kwenye miamba.
Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].
27 Nzige hawana mfalme, hata hivyo huenda pamoja vikosi vikosi.
Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.
28 Mjusi anaweza kushikwa kwa mkono, hata hivyo huonekana katika majumba ya kifalme.
Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.
29 “Viko vitu vitatu ambavyo vinapendeza katika mwendo wao, naam, vinne ambavyo hutembea kwa mwendo wa madaha:
[There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:
30 simba, mwenye nguvu miongoni mwa wanyama, asiyerudi nyuma kwa chochote;
Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;
31 jogoo atembeaye kwa maringo, pia beberu, naye mfalme pamoja na jeshi lake lililomzunguka.
male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.
32 “Ikiwa umefanya upumbavu na ukajitukuza mwenyewe, au kama umepanga mabaya, basi funika mdomo wako na mkono wako.
If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!
33 Kwa maana kama vile kusukasuka maziwa hutoa siagi, na pia kule kufinya pua hutoa damu, kadhalika kuchochea hasira hutokeza ugomvi.”
If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.
