Mithali 6
1 Mwanangu, kama umekuwa mdhamini wa jirani yako, ikiwa umeshika mikono kwa kuweka ahadi kwa ajili ya mwingine,
My son, if someone has borrowed money from a friend or a stranger, and if you have promised that you will pay the money back if that person is unable to pay back the money he borrowed,
2 kama umetegwa na ulichosema, umenaswa kwa maneno ya kinywa chako,
you may be trapped by what you have agreed to do, [because if the one who borrowed the money is not able to pay it back, you will have to pay it]. What you have said that you will do will be like a snare to you.
3 basi fanya hivi mwanangu, ili ujiweke huru, kwa kuwa umeanguka mikononi mwa jirani yako: Nenda ukajinyenyekeshe kwake; msihi jirani yako!
So, my son, I will tell you what you should do to escape from your difficulty, so that the moneylender does not get control over your [wealth: ] Humbly go to your friend and plead with him [to cancel the agreement]!
4 Usiruhusu usingizi machoni pako, usiruhusu kope zako zisinzie.
Do not wait until tomorrow; [go immediately]! Do not rest until you [go and talk with him].
5 Jiweke huru, kama swala mkononi mwa mwindaji, kama ndege kutoka kwenye mtego wa mwindaji.
Save yourself, like a deer that escapes from a deer hunter [or] like a bird that flees from a bird hunter.
6 Ewe mvivu, mwendee mchwa; zitafakari njia zake ukapate hekima!
You lazy individual, learn something from [watching] the ants. Become wise from observing what they do.
7 Kwa maana yeye hana msimamizi, wala mwangalizi, au mtawala,
They do not have a king or a governor or any [other] person who rules them [and forces them to work],
8 lakini hujiwekea akiba wakati wa kiangazi na hukusanya chakula chake wakati wa mavuno.
[but] they work hard [all] during the summer, gathering and storing food to eat during the winter.
9 Ewe mvivu, utalala hata lini? Utaamka lini kutoka usingizi wako?
[But], you lazy loafer, how long will you [continue to] sleep [RHQ]? Are you never going to get up from sleeping [and go to work]?
10 Bado kulala kidogo, kusinzia kidogo, bado kukunja mikono kidogo upate kupumzika:
You sleep a for a little time; [you say, “I will take] just a short nap.” You lie down and fold/lay your hands [across your chest] and rest;
11 hivyo umaskini utakuja juu yako kama mnyangʼanyi, na kupungukiwa kutakujia kama mtu mwenye silaha.
and suddenly you will become poor. It will be as though a bandit suddenly comes and takes all that you have.
12 Mtu mbaya sana na mlaghai, ambaye huzungukazunguka na maneno ya upotovu,
[I will describe for you what] worthless and evil people [are like]. They constantly lie;
13 ambaye anakonyeza kwa jicho lake, anayetoa ishara kwa miguu yake na kuashiria kwa vidole vyake,
by winking their eyes and moving their feet and making signs with their fingers, they signal [to their friends what they are intending/planning to do].
14 ambaye hupanga ubaya kwa udanganyifu moyoni mwake: daima huchochea fitina.
They plan to do evil things. They constantly cause strife/trouble.
15 Kwa hiyo maafa yatamkumba ghafula; ataangamizwa mara, pasipo msaada.
But disasters will hit them suddenly; they will be crushed/ruined and nothing will be able to heal them.
16 Kuna vitu sita anavyovichukia Bwana, naam, viko saba vilivyo chukizo kwake:
There are six, [maybe] seven, kinds of people that Yahweh hates. [They are]:
17 macho ya kiburi, ulimi udanganyao, mikono imwagayo damu isiyo na hatia,
People who show by their eyes that they are very proud; people who lie [MTY]; people [SYN] who kill others [SYN] who have done nothing wrong;
18 moyo uwazao mipango miovu, miguu iliyo myepesi kukimbilia uovu,
people who plan to do evil deeds; people [SYN] who run quickly to do wrong things;
19 shahidi wa uongo ambaye humwaga uongo, na mtu ambaye huchochea fitina kati ya ndugu.
people who easily tell lies in court; and people who cause strife between family members.
20 Mwanangu, zishike amri za baba yako, wala usiyaache mafundisho ya mama yako.
My son, obey my commands, and do not ignore what your mother has taught you.
21 Yafunge katika moyo wako daima, yakaze kuizunguka shingo yako.
Remember the things that we have said. Those things should be [like a beautiful necklace] around your neck.
22 Wakati utembeapo, yatakuongoza; wakati ulalapo, yatakulinda; wakati uamkapo, yatazungumza nawe.
[If you follow our advice, it will be as though] what we have taught you [PRS] will lead you, wherever you go. When you sleep, they will protect you. And when you wake up in the morning, they will teach/instruct you.
23 Kwa maana amri hizi ni taa, mafundisho haya ni mwanga na maonyo ya maadili ni njia ya uzima,
These commands and what we teach you [will be like] a lamp to light your path [MET]. When we rebuke you and correct/punish you, we will be showing you the road to having [a good] life.
24 yakikulinda na mwanamke aliyepotoka, kutokana na maneno laini ya mwanamke aliyepotoka.
Heeding [PRS] these commands and things that we have taught you will enable you to keep away from immoral women and from [listening to] the enticing words of an adulterous woman.
25 Moyo wako usitamani uzuri wake wala macho yake yasikuteke,
[Even] if such a woman is beautiful and has lovely eyes, do not desire to go with her. Do not let her persuade you to go with her (with her eyes/by the way she looks at you).
26 kwa maana kahaba atakufanya uwe maskini, hata ukose kipande cha mkate, naye mwanamke mzinzi huwinda maisha yako hasa.
[Do not forget that] you can hire a prostitute for only a loaf of bread, but [if you sleep with] another man’s wife, (it may cost you/you may lose) your life.
27 Je, mtu aweza kuchotea moto kwenye paja lake bila nguo zake kuungua?
Can you carry hot coals in your pocket and not be burned [RHQ]?
28 Je, mtu aweza kutembea juu ya makaa ya moto yanayowaka bila miguu yake kuungua?
Can you walk on burning coals and not scorch/burn your feet?
29 Ndivyo alivyo mtu alalaye na mke wa mwanaume mwingine; hakuna yeyote amgusaye huyo mwanamke ambaye hataadhibiwa.
[No]! And in the same way, anyone who (sleeps with/has sex with) another man’s wife will [suffer for doing that]. [He will certainly] [LIT] be punished severely.
30 Watu hawamdharau mwizi kama akiiba kukidhi njaa yake wakati ana njaa.
We do not despise a thief if he steals some food because he is very hungry.
31 Pamoja na hayo, kama akikamatwa, lazima alipe mara saba, ingawa inamgharimu utajiri wote wa nyumba yake.
But [if he steals something and then] is caught [by the police], he will have to pay back (seven times as much as/much more than) he stole. He may need to sell everything that is in his house [to get enough money to pay it back].
32 Lakini mwanaume aziniye na mwanamke hana akili kabisa; yeyote afanyaye hivyo hujiangamiza mwenyewe.
[But] a man who commits adultery with some woman is very foolish, [because] he is destroying his own self/soul [by what he is doing].
33 Mapigo na aibu ni fungu lake na aibu yake haitafutika kamwe;
[That woman’s husband] will wound him badly, and [other people] will despise him. His shame will never end.
34 kwa maana wivu huamsha ghadhabu ya mume, naye hataonyesha huruma alipizapo kisasi.
Because that woman’s husband will (be jealous/not want anyone else to sleep with her), he will become furious, and when he gets revenge, he will not act mercifully [toward the man who slept with his wife].
35 Hatakubali fidia yoyote; atakataa malipo, hata yakiwa makubwa kiasi gani.
And he will not accept any bribe/money, even if it is a big bribe, to (appease him/cause him to stop being angry).
