Mithali 12
1 Anayependa mafundisho hupenda maarifa, bali yule anayechukia maonyo ni mpumbavu.
Those who want to know [what is right to do] want to be (disciplined/corrected) when they do what is wrong; it is foolish to not want to be (corrected/told that what you did is wrong).
2 Yehova humpa fadhila mtu mwema, bali mtu ambaye hufanya mipango ya ufisada atahukumiwa.
Yahweh is pleased with good people, but he condemns those who plan to harm [others].
3 Mtu hawezi kuimarishwa kwa uovu, bali wale watendao haki hawawezi kung'olewa.
People do not become secure/safe by doing what is wicked; righteous [people] will be very safe and secure [LIT] like [MET] a tree that has deep roots.
4 Mke mwema ni taji ya mume wake, bali yule aletaye aibu ni kama ugonjwa unaoozesha mifupa yake.
A good wife is one who causes her husband to be greatly honored, but a wife who does things that cause her husband to be ashamed [will destroy him] like [SIM] cancer [destroys] his bones.
5 Mipango ya wale watendao haki ni adili, bali shauri la mwovu ni udanganyifu.
What righteous [people] want to do is [to treat people] fairly; what wicked [people] want to do is to deceive people.
6 Maneno ya watu waovu ni uviziaji unaosubiri nafasi ya kuua, bali maneno ya mwenye haki yatawatunza salama.
What wicked [people] say is like a trap [MET] that kills [MTY] people [who pass by], but what righteous [people] say [MTY] rescues those whom [wicked people threaten to harm].
7 Watu waovu wametupwa na kuondolewa, bali nyumba ya wale watendao haki itasimama.
Wicked [people] will die [before they become old and we will see] them no more, but righteous people will live [for many years] and have many descendants.
8 Mtu husifiwa kwa kadri ya hekima yake, bali yule anayechagua ukaidi hudharauliwa.
[People will] praise those who have good sense, but [people will] despise those (who are always thinking about doing evil things/whose thinking is twisted).
9 Bora kuwa na cheo duni- kuwa mtumishi tu- kuliko kujisifu kuhusu ukuu wako bila kuwa na chakula.
It is better to be a humble/ordinary person who has only one servant than to think that you are very important while you have nothing to eat.
10 Yule atendaye haki anajali mahitaji ya mnyama wake, bali huruma ya mwovu ni ukatili.
Righteous people take care of their domestic animals, but wicked people act cruelly [toward their animals].
11 Yule atendaye kazi katika shamba lake atapata chakula tele, bali anayesaka miradi duni hana akili.
Farmers who work hard in their fields will [produce good crops] that will give them plenty to eat, but those who waste their time working on worthless projects are foolish.
12 Watu waovu hutamani wanavyoiba watu wabaya kutoka kwa wengine, bali tunda la wale watendao haki hutoka kwao mwenyewe.
Wicked [people] desire to take away what [other] evil people have, but [Yahweh] enables righteous/godly [people] to be steadfast and productive [MET].
13 Mtu mbaya hunaswa kwa maongezi yake mabaya, bali wale watendao haki hujinasua katika taabu.
Evil people are trapped by the evil things that they say [MTY], but righteous [people] escape from trouble.
14 Mtu hushiba vitu vyema kutokana na tunda la maneno yake, kama vile kazi ya mikono yake inavyompa thawabu.
People are rewarded for [the good things] that they say [to others], and people are [also] rewarded for the good work that they do [MTY].
15 Njia ya mpumbavu ni sawa machoni pake mwenyewe, bali mtu wa hekima husikiliza ushauri.
Foolish people [always] think that what they are doing is right; wise people heed [other people when they give them good] advice.
16 Mpumbavu huonyesha hasira yake papo hapo, bali asiyejali tusi ni mwenye busara.
Foolish people quickly become angry when someone does something that they don’t like; but those who have good sense ignore it when others insult them.
17 Asemaye ukweli huongea ilivyo haki, bali shahidi wa uongo huongea uongo.
[In the courtroom], honest people say what is true, but untruthful/dishonest people tell [nothing but] lies.
18 Maneno yake asemaye kwa pupa ni kama kurusha upanga, bali ulimi wa mwenye hekima huleta uponyaji.
What some people say [hurts people badly], as much as [SIM] a sword can; but what wise [people] say (heals [others’ souls]/comforts others).
19 Midomo yenye kweli itadumu milele, bali ulimi wa uongo ni kwa kitambo kidogo tu.
When people tell [MTY] lies, others soon realize that what they said is not true [IDM]; but when people say what is true, others will remember that forever.
20 Kuna udanganyifu katika mioyo ya wale wanaopanga kutenda uovu, bali furaha hutoka kwa washauri wa amani.
Those who plan to do what is evil are always wanting to deceive [others], but things will go well for those who plan [to do] good things.
21 Hakuna ugonjwa utakaowajia wale watendao haki, bali watu waovu watajazwa matatizo.
Bad things [usually] [HYP] do not happen to righteous [people], but wicked [people] always have troubles.
22 Yehova anachukia midomo ya uongo, bali wale ambao huishi kwa uaminifu ndiyo furaha yake.
Yahweh detests those [MTY] who tell lies, but he is delighted with those who faithfully do what they promise that they will do.
23 Mtu mwenye busara anasitiri maarifa yake, bali moyo wa wapumbavu hupiga yowe za kipumbavu.
Those with good sense do not reveal [all] that they know; foolish people show [clearly] by what they say that they (are ignorant/have not learned much).
24 Mkono wa mwenye bidii utatawala, bali watu wavivu watawekwa katika kazi za kulazimishwa.
Those [SYN] who work hard become rulers [of others]; those who are lazy become slaves [of others.]
25 Mashaka katika moyo wa mtu humwelemea, bali neno zuri humfurahisha.
When people are anxious/worried, they become depressed/dejected, but when others speak kindly to them, it causes them to be cheerful again.
26 Mwenye haki ni kiongozi kwa rafiki yake, bali njia ya waovu huwaongoza katika kupotea.
Godly/Righteous people try to [give good advice to] their friends (OR, try to make friends with others), but the manner in which wicked [people] live misleads their friends.
27 Watu wavivu hawawezi kubanika mawindo yao wenyewe, bali mtu wenye bidii atapata mali zenye thamani.
Lazy people do not even [cook the meat of] the animals that they catch/kill, but those who work hard will acquire (OR, are like) a valuable treasure.
28 Wale ambao wanatembea katika njia ya haki wanapata uzima na katika mapito hayo hakuna kifo.
Those who (live righteously/continually do what is right) are [walking] on the road to a long life; (it is not a road to death/they will not die when they are still young).
