Mithali 23
1 Unapoketi kula pamoja na mtawala, angalia kwa uangalifu kilichopo mbele yako,
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well who is before thee;
2 na kama ni mtu unayependa kula chakula sana weka kisu kooni.
and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Usitamani vinono vyake maana ni chakula cha uongo.
Be not desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food.
4 Usifanye kazi sana ili kupata mali; uwe na busara ya kutosha ili ujue wakati wa kuacha.
Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from thine own intelligence:
5 Je utaruhusu macho yako yaangaze juu yake? Itaondoka, maana itawaa mabawa kama tai na kuruka angani.
wilt thou set thine eyes upon it, it is gone; for indeed it maketh itself wings and it flieth away as an eagle towards the heavens.
6 Usile chakula cha yule mwenye jicho baya- na usiwe na shauku ya vinono vyake,
Eat thou not the food of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties.
7 maana ni mtu mwenye kuhesabu gharama ya chakula. “Kula na kunywa!” anakuambia, lakini moyo wake haupo pamoja nawe.
For as he thinketh in his soul, so is he. Eat and drink! will he say unto thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Utatapika kiasi kidogo ulichokula na utakuwa umepoteza sifa zako njema.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou vomit up, and thou wilt have wasted thy sweet words.
9 Usiongee katika usikivu wa mpumbavu, maana atadharau hekima ya maneno yako.
Speak not in the ears of a foolish [man], for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Usihamishe jiwe la mpaka wa kale au kunyang'anya mashamba ya yatima,
Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11 maana Mkombozi wao ni imara na atatetea kesi yao dhidi yako.
for their redeemer is mighty; he will plead their cause against thee.
12 Elekeza moyo wako katika mafundisho na masikio yako kwenye maneno ya maarifa.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Usizuie kuadilisha mtoto, maana ukimchapa kwa fimbo, hatakufa.
Withhold not correction from the child; for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die:
thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Mwanangu, kama moyo wako una busara, basi moyo wangu utafurahi pia;
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine;
16 sehemu zangu ndani kabisa zitafurahi sana midomo yako inaponena haki.
and my reins shall exult, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Usiruhusu moyo wako kuwahusudu wenye dhambi, lakini endelea kumcha Yehova siku zote.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day;
18 Hakika tumaini lako halitaondolewa na siku zako za hapo baadaye.
for surely there is a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Sikia- wewe! - mwanangu, na uwe mwenye busara na uelekeze moyo wako katika njia.
Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct thy heart in the way.
20 Usishirikiane pamoja na walevi, au pamoja na walaji wa nyama walafi,
Be not among winebibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh.
21 maana mlevi na mlafi wanakuwa masikini na usingizi utawavika kwa matambara.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth with rags.
22 Msikilize baba yako ambaye alikuzaa na usimdharau mama yako wakati akiwa mzee.
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Inunue kweli, lakini usiiuze; nunua hekima, nidhamu, na ufahamu.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and intelligence.
24 Baba yake mwenye haki atafurahia sana, na yule amzaaye mtoto mwenye busara atamfurahia.
The father of a righteous [man] shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise [son] shall have joy of him:
25 Mfurahishe baba yako na mama yako na yule aliyekuzaa afurahie.
let thy father and thy mother have joy, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
26 Mwanangu, nipe moyo wako na macho yako yachunguze njia zangu.
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 Maana malaya ni shimo refu, na mke wa mume mwingine ni kisima chembamba.
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Anavizia kama mnyang'anyi na huongeza idadi ya wadanganyifu miongoni mwa wanadamu.
She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Nani mwenye taabu? Nani mwenye huzuni? Nani mwenye mapigano? Nani mwenye malalamiko? Nani mwenye majeraha bila sababu? Nani mwenye macho mekundu?
Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes?
30 Ni wale ambao huzengea kwenye mvinyo, wale wanaojaribu kuchanganya mvinyo.
— They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
31 Usiutazame mvinyo ukiwa mwekundu, wakati unametameta kwenye kikombe na kutelemka kwa uraini.
Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkleth in the cup, and goeth down smoothly:
32 Mwisho wake unauma kama nyoka na sumu yake kama kifutu.
at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Macho yako yataona vitu vigeni na moyo wako utatamka vitu vya ukaidi.
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall speak froward things;
34 Utakuwa kama anayelala kwenye bahari au anayelala juu ya mlingoti. “
and thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, and as he that lieth down upon the top of a mast:
35 Wamenipiga,” utasema, “lakini sikuumia. Wamenichapa, lakini sikuwa na hisia. Nitaamka lini? Nitatafuta kinywaji kingine.”
— “They have smitten me, [and] I am not sore; they have beaten me, [and] I knew it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
