Mithali 23
1 Unapoketi kula pamoja na mtawala, angalia kwa uangalifu kilichopo mbele yako,
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently him that 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; seeing they are deceitful meat.
4 Usifanye kazi sana ili kupata mali; uwe na busara ya kutosha ili ujue wakati wa kuacha.
Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Je utaruhusu macho yako yaangaze juu yake? Itaondoka, maana itawaa mabawa kama tai na kuruka angani.
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
6 Usile chakula cha yule mwenye jicho baya- na usiwe na shauku ya vinono vyake,
Eat thou not the bread 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 reckoneth within himself, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Utatapika kiasi kidogo ulichokula na utakuwa umepoteza sifa zako njema.
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Usiongee katika usikivu wa mpumbavu, maana atadharau hekima ya maneno yako.
Speak not in the hearing of a fool; 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 strong; he shall plead their cause against thee.
12 Elekeza moyo wako katika mafundisho na masikio yako kwenye maneno ya maarifa.
Apply thine 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 beat 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 thine heart be wise, my heart shall be glad, even mine:
16 sehemu zangu ndani kabisa zitafurahi sana midomo yako inaponena haki.
Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Usiruhusu moyo wako kuwahusudu wenye dhambi, lakini endelea kumcha Yehova siku zote.
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long:
18 Hakika tumaini lako halitaondolewa na siku zako za hapo baadaye.
For surely there is a reward; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Sikia- wewe! - mwanangu, na uwe mwenye busara na uelekeze moyo wako katika njia.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20 Usishirikiane pamoja na walevi, au pamoja na walaji wa nyama walafi,
Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous 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 shall clothe [a man] 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; [yea], wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 Baba yake mwenye haki atafurahia sana, na yule amzaaye mtoto mwenye busara atamfurahia.
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
25 Mfurahishe baba yako na mama yako na yule aliyekuzaa afurahie.
Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bare thee rejoice.
26 Mwanangu, nipe moyo wako na macho yako yachunguze njia zangu.
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes delight in 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.
Yea, she 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 hath contentions? who hath complaining? who hath wounds without cause? who hath 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 seek out mixed wine.
31 Usiutazame mvinyo ukiwa mwekundu, wakati unametameta kwenye kikombe na kutelemka kwa uraini.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it 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 things, and thine heart shall utter froward things.
34 Utakuwa kama anayelala kwenye bahari au anayelala juu ya mlingoti. “
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 Wamenipiga,” utasema, “lakini sikuumia. Wamenichapa, lakini sikuwa na hisia. Nitaamka lini? Nitatafuta kinywaji kingine.”
They have stricken me, [shalt thou say], and I was not hurt; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
