Mithali 26
1 Kama theluji wakati wa joto au mvua kwenye mavuno, ndivyo mpumbavu asivyostahili heshima.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Kama shorowanda hurukaruka na kumeza wadudu wakati wa kuruka, ndivyo ilivyo laana isiyostahili haishuki.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Mjeledi ni kwa ajili ya farasi, hatamu kwa ajili ya punda na fimbo ni kwa ajili mgongo wa wapumbavu.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Usimjibu mpumbavu na kujiunga katika upumbavu wake, au utakuwa kama yeye.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Mjibu mpumbavu na jiunge katika upumbavu wake, ili asiweze kuwa na busara katika macho yake mwenyewe.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Anayetuma ujumbe kwa mkono wa mpumbavu huikata miguu yake mwenyewe na kunywa vurugu.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Miguu ya kiwete inayoning'ia chini ni kama mithali kwenye kinywa cha wapumbavu.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Kujaribisha jiwe kwenye kombeo ni sawa na kumpa heshima mpumbavu.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Mwiba unaochoma kwenye mkono wa mlevi ni kama mithali kwenye kinywa cha wapumbavu.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Mpiga mishale anayejeruhi kila mtu ni kama mtu anayemwajiri mpumbavu au kila mtu anayepita karibu yake.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Kama mbwa anavyorudia matapishi yake, ndivyo alivyo mpumbavu anayerudia upuuzi wake.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Je unamwona mtu mwenye busara katika macho yake mwenyewe? Mpumbavu anamatumaini zaidi kuliko yeye.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Mtu mvivu husema “Kuna simba kwenye barabara! Kuna simba katikati ya njia kuu!”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Kama mlango unavyogeuka kwenye bawaba zake, ndivyo alivyo mtu mvivu kwenye kitanda chake.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Mtu mvivu hutia mkono wake kwenye sufuria na bado hana nguvu kuunyanyua kwenda kwenye kinywa chake.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Mtu mvivu ni mwenye hekima kwenye macho yake mwenyewe kuliko watu saba wenye ufahamu.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Kama mtu anayeshikilia masikio ya mbwa, ndivyo alivyo mpitajia anayepata hasira kwenye ugomvi ambao si wake.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Kama mtu mwendawazimu anayetupa mishale,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 ndivyo alivyo ambaye humdanganya jirani yake na kusema, “Je sikuwa naongea utani?”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Kwa kukosa kuni, moto huzimika; na pale pasipo na mmbea ugomvi hukoma.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Mkaa ni kwa kuwasha makaa na kuni kwa ajili ya moto, ndivyo alivyo mtu mgomvi kwa kuwasha ugomvi.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Maneno ya mmbea ni kama chembe tamu; nazo zinashuka chini kwenye sehemu za ndani ya mwili.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Kioo kinachofunika chombo cha udongo ni kama midomo inayoungua na moyo mbaya.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Yule ambaye huwachukia wengine huficha hisia zake kwa midomo na hufunika uongo ndani yake mwenyewe.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Ataongea kwa huruma, lakini usimwamini, maana kuna machukizo saba kwenye moyo wake.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Ingawa chuki zake zimefunikwa kwa udanganyifu, uovu wake utakuwa wazi katika kusanyiko.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Anayechimba shimo atatumbukia ndani yake na jiwe litamsaga yule anayelisukuma.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Ulimi wa uongo huchukia watu unaowajeruhi na kinywa cha uongo husogeza karibu uharibifu.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
