Mithali 30
1 Maneno ya Aguri mwana wa Yake - mausia: Mtu huyu alimwambia Ithieli, kwa Ithiel na Ukali:
These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 Hakika nipo kama mnyama kuliko mwanadamu na sina ufahamu wa wanadamu.
It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.
3 Sijajifunza hekima, wala sina maarifa ya Mtakatifu.
I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.
4 Je ni nani amekwenda juu mbinguni na kurudi chini? Je ni nani aliyekusanya upepo kwenye mikono yake? Je ni nani aliyekusanya maji kwenye kanzu? Je ni nani aliyeziimarisha ncha za dunia yote? Jina lake ni nani, na jina la mtoto wake ni nani? Hakika unajua!
[But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].
5 Kila neno la Mungu limejaribiwa, yeye ni ngao kwa wale wanaokimbilia kwake.
Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.
6 Usiyaongezee maneno haya, au atakukemea, na utathibitishwa kuwa mwongo.
Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.
7 Vitu viwili ninakuomba, usivikatalie kwangu kabla sijafa:
[God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them before I die:
8 Majivuno na uongo viweke mbali nami. Usinipe umasikini wala utajiri, nipe tu chakula ninachohitaji.
Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;
9 Maana nikipata vingi zaidi, nitakukana wewe na kusema, “Yehova ni nani?” Au kama nitakuwa masikini, nitaiba na kukufuru jina la Mungu wangu.
because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.
10 Usimkashifu mtumwa mbele ya bwana wake, au atakulaani na utapata hatia.
Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.
11 Kizazi ambacho kinachomlaa baba yao na hakimbariki mama yao,
[I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.
12 kizazi hicho ni safi katika macho yao wenyewe, lakini hawajaoshwa uchafu wao.
Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.
13 Hicho ni kizazi- jinsi gani macho yao yanakiburi na kope zao zimeinuka juu! -
Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.
14 kuna kizazi ambacho meno yao ni upanga, na mifupa ya taya zao ni visu, ili waweze kumrarua masikini wamtoe duniani na mhitaji atoke miongoni mwa wanadamu.
Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.
15 Ruba anamabinti wawili, “Toa na Toa” wanalia. Kuna vitu vitatu ambavyo havitosheki, vinne ambavyo havisememi, “Inatosha”:
Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:
The place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (Sheol h7585)
17 Jicho ambalo linamdhihaki baba na kudharau utii kwa mama, macho yake yatadonolewa na kunguru wa bondeni, na ataliwa na tai.
Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.
18 Kuna vitu vitatu ambavyo vinanishangaza, vinne ambavyo sivifahamu:
There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:
19 njia ya tai angani; njia ya nyoka juu ya mwamba; njia ya meli kwenye moyo wa bahari; na njia ya mtu pamoja mwanake kijana.
How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.
20 Hii ni njia ya mzinzi- anakula na kufuta kinywa chake na kusema, “sijafanya ubaya wowote.”
This is what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”
21 Chini ya vitu vitatu dunia hutetemeka na vinne haiwezi kuvivumilia:
There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:
22 mtumwa anapokuwa mfalme; mpumbavu anaposhiba vyakula;
[What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,
23 mwanamke anayechukiwa anapoolewa; kijakazi anapochukua nafasi ya mkuu wake.
[what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.
24 Vitu vinne duniani ni vidogo na bado vinabusara:
[There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:
25 mchwa ni viumbe ambao sio imara, lakini huandaa chakula chao wakati wa hari,
Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].
26 Wibari siyo viumbe wenye nguvu, lakini hutengeneza makazi yake kwenye miamba.
Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].
27 Nzige hawana mfalme, lakini wote wanamwendo wa mpangilio.
Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.
28 Kama mjusi, unaweza kumkunja kwa mikono yako miwili, lakini wanapatikana katika majumba ya wafalme.
Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.
29 Kuna vitu vitatu ambavyo ni fahari katika mwendo na vinne ambavyo ni fahari katika namna ya kutembea:
[There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:
30 simba, aliyeimara miongoni mwa wanyama- wala hajiepushi na kitu chochote;
Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;
31 jogoo anayetembea kwa mikogo; mbuzi; na mfalme ambaye askari wapo kando yake.
male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.
32 Kama umekuwa mpumbavu, jitukuze mwenyewe, au kama umekuwa ukisimamia vibaya- weka mkono wako juu ya kinywa chako.
If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!
33 Kama kusuka maziwa hufanya siagi na pua ya mtu hutoa damu kama imepigwa, basi matendo yanayofanywa kwa hasira huzalisha mafarakano.
If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.
