Purpose
1These are the proverbs of Solomon. He was the son of David and the king of Israel.
2Proverbs teach you wisdom and instruct you.
They help you understand wise sayings.
3They provide you with instruction and help you live wisely.
They lead to what is right and honest and fair.
4They give understanding to childish people.
They give knowledge and good sense to those who are young.
5Let wise people listen and add to what they have learned.
Let those who understand what is right get guidance.
6What I’m teaching also helps you understand proverbs and stories.
It helps you understand the sayings and riddles of those who are wise.
7If you really want to gain knowledge, you must begin by having respect for the Lord.
But foolish people hate wisdom and instruction.
Think and Live Wisely
A Warning Against Sinful Men
8My son, listen to your father’s advice.
Don’t turn away from your mother’s teaching.
9What they teach you will be like a beautiful crown on your head.
It will be like a chain to decorate your neck.
10My son, if sinful men tempt you,
don’t give in to them.
11They might say, “Come along with us.
Let’s hide and wait to kill someone who hasn’t done anything wrong.
Let’s catch some harmless person in our trap.
12Let’s swallow them alive, as the grave does.
Let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down into the pit.
13We’ll get all kinds of valuable things.
We’ll fill our houses with what we steal.
14Cast lots with us for what they own.
We’ll share everything we take from them.”
15My son, don’t go along with them.
Don’t even set your feet on their paths.
16They are always in a hurry to sin.
They are quick to spill someone’s blood.
17How useless it is to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18Those who hide and wait will spill their own blood.
They will be caught in their own trap.
19That’s what happens to everyone
who goes after money in the wrong way.
That kind of money takes away
the life of those who get it.
Wisdom’s Warning
20Out in the open wisdom calls out.
She raises her voice in a public place.
21On top of the city wall she cries out.
Here is what she says near the gate of the city.
22“How long will you childish people love your childish ways?
How long will you rude people enjoy making fun of God and others?
How long will you foolish people hate knowledge?
23Pay attention to my warning!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you.
I will make known to you my teachings.
24But you refuse to listen when I call out to you.
No one pays attention when I reach out my hand.
25You turn away from all my advice.
And you do not accept my warning.
26So I will laugh at you when you are in danger.
I will make fun of you when hard times come.
27I will laugh when hard times hit you like a storm.
I will laugh when danger comes your way like a windstorm.
I will make fun of you when suffering and trouble come.
28“Then you will call to me. But I won’t answer.
You will look for me. But you won’t find me.
29You hated knowledge.
You didn’t choose to have respect for the Lord.
30You wouldn’t accept my advice.
You turned your backs on my warnings.
31So you will eat the fruit of the way you have lived.
You will choke on the fruit of what you have planned.
32“The wrong path that childish people take will kill them.
Foolish people will be destroyed by being satisfied with the way they live.
33But those who listen to me will live in safety.
They will be at ease and have no fear of being harmed.”
Ciugo cia Kwambĩrĩria: Gĩtũmi na Muoroto
11:1 Math 13:3; 1Ath 4:29-34Ici nĩ thimo cia Solomoni mũrũ wa Daudi, ũrĩa warĩ mũthamaki wa Isiraeli:
2nĩ thimo cia gũtũma mũndũ agĩe na ũũgĩ, na ataarĩke;
nĩ cia gũtũma ahote gũtaũkĩrwo nĩ ciugo cia ũũgĩ;
3nĩ cia gũtũma mũndũ ataarĩke ahote kũbarĩrĩra mũtũũrĩre wake,
ekage maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire, na ma kĩhooto, na marĩa mega;
41:4 Thim 8:5; Thim 8:12nĩ cia gũtũma ũrĩa ũtarĩ na ũũgĩ agĩe na ũmenyo,
na cia gũtũma mũndũ mwĩthĩ agĩe na ũmenyo na ũgereri:
51:5 Thim 9:9arĩa oogĩ-rĩ, nĩmathikĩrĩrie na mongerere wĩruti wao,
nao arĩa akũũrani maũndũ metĩkĩre gũtongorio.
61:6 Thab 49:4; Atiir 14:12Ningĩ nĩ cia gũtũma mũndũ ataũkĩrwo nĩ thimo na ngerekano,
na ataũkĩrwo nĩ ciugo cia andũ arĩa oogĩ, na ndaĩ ciao.
7Kĩambĩrĩria kĩa ũmenyo nĩ gwĩtigĩra Jehova,
no arĩa akĩĩgu nĩ mathũire ũũgĩ na ũtaaro.
Mwĩmenyererei Kũheenererio
81:8 Thim 4:1; Jer 35:8Mũrũ wakwa, thikĩrĩria mataaro ma thoguo,
na ndũgatigane na ũrutani wa maitũguo.
9Maũndũ macio magaatuĩka ithaga rĩa kũgemia mũtwe waku,
na ta mũgathĩ wa kũgemia ngingo yaku.
101:10 Ayub 24:15; Gũcook 13:8Mũrũ wakwa, ehia mangĩgakũheenereria-rĩ,
ndũkanetĩkanie nao.
11Mangĩgakwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũka ũthiĩ hamwe na ithuĩ;
reke tuoherie mũndũ tũite thakame yake,
reke tũcemaceeme mũndũ o na ũtehĩtie;
121:12 Thab 35:25ningĩ reke tũmamerie marĩ muoyo, o ta ũrĩa mbĩrĩra ĩĩkaga,
na marĩ agima, o ta arĩa maharũrũkaga irima;
13Na ithuĩ-rĩ, tũkĩgĩe na indo cia goro cia mĩthemba yothe,
na tũiyũrie nyũmba ciitũ na indo cia ndaho;
14rutithania wĩra na ithuĩ,
tũkorwo na mũhuko ũmwe ithuothe”;
151:15 Thab 119:101; Kĩam 49:6mũrũ wakwa, tiga gũtwarana nao,
ndũkagerere njĩra ciao;
161:16 Isa 59:7nĩgũkorwo magũrũ mao mahanyũkaga mathiĩ mehia-inĩ,
nao mahiũhaga magaite thakame.
17Kaĩ nĩ wĩra wa tũhũ kũiga gĩkerenge
nyoni ciothe igĩkuonaga-ĩ!
181:18 Thab 71:10Andũ aya mohagĩria thakame yao ene;
maceemaga o mĩoyo yao ene!
19Ũcio nĩguo mũthia wa arĩa othe magĩaga na indo na njĩra ya ungumania;
indo icio iniinaga mĩoyo ya arĩa magĩaga nacio.
Mwĩmenyererei Mũtikarege Ũũgĩ
201:20 Ayub 28:12Ũũgĩ nĩ aretana anĩrĩire njĩra-inĩ,
ningĩ agakayũrũrũka arĩ ihaaro-inĩ cia mũingĩ;
21Aragũthũka na mũgambo mũnene arĩ magomano-inĩ ma njĩra kũu kũrĩ inegene,
o na itoonyero rĩa itũũra inene akoria atĩrĩ:
221:22 Thim 6:32; Thab 50:17“Inyuĩ mũtarĩ ũũgĩ-rĩ, nĩ nginya rĩ mũgũtũũra mwendete njĩra cianyu itarĩ cia ũũgĩ?
Nĩ nginya rĩ anyũrũrania megũtũũra makenagĩra kĩnyũrũri,
na arĩa akĩĩgu mathũire ũmenyo?
23Korwo nĩmwetĩkĩrire kũigua ũtaaro wakwa-rĩ,
nĩingĩamũhingũrĩire ngoro yakwa,
ndũme mũmenye meciiria makwa.
241:24 Isa 65:12; Jer 7:13No tondũ nĩmwaregire kũnjigua rĩrĩa ndetanire,
na gũtirĩ mũndũ werũmbũirie hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndatambũrũkirie guoko gwakwa,
25na mũkĩagĩra mataaro makwa mothe bata,
na mũkĩaga gwĩtĩkĩra ikaanania rĩakwa-rĩ,
261:26 Thab 2:4; 2Ath 19:21niĩ na niĩ nĩngamũthekerera hĩndĩ yanyu ya mwanangĩko,
na ndĩmũnyũrũrie rĩrĩa mũgaakorererwo nĩ mũtino:
27ĩĩ hĩndĩ ĩrĩa guoya ũkaamũkorerera ta kĩhuhũkanio,
rĩrĩa mwanangĩko ũkaamũhaata ta rũhuho rwa kĩhuhũkanio,
rĩrĩa mũgaakinyĩrĩrwo nĩ mĩnyamaro na ruo rwa ngoro.
281:28 Gũcook 1:45; Ezek 8:18“Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩmakangaĩra, no ndikametĩka;
nĩmakanjetha na kĩyo, no matikanyona.
291:29 Ayub 21:14Tondũ nĩmathũũrire ũmenyo,
na matiigana gũthuura gwĩtigĩra Jehova,
30tondũ matietĩkĩrire mataaro makwa,
na nĩmamenire ikaanania rĩakwa,
311:31 2Maũ 36:16; Jer 6:19makaarĩa maciaro ma mĩthiĩre yao,
na mahũũnio nĩ maciaro ma mathugunda mao.
321:32 Thim 5:22; Isa 66:4Nĩgũkorwo ũgenyũ wa arĩa matarĩ ũũgĩ nĩũkamooraga,
nakuo kwĩgangara kwa arĩa akĩĩgu nĩgũkamaniina;
331:33 Ndar 24:21; Thab 112:8no ũrĩa wothe ũnjiguaga arĩtũũraga na thayũ,
na atũũre ahooreire, atarĩ ũgwati angĩĩtigĩra.”
