1Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
honor is not fitting for a fool.
2Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the backs of fools!
4Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
or you yourself will be just like him.
5Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6Sending a message by the hands of a fool
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7Like the useless legs of one who is lame
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8Like tying a stone in a sling
is the giving of honor to a fool.
9Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10Like an archer who wounds at random
is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11As a dog returns to its vomit,
so fools repeat their folly.
12Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.
13A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
14As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.
17Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.
18Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
19is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”
20Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
21As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
22The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.
23Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
are fervent26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth lips with an evil heart.
24Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,
but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
25Though their speech is charming, do not believe them,
for seven abominations fill their hearts.
26Their malice may be concealed by deception,
but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
28A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
126:1 1Sam 12:17; Thim 19:10O ta ũrĩa tharunji ĩtaagĩrĩire kũgĩa hĩndĩ ya riũa, kana mbura kuura hĩndĩ ya magetha-rĩ,
noguo gĩtĩĩo gĩtagĩrĩire mũndũ mũkĩĩgu.
226:2 Gũcook 23:5Ta kanyoni-ka-nja gekũbatabata, kana thũngũrũrũ ĩkũhiũka-hiũka,
noguo kĩrumi gĩtarĩ gĩtũmi gĩtarĩ ha kwĩgwatĩrĩra.
326:3 Thab 32:9Kĩboko nĩ kĩa mbarathi, matamu nĩ ma ndigiri,
na rũthanju nĩ rwa ciande cia andũ arĩa akĩĩgu!
426:4 Isa 36:21Ndũkanacookerie mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kũringana na ũrimũ wake,
ndũkae gũtuĩka take.
5Cookeria mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kũringana na ũrimũ wake,
nĩguo ndakeyone taarĩ mũndũ mũũgĩ maitho-inĩ make.
6Gũtũma ndũmĩrĩri na guoko kwa mũndũ mũkĩĩgu-rĩ,
nĩ ta gwĩtinia magũrũ, kana kũnyua haaro.
7O ta magũrũ ma gĩthua ũrĩa mathiiaga maniginĩte,
noguo thimo ĩhaana ĩkĩario nĩ kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu.
8Kũhe mũndũ mũkĩĩgu gĩtĩĩo
no ta kuoherera ihiga kĩgũtha-inĩ.
9Thimo ĩkĩario nĩ kanua ka mũndũ mũkĩĩgu
nĩ ta mũigua ũrĩ guoko-inĩ kwa mũrĩĩu.
10Mũndũ wandĩkaga mũndũ mũkĩĩgu kana mwĩhĩtũkĩri
nĩ ta ũrĩa ũikagia mĩguĩ o ro ũguo agatiihia andũ.
1126:11 2Pet 2:22Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu acookagĩra ũrimũ wake
o ta ũrĩa ngui ĩcookagĩrĩra matahĩko mayo.
1226:12 Thim 3:7; Thim 29:20Wanona mũndũ wĩonaga arĩ mũũgĩ maitho-inĩ make?
Mũndũ mũkĩĩgu arĩ na kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro gũkĩra mũndũ ũcio.
1326:13 Thim 22:13Kĩgũũta kiugaga atĩrĩ, “Njĩra-inĩ kũrĩ na mũrũũthi,
mũrũũthi mũrĩĩani ũrorũũra njĩra-inĩ cia itũũra!”
14Ta ũrĩa mũrango ũtindaga ũkĩgarũrũka ihocio-inĩ ciaguo,
noguo kĩgũũta gĩtindaga gĩkĩĩgarũra gĩkomete ũrĩrĩ-inĩ wakĩo.
1526:15 Thim 19:24Kĩgũũta gĩikagia guoko gwakĩo o thaani-inĩ;
kĩnogagio nĩgũcooka gũkuoya gĩgũkinyie kanua-inĩ.
16Kĩgũũta kĩĩonaga kĩrĩ kĩũgĩ maitho-inĩ makĩo,
gũkĩra andũ mũgwanja arĩa macookagia ũhoro na ũũgĩ.
17Mwĩhĩtũkĩri wĩtoonyagia inegene-inĩ rĩtamũkoniĩ
no ta mũndũ ũkũnyiita ngui matũ.
18Ta mũgũrũki ũgũikia
icinga cia mwaki, kana agaikia mĩguĩ ya gĩkuũ,
19no taguo mũndũ ahaana ũrĩa ũheenagia mũndũ wa itũũra rĩake,
agacooka kũmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩ itherũ nyuma narĩo!”
2026:20 Thim 22:10Mwaki ũngĩaga ngũ no kũhora ũhoraga;
ngarari cingĩaga mũhuhu no gũthira ithiraga.
2126:21 Thim 14:17O ta ũrĩa makara magwatagia marĩa mangĩ mwaki,
na o ta ũrĩa ngũ ciakanagia mwaki,
noguo mũndũ mũũgiti aakagĩrĩria haaro.
2226:22 Thim 18:8Ndeto cia mũndũ wa mũhuhu nĩ ta twenyũ twega twa irio;
tũmerũkaga tũgathiĩ mwĩrĩ wa mũndũ o thĩinĩ biũ.
23Ta ũrĩa indo cia rĩũmba inyorokagio ikahenia na igũrũ,
no taguo mĩromo mĩnyoroku ĩhumbagĩra ngoro ĩrĩ na ũũru.
24Mũndũ wa rũmena aaragia ũhinga na mĩromo yake,
no thĩinĩ wa ngoro yake aiyũrĩtwo no maheeni.
2526:25 Thab 28:3; Jer 9:4O na gũtuĩka mĩario yake nĩ ya gũkenania, ndũkanamwĩtĩkie,
nĩgũkorwo ngoro yake ĩiyũrĩte maũndũ mũgwanja marĩ magigi.
26Rũmena rwake no rũhithwo na maheeni,
no waganu wake ũkaaguũrio kĩũngano-inĩ.
2726:27 Thab 7:15; Thim 28:10Mũndũ angĩenja irima, nĩwe ũkaagũa rĩo;
mũndũ angĩgaragaria ihiga, rĩkaagaragara rĩmũcookerere.
2826:28 Thim 29:5Rũrĩmĩ rwa maheeni nĩkũmena rũmenete arĩa rũtuuragia,
nako kanua ga kwĩyendithĩrĩria karehaga mwanangĩko.
