1Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.
2Desire without knowledge is not good—
how much more will hasty feet miss the way!
3A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,
yet their heart rages against the Lord.
4Wealth attracts many friends,
but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.
5A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
6Many curry favor with a ruler,
and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.
7The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
how much more do their friends avoid them!
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
8The one who gets wisdom loves life;
the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.
9A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will perish.
10It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury—
how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
11A person’s wisdom yields patience;
it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
12A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13A foolish child is a father’s ruin,
and a quarrelsome wife is like
the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
14Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless go hungry.
16Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.
17Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done.
18Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to their death.
19A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
20Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
21Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
22What a person desires is unfailing love19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame;
better to be poor than a liar.
23The fear of the Lord leads to life;
then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
24A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he will not even bring it back to his mouth!
25Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.
26Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother
is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
27Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
29Penalties are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.
119:1 Mit 28:6Afadhali mtu maskini ambaye mwenendo wake hauna lawama,
kuliko mpumbavu ambaye midomo yake imepotoka.
219:2 Hos 4:6; Yn 16:3; Rum 10:2Sio vizuri kuwa na juhudi bila maarifa,
wala kufanya haraka na kuikosa njia.
319:3 Mit 14:1; 9:13; 24:9; Isa 32:6; Yak 1:13-15Upumbavu wa mtu mwenyewe huharibu maisha yake
hata hivyo moyo wake humkasirikia Bwana.
419:4 Mit 19:7; 14:20Mali huleta marafiki wengi,
bali rafiki wa mtu maskini humwacha.
519:5 Kut 23:1; Kum 19:19; Mit 1:28Shahidi wa uongo hataacha kuadhibiwa,
naye amwagaye uongo hataachwa huru.
619:6 Mit 29:26; 17:8; 18:16Wengi hujipendekeza kwa mtawala
na kila mmoja ni rafiki wa mtu atoaye zawadi.
719:7 Mit 10:15Mtu maskini huepukwa na ndugu zake wote:
Je, marafiki zake watamkwepa kiasi gani!
Ingawa huwafuata kwa kuwasihi,
hawapatikani popote.
819:8 Mit 16:20Yeye apataye hekima huipenda nafsi yake mwenyewe,
yeye ahifadhiye ufahamu hustawi.
919:9 Kum 19:19Shahidi wa uongo hataacha kuadhibiwa,
naye amwagaye uongo ataangamia.
1019:10 Mit 26:1; 30:21-23; Mhu 10:5-7Haistahili mpumbavu kuishi katika anasa,
itakuwa vibaya kiasi gani
kwa mtumwa kuwatawala wakuu.
1119:11 2Fal 5:12; Mit 16:32; Mt 25:21; Efe 4:32Hekima ya mtu humpa uvumilivu,
ni kwa utukufu wake kusamehe makosa.
1219:12 Za 33:3; 72:5-6; Es 1:12Ghadhabu ya mfalme ni kama mngurumo wa simba,
bali wema wake ni kama umande juu ya nyasi.
1319:13 Mit 10:1; Es 1:18; Mit 21:9Mwana mpumbavu ni maangamizi ya babaye,
naye mke mgomvi ni kama kutonatona kusikoisha.
1419:14 2Kor 12:14; Mit 18:22Nyumba na mali hurithiwa kutoka kwa wazazi,
bali mke mwenye busara hutoka kwa Bwana.
1519:15 Mit 10:4; 20:13Uvivu huleta usingizi mzito,
naye mtu mzembe huona njaa.
1619:16 Mit 16:17; Lk 10:28; Rum 2:7Yeye ambaye hutii mafundisho huulinda uhai wake,
bali yeye anayezidharau njia zake atakufa.
1719:17 Kum 24:19; Mt 10:42; 2Kor 9:6Yeye amhurumiaye maskini humkopesha Bwana,
naye atamtuza kwa aliyotenda.
1819:18 Mit 13:24; 23:13-14Mrudi mwanao, kwa maana katika hiyo kuna tumaini,
usiwe mshirika katika mauti yake.
19Mtu mwenye kukasirika haraka ni lazima atapata adhabu yake,
kama utamwokoa, itakubidi kufanya hivyo tena.
2019:20 Mit 4:1; 12:15Sikiliza mashauri na ukubali mafundisho,
nawe mwishoni utakuwa na hekima.
2119:21 Es 9:25; Mhu 7:29; Yer 4:29; Mao 3:37; Ebr 6:17Kuna mipango mingi ndani ya moyo wa mtu,
lakini kusudi la Bwana ndilo litakalosimama.
22Lile mtu alionealo shauku ni upendo usio na mwisho,
afadhali kuwa maskini kuliko kuwa mwongo.
2319:23 Za 25:13; 1Tim 4:8; Ay 4:7; Mit 10:27Kumcha Bwana huongoza kwenye uzima,
kisha mtu hupumzika akiwa ameridhika,
bila kuguswa na shida.
2419:24 Mit 26:15Mtu mvivu hutumbukiza mkono wake kwenye sahani,
lakini hawezi hata kuupeleka kwenye kinywa chake!
2519:25 Za 141:5; Mit 9:9; 21:11Mpige mwenye mzaha, naye mjinga atajifunza busara,
mkemee mwenye ufahamu naye atapata maarifa.
2619:26 Mit 28:24Yeye amwibiaye baba yake na kumfukuza mama yake
ni mwana aletaye aibu na fedheha.
2719:27 Mt 7:15; Mk 4:24; Efe 4:14Mwanangu, ukiacha kusikiliza mafundisho,
utatangatanga mbali na maneno ya maarifa.
2819:28 Ay 15:16Shahidi mla rushwa hudhihaki hukumu
na kinywa cha mtu mwovu humeza ubaya kwa upesi.
2919:29 Kum 25:2; Mit 26:3Adhabu zimeandaliwa kwa ajili ya wenye dhihaka
na mapigo kwa ajili ya migongo ya wapumbavu.
