Be Careful How You Worship
1 Be careful what you do when you enter the house of God. Fools go there to offer sacrifices, because all they do is sin. But it's best just to listen when you go to worship. 2 Don't talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don't talk too much. 3 If you keep thinking about something, you will dream about it. If you talk too much, you will say the wrong thing.
4 God doesn't like fools. So don't be slow to keep your promises to God. 5 It's better not to make a promise at all than to make one and not keep it. 6 Don't let your mouth get you in trouble! And don't say to the worship leader, “I didn't mean what I said.” God can destroy everything you have worked for, so don't say something that makes God angry.
7 Respect and obey God! Daydreaming leads to a lot of senseless talk.
8 Don't be surprised if the poor of your country are abused, and injustice takes the place of justice. After all, the lower officials must do what the higher ones order them to do. 9 And since the king is the highest official, he benefits most from the taxes paid on the land.
10 If you love money and wealth, you will never be satisfied with what you have. This doesn't make a bit of sense. 11 The more you have, the more everyone expects from you. Your money won't do you any good—others will just spend it for you. 12 If you have to work hard for a living, you can rest well at night, even if you don't have much to eat. But if you are rich, you can't even sleep.
13 I have seen something terribly unfair. People get rich, but it does them no good. 14 Suddenly they lose everything in a bad business deal, then have nothing to leave for their children. 15 They came into this world naked, and when they die, they will be just as naked. They can't take anything with them, and they won't have anything to show for all their work. 16 That's terribly unfair. They leave the world just as they came. They gained nothing from running after the wind. 17 Besides all this, they are always gloomy at mealtime, and they are troubled, sick, and bitter.
18 What is the best thing to do in the short life God has given us? I think we should enjoy eating, drinking, and working hard. This is what God intends for us to do. 19 Suppose you are very rich and able to enjoy everything you own. Then go ahead and enjoy working hard—this is God's gift to you. 20 God will keep you so happy that you won't have time to worry about each day.
Itjani Yahwe
1 Utjengete thambo dzidzo ha uyenda ku Ng'umba ye Ndzimu, kusedzela ukateedza kuyita pana kudusa tjibhayilo tje zwilengwe, ngobe zwisingazibe kuti zobezwithama bubi. 2 Usitongo tjimbidza wazhula nlomo uwo, kene ukaletja moyo uwo ukaleba limwe dama mbeli kwe Ndzimu, ngobe Ndzimu ukudzimu, iwe umushango, ndizo ita kuti matama awo abe mashomanana. 3 Hwope dzozha ne mishingo minji ne hwi le tjilengwe lina matama manjinji. 4 Ha utuna ku Ndzimu kuti unowouthamila tjimwe, usinonoke kutjithama, ngobe Ndzimu autoshathisiwa nge zwilengwe. Lipa tjaunobe watuna nge kwatjo. 5 Koyita kusatuna panakuti utune kudwapo usinga lipe. 6 Usiletje nlomo uwo ukakuthamisa tjibi, kakale usitongo zwiwana uli mu tjimo tjaunowodwa ntumwa we Ndzimu kuti wakabe uzana zo, ini Ndzimu wafanila gwadzilamoyo hwi lilo, ube ukolomola nshingo we maboko awo kene? 7 Kana ha hwope dzipaphidzika, matama asi e tjimwe anopaphidzika, koga iwe itja Ndzimu.
Fumwa madatha
8 Ha ubona bashayi betshambilidziwa mu ntuthu, ndulamo ne fanilo dzabo dzitogwa, usitjenamisiwe naikoko, ngobe nlauli ntukunu wakatungamigwa ne nkulu pa nli kakale kuna bamwe ba pezhugwi kwa ibabo. 9 Kupinda zose, zwimila zwe minda zotogwa na bose na mambo banobhatshiwa bo ndizo. 10 Iye unoda mari aangagutshiwe nge mari, kene unoda fumwa aangawane mimwiso, ikoku naiko bo madatha. 11 Ha fumwa ipaphidzika, baji bayo banopaphidzikabo, mweni wayo unobuyigwa ngeni aisi kuilinga nge mesho koga? 12 Hwope dze nlanda dzozipa, kene unoja kushomana kene kunjinji, koga guta kwe nfumi akutowon'wanisa hwope. 13 Kuna bubi gwakabangalala gwandakabona mu shango, fumwa mweni yaakazwibigigwa inopelela i nlonga buyendasi, 14 iyeyo fumwa iko mpalalila nge kuishingisa butjapa ngono ana mwana we tjilisana waanowofa esiya asina tjaanatjo. 15 Sekwa akadwa mu ntumbu wa mmeyabe, unowobgwilila ali mbujo sekwa akazha, akuna tje dukuta lile tjaanowo bgwilila akasenga mu maboko. 16 Ikoku naikobo bubi gumwe gunotjenamisa, sekwa akazha, ndiko sekwa anowobgwilila, wakabuyigwa ngeni mukushingila phepo, 17 ne mazhuba awe wose wakaapitsha mu zhalima ne mu buyendasi ne kudziyidzika kukulu ne mu bugwele ne moyo wakagwadza. 18 Bonani, tjandakabona tjakalulwama ntome tjifanila hwuja ne kung'wa ne kushatha mu kushinga kwe mu shango, mu mazhuba mashomana e butjilo gwaakapiwa ne Ndzimu, ngobe ndilo gobe lile. 19 Nthu mmwe ne mmwe bo wakapiwa nge Ndzimu fumwa ne thundu, akapiwa ne simba kuti azwije zwinzipile, ne kuamutjila gobe lile ne kushathila tja akashinga ikoku tjipo tje Ndzimu. 20 Ndizo ha atjowoalakana mazhuba e butjilo gugwe ngobe Ndzimu wakampa lushatho gunjinji mu moyo uwe.