Be Faithful to Your Wife
1 My son, if you listen closely
to my wisdom and good sense,
2 you will have sound judgment,
and you will always know
the right thing to say.
3 The words of an immoral woman
may be as sweet as honey
and as smooth as olive oil.
4 But all that you really get
from being with her
is bitter poison and pain.
5 If you follow her,
she will lead you down
to the world of the dead.
6 She has missed the path
that leads to life
and doesn't even know it.
7 My son, listen to me
and do everything I say.
8 Stay away from a bad woman!
Don't even go near the door
of her house.
9 You will lose your self-respect
and end up in debt
to some cruel person
for the rest of your life.
10 Strangers will get your money
and everything else
you have worked for.
11 When it's all over,
your body will waste away,
as you groan 12 and shout,
“I hated advice and correction!
13 I paid no attention
to my teachers,
14 and now I am disgraced
in front of everyone.”
15 You should be faithful
to your wife,
just as you take water
from your own well.
16 And don't be like a stream
from which just any woman
may take a drink.
17 Save yourself for your wife
and don't have sex
with other women.
18 Be happy with the wife
you married
when you were young.
19 She is beautiful and graceful,
just like a deer;
you should be attracted to her
and stay deeply in love.
20 Don't go crazy over a woman
who is unfaithful
to her own husband!
21 The Lord sees everything,
and he watches us closely.
22 Sinners are trapped and caught
by their own evil deeds.
23 They get lost and die
because of their foolishness
and lack of self-control.
Jenjedzo ngekwe bupongwe
1 Nkololo wangu, bhulutana butjenjedu gwangu,
Teya zebe uhwe kuhwisisa kwangu,
2 kutindizo ugale una njele,
ne milomo iyo itjengete luzibo.
3 Ngobe milomo ye nkadzi we bamba inodotha butji,
ne ndebo iye inosodzoloka kupinda mafuta,
4 koga mu bupelo unobaba se nshashanyama,
unopitsha se thumo linotjeka ntha dzose.
5 Makumbo awe anoyenda ku lufu,
thambo dzidze dzotobela zila inoyenda ku gomba,
6 aana hanya ne zila inoyenda ku butjilo,
zila dzidze dzakamoneleka koga ngono aatoziba nge kwako.
7 Koga ngwenu, imwi bakololo, munditeedze,
kakale musithubukane ne matama e nlomo wangu.
8 Muzanile kule kwe nkadzi wakajalo,
kakale musitongo yenda pejo ne nkoba we ng'umba iye,
9 kuti musidwe mupa bamwe gudzo lenyu,
ne makole enyu kuna bana mimoyo mikukutu,
10 kuti musidwe motolegwa masimba ne bataya
ne fumwa yenyu ingadwa ikanojiwa ne bapoga,
11 kukoti mu bupelo gwe butjilo nthu ekogomela,
nyama ne mbili zwashakala,
12 ekoti, “Ndakabe ndakabenga kulayiwa tjini,
ne moyo wangu wakalingila pasi kutjemegwa!
13 Andizo teedza hwi le badiyi bangu,
kene kuteya zebe yangu ku balayi bangu.
14 Ndakabe ndabepejo ne kuloba,
pakati kwe gubungano.”
15 Ing'wa vula mu tshime lilo,
vula inodwilila mu tshime lilo woga.
16 Apa misenya iyo ingawungila pamwe ne pamwe,
misenya ye vula mu dzizila kene?
17 Ngaibe misenya inong'wiwa nawe koga,
usinga ishanganyila ne bataya.
18 Tshime lilo ngali kombolegwe,
kakale ushathile nkadzi we buzhuzha gugo,
19 se phala hadzi yakanaka ne ngululu hadzi mbuya.
Mazhamu awe ngaakugutshe nge shatho,
ugale wakagutshiwa ne ludo gugwe.
20 Nkololo wangu, ini ungatogwa mazwiwo ne bamba wali
ube ushathisiwa nge kun'gumbatila?
21 Ngobe zila dze nthu dzimu mesho a Yahwe,
ibo banobona zila dzidze dzose.
22 Jinyo le nthu lombhatshila,
kakale unobhatshigwa mu mishingo iye ye bubi.
23 Unobulawa nge kushaya kutjemegwa,
ngekwe bulengwe gugwe bukulu wakalashika.