1 Homes are made by the wisdom of women, but are destroyed by foolishness.
2 Be honest and you show that you have reverence for the Lord; be dishonest and you show that you do not.
3 Proud fools talk too much; the words of the wise protect them.
4 Without any oxen to pull the plow your barn will be empty, but with them it will be full of grain.
5 A reliable witness always tells the truth, but an unreliable one tells nothing but lies.
6 Conceited people can never become wise, but intelligent people learn easily.
7 Stay away from foolish people; they have nothing to teach you.
8 Why is a clever person wise? Because he knows what to do. Why is a stupid person foolish? Because he only thinks he knows.
9 Foolish people don't care if they sin, but good people want to be forgiven.
10 Your joy is your own; your bitterness is your own. No one can share them with you.
11 A good person's house will still be standing after an evildoer's house has been destroyed.
12 What you think is the right road may lead to death.
13 Laughter may hide sadness. When happiness is gone, sorrow is always there.
14 Bad people will get what they deserve. Good people will be rewarded for their deeds.
15 A fool will believe anything; smart people watch their step.
16 Sensible people are careful to stay out of trouble, but stupid people are careless and act too quickly.
17 People with a hot temper do foolish things; wiser people remain calm.
18 Ignorant people get what their foolishness deserves, but the clever are rewarded with knowledge.
19 Evil people will have to bow down to the righteous and humbly beg their favor.
20 No one likes the poor, not even their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.
21 If you want to be happy, be kind to the poor; it is a sin to despise anyone.
22 You will earn the trust and respect of others if you work for good; if you work for evil, you are making a mistake.
23 Work and you will earn a living; if you sit around talking you will be poor.
24 Wise people are rewarded with wealth, but fools are known by their foolishness.
25 A witness saves lives when he tells the truth; when he tells lies, he betrays people.
26 Reverence for the Lord gives confidence and security to a man and his family.
27 Do you want to avoid death? Reverence for the Lord is a fountain of life.
28 A king's greatness depends on how many people he rules; without them he is nothing.
29 If you stay calm, you are wise, but if you have a hot temper, you only show how stupid you are.
30 Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.
31 If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.
32 Wicked people bring about their own downfall by their evil deeds, but good people are protected by their integrity.
33 Wisdom is in every thought of intelligent people; fools know nothing about wisdom.
34 Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation.
35 Kings are pleased with competent officials, but they punish those who fail them.
1 Butjenjedu gobaka ng'umba yago,
koga bulengwe ne maboko ago gukaikolomola,
2 Iye unoyenda nge thambunuko unotja Yahwe,
koga iye we zila dzakamonana unobalingila pasi.
3 Ndebo dze tjilengwe dzotjizhisila shamu mu ikamba tjatjo,
koga milomo ye batjenjedu inowobabakilila.
4 Pasina ng'ombe akuna mathunde,
koga mathunde manji anozhisiwa nge simba le ng'ombe.
5 Ntendeki unogalikabwe aatonyepa,
koga ntendeki we manyepkhwa unofema manyepkhwa.
6 Ndadi unoshakila butjenjedu suli,
koga luzibo gotjimbidza wanika ku nthu unohwisisa.
7 Thubukana ne tjilengwe,
ngobe atjina luzibo gwatjinga kupa.
8 Butjenjedu gwe wakatjenjela wulingisisa zila iye,
koga bulengwe gwe zwilengwe hwutjebela.
9 Ndzimu unoshima bathu babi,
koga unoda bakalulwama.
10 Moyo unoziba kugwadziwa kwawo,
kakale akuna wakashanganyila shatho nawo.
11 Ng'umba ye babi inowokolomogwa,
koga nshasha we bakatambunuka unowobhudilila.
12 Kuna zila inolingika yakatambunuka ku nthu,
koga bhelelo layo i zila ye lufu.
13 Moyo unohwa zogwadza ne mu tjiseko
ne bhelelo le shatho tjililo.
14 Nthu we meya mibi unogutshiwa nge mitjelo ye zwiyito zwizwe,
nlulwami naiye unogutshiwa nge mitjelo ye mishingo iye.
15 Tjilengwe tjoduma tjimwe ne tjimwe,
koga ntjenjedu unolinga kwaanoyenda.
16 Ntjenjedu unotja zwakabipa ebe ezwileya,
koga tjilengwe tjopaparika atjina njele.
17 Nthu una moywana unotjimbidza ayita zwithu nge bulengwe,
koga nthu unoluka mano mabi unobengwa.
18 Zwilengwe zowana thaka ye bulengwe,
koga bakatjenjela banoambadzwa tjiala tje luzibo.
19 Bathu babi banothigama mbeli kwe balulwami,
babi banothigama pa mikoba ye mizi ye bakalulwama.
20 Nshayi aatodiwa nenge mbakidzani naye dumbu,
koga nfumi una bazwalani basi bashoma.
21 Iye unolingila pasi mbakidzani naye ntjinyi,
koga una ludo mu bashayi una kushatha.
22 Ibo banoluka mano akabipa abatolashika kene?
Ibabo banoluka mano mabuya banogalikabgwe.
23 Kushinga kwazo kose kuna mbayilo,
koga balabala nge nlomo koyisa ku bushayi.
24 Tjiala tje bakatjenjela butjenjedu gwabo,
koga mbuyilo ye zwilengwe bulengwe gwazo.
25 Ntendeki we malebeswa unotjidza bathu,
koga unoleba manyepkhwa ntjebeli.
26 Mu kutja Yahwe nthu una kugalabgwe kwakasima,
ne bana babe banowobe ne dizhilo.
27 Kutja Yahwe nsenya we butjilo,
kuti nthu aleye dati le lufu.
28 Bukulu gwa Mambo goboneka nge bunjinji gwe bathu,
koga pasina bathu nkololo wa mambo unokolomoka.
29 Iye usingagwadze moyo tjinyolotjo una hwisiso hwulu,
koga unotjimbidza kupkhwita moyo unopaphidza bulengwe.
30 Meya yakatebama inopa butjilo mu mbili,
koga tjiba dzobodza mafupa.
31 Iye unotshambilidza nshayi unotuka Mbumbi uwe,
koga iye una ngoni ku bashayi unokudza Ndzimu.
32 Mbiimbi unowolashiwa ngekushinga bubi kukwe,
koga nlulwami unowana dizhilo ngekushinga zwibuya kukwe.
33 Butjenjedu gogala mu nkumbulo we nthu una njele,
koga mu mimoyo ye zwilengwe agutozibgwa.
34 Ndulamo inokudza ludzi,
koga tjibi mabhatisashoni mu ludzi gupi kene gupi.
35 Nlanda unoshinga zwibuya akatjenjela unodika kuna mambo,
koga usinga shinge nge butjenjedu unozwibengesa mambo.