Butjenjedu
1 Zina buya lopinda tjizholo tjakanaka, ne zhuba le lufu lopinda le kuzwagwa. 2 Koyita kuyenda ku ng'umba ye tjililo pana ku ng'umba ye zojiwa, ngobe ndilo bhelelo le bathu bose, kakale banotjila banowokulonga mu moyo. 3 Buyendasi goyita pa tjiseko, ngoti buso gungalakidza kusashatha ngono moyo wakashatha. 4 Mimoyo ye batjenjedu imu ng'umba ye tjililo, koga mimoyo ye zwilengwe imu ng'umba ye mizipo. 5 Koyita kuti nthu aamutjile kutjemegwa nge ntjenjedu pana kuteedza lumbo gwe zwilengwe. 6 Koga se kuthathanya kwe miwa kusi kwe hali, tjakajalo tjiseko tje zwilengwe, ikoku naiko madatha. 7 Nge malebeswa tshambilidzo ino thama ntjenjedu akabe tjilengwe, ne tjizwimbanlomo tjobodza nkumbulo. 8 Koyita bhelelo le tjithu pana kutangisa kwatjo, kakale moyonlefu unoyita pa mazwikudzo. 9 Usitjimbidze wagwadzamoyo, ngobe kugwadzamoyo kogala mu zwifuba zwe zwilengwe. 10 Usitongoti, “Ini misi ya ntolo ipinda misi ya ngwenu?” Ngobe ha uyijalo aautobhuzwa ne butjenjedu. 11 Butjenjedu gwakanaka aguna thaka, i bhatsho muna ibabo banotjila. 12 Ngobe butjenjedu gobakilila koga se mari e bakilila, bhatsho ye luzibo hwuti butjenjedu gotjengeta butjilo gwa iye unago. 13 Kumbulani mishingo ye Ndzimu, ndiyani unga tambunudza tjithu tjawakakombamisa? 14 Zhuba le kubhudilila ushathe, koga mu zhuba le manikano kumbula woku, Ndzimu wakalithama koga sa ilelije, kuti nthu asitongo ziba tjinowoshingikala shule. 15 Mu butjilo gwangu gusigwatjimwe ndakazwibona zose, kuna nlulwami unoloba mu bululwami gugwe, kukabe ne nthu mbi unobe ne butjilo gulefu mu kushinga bubi kukwe. 16 Usibe nlulwami kwaka pindilila, kakale usitongobe ntjenjedusa, unowobe uzwibulailani? 17 Usitongobe mbimbi, kakale usitongobe tjilengwe, unowobe ufilani tjibaka tjitjo tjisathu tjikaswika? 18 Kubuya kuti ubhate ikoku, usitongo letja, ngobe iye unotja Ndzimu unowokunda zose. 19 Butjenjedu go pa simba nthu wakatjenjela kupinda gumi le balauli mu nzi nkulu. 20 Malebeswa hwuti akuna nlulwami mu shango unothama bubuya asingatongoyita tjibi. 21 Usibe ne hanya ne zwithu zose zwinolebgwa ne bathu, ngobe ungadwa uhwa nlanda uwo ekulonga bhiso, 22 unoziba tjamu moyo uwo kuti iwe ngekuko wakatongo longa bamwe bhiso. 23 Kose ikoku ndaka kulika nge butjenjedu, ndakati, “Ndowotjenjela,” koga kwake kuli kule nami. 24 Itjo tjiyapo, tjikulekule ntome tjimukati mukatikati, ndiani ungatjiwana? 25 Ndakalonga meya mu nyama mukushakisisa butjenjedu ne tjimo tje zwithu, ne kuziba bubi gwe bulengwe ne bulengwe gwe bupengo. 26 Ndakawana tjithu tjinogwadza kupinda lufu, kuli nkadzi ali dati ali bhuzhu, maboko awe ali ketani, koga iye unoshathisa Ndzimu unomphunyuka, koga ntjinyi unosungwa nge nkadzi wakajalo. 27 “Bonani, tjandakawana,” koleba Nsumikili, “Ndakati ndishanganya zwithu kuti ndibone tjimo tjazo, 28 shule kwe kushakisisa kanjinji, akuna tjandakawana. Ndakawana nlume nng'ompela pakati kwe tjiwulu (1 000) tje bathu, koga we tjikadzi pakati kwa bose ibabo ndakansheta. 29 Bonani, tjithu tjing'ompela tjandakawana ndikuti Ndzimu wakabumba nthu akalulwama, koga bathu banoshaka mano manjinji.”
The Best in Life
1 A good reputation
at the time of death
is better than loving care
at the time of birth.
2 It's better to go to a funeral
than to attend a feast;
funerals remind us
that we all must die.
3 Choose sorrow over laughter
because a sad face
may hide a happy heart.
4 A sensible person mourns,
but fools always laugh.
5 Correction from someone wise
is better by far
than praise from fools.
6 Foolish laughter is stupid.
It sounds like thorns
crackling in a fire.
7 Corruption makes fools
of sensible people,
and bribes can ruin you.
8 Something completed is better
than something just begun;
patience is better
than too much pride.
9 Only fools get angry quickly
and hold a grudge.
10 It isn't wise to ask,
“Why is everything worse
than it used to be?”
11 Having wisdom is better
than an inheritance.
12 Wisdom will protect you
just like money;
knowledge with good sense
will lead you to life.
13 Think of what God has done!
If God makes something crooked,
can you make it straight?
14 When times are good,
you should be cheerful;
when times are bad,
think about what it means.
God makes them both
to keep us from knowing
what will happen next.
Some of Life's Questions
15 I have seen everything during this senseless life of mine. I have seen good citizens die for doing the right thing, while criminals live and prosper. 16 So don't destroy yourself by being too good or acting too smart! 17 Don't die before your time by being too evil or acting like a fool. 18 Keep to the middle of the road. You can do this if you truly respect God.
19 Wisdom will make you stronger than the ten most powerful leaders in your city.
20 No one in this world always does right.
21 Don't listen to everything that everyone says, or you might hear your servant cursing you. 22 Haven't you cursed many others?
23 I told myself that I would be smart and try to understand all this, but it was too much for me. 24 The truth is beyond us. It's far too deep. 25 So I decided to learn everything I could and become wise enough to discover what life is all about. At the same time, I wanted to understand why it's stupid and senseless to be an evil fool.
26 Here is what I discovered: A bad woman is worse than death. She is a trap, reaching out with body and soul to catch you. But if you obey God, you can escape. If you don't obey, you are done for. 27 With all my wisdom I have tried to find out how everything fits together, 28 but so far I have not been able to. I do know there is one good man in a thousand, but never have I found a good woman. 29 I did learn one thing: We were completely honest when God created us, but now we have twisted minds.