Nshingo we makungulupeswa
1 Makungulupeswa a Solomoni, nkololo wa Dafite, mambo we Iziraela,
2 anodiya butjenjedu ne matama e ndayo,
ekuhwisisa matama e ndingisiso,
3 ne kuamutjila nlayo kunotjenjedza,
kuthama kululwama ne kutambunuka ne kusa shalaula,
4 kupa basina luzibo butjenjedu,
kupa luzibo ne njele ku batjetjana,
5 ntjenjedu unohwa kapapha kudiyika kukwe,
una hwisiso kapapha bunyambi gugwe,
6 kuhwisisa gungulupeswa ne zwifano,
matama e batjenjedu ne mabatsho abo.
Gumbuludzo ku batjetjana
7 Kutja Yahwe ndiko kutangisa kwe luzibo,
zwilengwe zolingila pasi butjenjedu ne ndayo.
8 Nkololo wangu, teedza ndayo dza tate babo,
usilashe zwidiyo zwa mmeyabo,
9 ngobe zowobe tjiala mu nsholo uwo,
ne ndalama mu ntshibha uwo.
10 Nkololo wangu, ha batjinyi bekutjengedza,
usitongo duma.
11 Ha beti, “Ngati yende tose, tilalile nthu titebule lopa,
tinyange tibhate usina nlandu,
12 se ikumbu ngati bamidzeni bali bapenyu,
bali bapumbulu, sa ibabo banolongwa mu gomba,
13 towowana fumwa inoguta,
tikazhadza ng'umba dzedu ne zwatinowotapa,
14 iwe ibe mmwe wedu,
tibe ne hwomwana ing'ompela.”
15 Nkololo wangu, usitongo yenda zila nabo,
dziba gumbo lilo kuyenda mu zila dzabo,
16 ngobe makumbo abo anotjimbidzo tizhila ku bubi,
kakale banotjimbidzo kutebula lopa.
17 Akutobhatsha tjimwe kuteya
nyuni yakakulinga,
18 koga bathu ibaba banolalila lopa labo,
bakalalila butjilo gwabo.
19 Ndiyo zila ya bose banowana fumwa nge phipiti,
inotolela bathu butjilo gwabo.
Butjenjedu godana
20 Butjenjedu gomimilila pezhugwi mu dzizila,
mu matengeselo gomilidza hwi lago,
21 pezhugwi kwe makuma gomimilila pezhugwi,
pa mikoba ye nzi nkulu golebeleka guti,
22 “Kowodzina kukabe lini, imwi basina mano,
muda kusabe ne mano?
Kowodzina kukabe lini badadi bedada beshathila kudada kwabo
ne zwilengwe zwibenga luzibo?
23 Shandukani ha ndimutjemela,
bonani, ndowodila meya yangu mu muli,
ndowothama kuti matama angu muazibe.
24 Nekuti ndakamudana mukasinditeedze,
ndikatambunudza luboko gwangu mukasibe ne hanya,
25 mukasibe ne hanya ne gumbuludzo langu,
mukasibe ne tjimwe ngotjemela kwangu,
26 namibo ndowomuseka mu mbhatsha dzenyu,
ndowomuseka mahanya ha kutja kwenyu kwamuswikila,
27 ha kutja kumuwila se dutu,
ne mbhatsha dzenyu kumuzhila se tjampupudze,
ha buyendasi ne manikano zwimuwila.
28 Ipapo banowondidana, koga anditowodabila,
banowondishaka bakalonga meya mu nyama koga abatowondiwana.
29 Ngoti bakabenga luzibo
kakale bakasishalule kutja Yahwe,
30 bakasibe ne hanya ne gumbuludzo langu,
bakalingila pasi kutjemela kwangu kose,
31 ndizo banowovuna tjabakadzwala mu zila dzabo
kakale bakagutshiwa ne butjakwani gwabo.
32 Ngoti basina mano banobulawa ngopambuka kwabo,
kusabe ne hanya kwe zwilengwe kozwipaladza,
33 koga iye unonditeedza unowogala akabakililika,
unowogala asakabiga asingatje mbipo.”
How Proverbs Can Be Used
1 These are the proverbs
of King Solomon of Israel,
the son of David.
2 Proverbs will teach you
wisdom and self-control
and how to understand
sayings with deep meanings.
3 You will learn what is right
and honest and fair.
4 From these, an ordinary person
can learn to be smart,
and young people can gain
knowledge and good sense.
5 If you are already wise,
you will become even wiser.
And if you are smart,
you will learn to understand
6 proverbs and sayings,
as well as words of wisdom,
and all kinds of riddles.
7 Respect and obey the Lord!
This is the beginning
of knowledge.
Only a fool rejects wisdom
and good advice.
Warnings against Bad Friends
8 My child, obey the teachings
of your parents,
9 and wear their teachings
as you would a pretty hat
or a lovely necklace.
10 Don't be tempted by sinners
or listen 11 when they say,
“Come on! Let's gang up
and kill somebody,
just for the fun of it!
12 They're well and healthy now,
but we'll finish them off
once and for all.
13 We'll take their valuables
and fill our homes
with stolen goods.
14 If you join our gang,
you'll get your share.”
15 Don't follow anyone like that
or do what they do.
16 They are in a big hurry
to commit some crime,
perhaps even murder.
17 They are like a bird
that sees the bait,
but ignores the trap.
18 They gang up to murder someone,
but they are the victims.
19 The wealth you get from crime
robs you of your life.
Wisdom Speaks
20 Wisdom shouts in the streets
wherever crowds gather.
21 She shouts in the marketplaces
and near the city gates
as she says to the people,
22 “How much longer
will you enjoy
being stupid fools?
Won't you ever stop sneering
and laughing at knowledge?
23 Listen as I correct you
and tell you what I think.
24 You completely ignored me
and refused to listen;
25 you rejected my advice
and paid no attention
when I warned you.
26 “So when you are struck
by some terrible disaster,
27 or when trouble and distress
surround you like a whirlwind,
I will laugh and make fun.
28 You will ask for my help,
but I won't listen;
you will search,
but you won't find me.
29 No, you would not learn,
and you refused
to respect the Lord.
30 You rejected my advice
and paid no attention
when I warned you.
31 “Now you will eat the fruit
of what you have done,
until you are stuffed full
with your own schemes.
32 Sin and self-satisfaction
bring destruction and death
to stupid fools.
33 But if you listen to me,
you will be safe and secure
without fear of disaster.”