1 Tjiyelo tje manyepkhwa tjoshimisa kuna Yahwe,
ikale tjakatambunuka tjo bashathisa.
2 Ha mazwikudzo ezha, kudwapo kozha mabhatisashoni,
koga muna banozwiyisa pasi kuna butjenjedu.
3 Gudzo le bakalulwama lobatungamila,
koga bupitipiti gwe basakalulwama gobabulaya.
4 Fumwa aitobhatsha ne tjimwe zhuba le bushongola,
koga ndulamo inosunungula nthu mu lufu.
5 Ndulamo ye usina nlandu inotambunudza zila iye,
koga mbiimbi unokonesiwa nge bubi gugwe.
6 Ndulamo ye bakatambunuka inobasunungula,
koga basakalulwama banobhatshigwa nge bubi gwabo.
7 Nthu mbi ha efa, kugalamoyo kopalala,
ne njemulo dze fumwa dze basina ndzimu dzopela.
8 Nlulwami unosunugwa mu mango'ni, kukangina mbiimbi muali.
9 Ngo nyeya kukwe nthu mbi unotjinyidzila waagelidzane naye,
koga wakalulwama unotjidziwa nge luzibo.
10 Ha balulwami bakadwililambeli, ntuthu unoshatha,
ngono ha babi bekolomoka bathu banopululudza.
11 Makombolelo e balulwami anokudza nzi nkulu,
koga milomo ye babi inowukolomodza.
12 Iye unolingila pasi mbakisani naye aana nkumbulo,
koga nthu unohwisisa unozwinyalalila.
13 Nzwina bung'wa unoyenda elebanya unodusa zwikowa,
koga iye unogalikabgwe mu meya unozwibiga mu moyo uwe.
14 Pasina gumbuludzo, bathu banowa,
koga pana bakumbuludzi banjinji kuna mbakililo.
15 Iye unozwisungila ntaya unowozwibona ne kwako,
koga iye unobenga kwakajalo wakasununguka.
16 Nkadzi unolemedzeka una gudzo,
koga balume bakasima bawowana fumwa.
17 Nthu una meya yakanaka unobuyigwa,
koga nthu nkukutu unozwilonga mu mbatsha.
18 Nthu mbiimbi unowana mbayilo unotjebela,
koga nthu uno dzwala kwakatambunuka unovuna kwe malebeswa.
19 Iye wakalulwama kwe malebeswa unowotjila,
koga iye unotobela bubi unowofa.
20 Bathu be mikumbulo yakaleleka banoshimisa kuna Yahwe,
koga ibo basina nlandu banobashathisa.
21 Zibani kuti, nthu mbi haanga letjiwe koga asalobgwa shamu,
koga ibo bakalulwama banowosunungugwa.
22 Se rin'gi ye golide yakalongwa mu tjimilo tje hwotji,
konga nkadzi wakanaka asina nkumbulo.
23 Zwinoyemugwa nge balulwami zopelela zwili zwibuya,
koga zwinoyemugwa nge batjinyi zopelela zwisiyizo.
24 Umwe nthu unopa akatambunudza luboko, unofumila mbeli,
mmwe unotjiba zwaakafanila pa bamwe, unoshayila tjose.
25 Nthu una lubu unowofuma,
naiye unodilidzila unowodilidzigwa.
26 Bathu balonga bhiso nthu unotjiba mathunde,
koga makombolelo amu nsholo we unoatengesa.
27 Iye una moyonlefu wekushaka bubuya unoshaka gudzo,
koga bubi gozha kuna iye unoguvima.
28 Iye unogalabgwe mu fumwa iye unowowa,
koga nlulwami unowopasula se zhani bgwelele.
29 Iye unodziidza be nsha uwe unowothuwa lifa phepo,
ne tjilengwe tjowobe nlanda ku ntjenjedu.
30 Ntjelo we nlulwami nti we butjilo,
koga kusabe ne nlayo kobulaya.
31 Ha nlulwami epiwa mbhailo uwe mu shango,
mbiimbi ne ntjinyi koying'wi nge kukwe!
Watch What You Say and Do
1 The Lord hates anyone
who cheats,
but he likes everyone
who is honest.
2 Too much pride
can put you to shame.
It's wiser to be humble.
3 If you do the right thing,
honesty will be your guide.
But if you are crooked,
you will be trapped
by your own dishonesty.
4 When God is angry,
money won't help you.
Obeying God is the only way
to be saved from death.
5 If you are truly good,
you will do right;
if you are wicked,
you will be destroyed
by your own sin.
6 Honesty can keep you safe,
but if you can't be trusted,
you trap yourself.
7 When the wicked die,
their hopes die with them.
8 Trouble goes right past
the Lord's people
and strikes the wicked.
9 Dishonest people use gossip
to destroy their neighbors;
good people are protected
by their own good sense.
10 When honest people prosper
and the wicked disappear,
the whole city celebrates.
11 Good people bring prosperity
to their city,
but deceitful liars
can destroy a city.
12 It's stupid to say bad things
about your neighbors.
If you are sensible,
you will keep quiet.
13 A gossip tells everything,
but a true friend
will keep a secret.
14 A city without wise leaders
will end up in ruin;
a city with many wise leaders
will be kept safe.
15 It's a dangerous thing
to guarantee payment
for someone's debts.
Don't do it!
16 A gracious woman
will be respected,
but a ruthless man
will only get rich.
17 Kindness is rewarded—
but if you are cruel,
you hurt yourself.
18 Meanness gets you nowhere,
but goodness is rewarded.
19 Always do the right thing,
and you will live;
keep on doing wrong,
and you will die.
20 The Lord hates sneaky people,
but he likes everyone
who lives right.
21 You can be sure of this:
All crooks will be punished,
but God's people won't.
22 A beautiful woman
who acts foolishly
is like a gold ring
on the snout of a pig.
23 Good people want what is best,
but troublemakers
hope to stir up trouble.
24 Sometimes you can become rich
by being generous
or poor by being greedy.
25 Generosity will be rewarded:
Give a cup of water,
and you will receive
a cup of water in return.
26 Charge too much for grain,
and you will be cursed;
sell it at a fair price,
and you will be praised.
27 Try hard to do right,
and you will win friends;
go looking for trouble,
and you will find it.
28 Trust in your wealth,
and you will be a failure,
but God's people will prosper
like healthy plants.
29 Fools who cause trouble
in the family
won't inherit a thing.
They will end up as slaves
of someone with good sense.
30 Live right, and you will eat
from the life-giving tree.
And if you act wisely,
others will follow.
31 If good people are rewarded
here on this earth,
all who are cruel and mean
will surely be punished.