1 Moyo wa mambo lukoba gwe vula gumu luboko gwa Yahwe;
banogushandulila kumwe ne kumwe kwa banoshaka.
2 Zila imwe ne imwe ye nthu yakalulwama mu kubona kukwe,
koga Yahwe banokala moyo.
3 Kuthama ndulamo ne kutambunuka,
koamutjilika kuna Yahwe kupinda tjibhayilo.
4 Mesho anozwikudza ne moyo unozwida
luvone gwe babi, zwibi.
5 Mano ebana moyonlefu nge lebeswa anotungamilila ku mbuzilo,
koga bose bana phupu bano wana bushayi.
6 Kuwana fumwa nge lulimi,
konga busi gunopinda kakale i dati le lufu.
7 Phipiti ye babiibi inowobatshwayilila kutjena,
ngobe banolamba kuyita tjakatambunuka.
8 Zila ye nthu una nlandu yakaleleka,
koga mazwibhato e nthu mbuyanana akalulwama.
9 Ku koyita kwazo kugala mu ndzibo we denga le ng'umba,
pana kugala mu ng'umba ina nkadzi una zhoba.
10 Meya ye mbiimbi inoda zwibiibi,
n'galidzani naye aatobona ngoni mu mesho awe.
11 Ha unodada e lobgwa shamu, tjilengwe tjotjenjela,
ha ntjenjedu elayiwa, unowana luzibo.
12 Nlulwami unolingisisa ng'umba ye mbiimbi,
kaligila mbiimbi mu golomodzo.
13 Iye usingateedze tjililo tje nshayi,
iye unowoti ha e mimila kukashaya unonteedza.
14 Tjipo tjinopigwa mu ikohwa tjodzima shungu,
ne tjizwimba nlomo tjinodusigwa mu apkhwa tjodzima kugwadza moyo kukulu.
15 Ha kutambunuka kushingwa, ko shathisa balulwami,
koga i golomodzo ku bashingi be mbipo.
16 Nthu unobhuda mu zila ye kuhwisisa,
unowonyaluluka mu gubungano le bafi.
17 Iye unoda mizipo unowobe nshayi,
iye unoda nkumbi we zhambi ne mafuta aatofuma.
18 Mbiimbi unolipila nlulwami,
ne basingagalemoyo bano lilipila bakatambunuka.
19 Koyita kugala mu tjilambanyika,
pana kugala ne nkadzi unazhoba edziidza.
20 Mu ng'umba ye ntjenjedu ko gala fumwa nji ne mafuta,
koga tjilengwe tjoja tjipedza kose.
21 Iye unoshaka ndulamo ne buthu,
unowana butjilo ne gudzo.
22 Nthu wakatjenjela unonginilila nzi nkulu we wakasima,
kaligila pasi matizhilo abanogalabwe muali.
23 Iye unotjengeta nlomo uwe ne lulimi gugwe,
unozwidusa mu mbatsha.
24 “Ndadi” i zina le unozwikudza, unozwida
unoshinga zwithu nge kuzwikudza kukwe.
25 Simbe inobulawa nge njemulo dzayo,
ngobe maboko awe anolamba kushinga.
26 Zhuba lose mbiimbi unoshwa eyemula,
koga nlulwami unopa asingatjibe.
27 Tjibhayilo tje mbiimbi tjoshimisa,
ngono zwinyanya ha etjizhisa nge nkumbulo wakabipa.
28 Ntendeki we manyepkhwa unowoloba,
koga dama le nthu unoteedza lowogalila tjose.
29 Nthu mbiimbi unokukutadza tjiso,
koga nthu wakatambunuka una njele mu zila dzidze.
30 Akuna butjenjedu, akuna hwisiso ne gumbuludzo,
zwingakulila Yahwe.
31 Mbizi inolulwamisigwa zhuba le ngwa,
koga kukunda kodwa kuna Yahwe.
The Lord Is In Charge
1 The Lord controls rulers,
just as he determines
the course of rivers.
2 We may think we are doing
the right thing,
but the Lord always knows
what is in our hearts.
3 Doing what is right and fair
pleases the Lord
more than an offering.
4 Evil people are proud
and arrogant,
but sin is the only crop
they produce.
5 If you plan and work hard,
you will have plenty;
if you hurry to get rich,
you will end up poor.
6 Cheating to get rich
is a foolish dream
and no less than suicide.
7 You destroy yourself
by being cruel and violent
and refusing to live right.
8 All crooks are liars,
but anyone who is innocent
will do right.
9 It's better to stay outside
on the roof of your house
than to live inside
with a nagging wife.
10 Evil people want to do wrong,
even to their friends.
11 An ignorant fool learns
by seeing others punished;
a sensible person learns
by being instructed.
12 God is always fair!
He knows what the wicked do
and will punish them.
13 If you won't help the poor,
don't expect to be heard
when you cry out for help.
14 A secret bribe will save you
from someone's fierce anger.
15 When justice is done,
good citizens are glad
and crooks are terrified.
16 If you stop using good sense,
you will find yourself
in the grave.
17 Heavy drinkers and others
who live only for pleasure
will lose all they have.
18 God's people will escape,
but all who are wicked
will pay the price.
19 It's better out in the desert
than at home with a nagging,
complaining wife.
20 Be sensible and store up
precious treasures—
don't waste them
like a fool.
21 If you try to be kind and good,
you will be blessed with life
and goodness and honor.
22 One wise person can defeat
a city full of soldiers
and capture their fortress.
23 Watching what you say
can save you
a lot of trouble.
24 If you are proud and conceited,
everyone will say,
“You're a snob!”
25 If you want too much
and are too lazy to work,
it could be fatal.
26 But people who obey God
are always generous.
27 The Lord despises the offerings
of wicked people
with evil motives.
28 If you tell lies in court,
you are done for;
only a reliable witness
can do the job.
29 Wicked people bluff their way,
but God's people think
before they take a step.
30 No matter how much you know
or what plans you make,
you can't defeat the Lord.
31 Even if your army has horses
ready for battle,
the Lord will always win.