1 Nshayi unotjilila mu malebeswa
unoyita pa nthu unolebela ntome ngono ali tjilengwe.
2 Akuzonaka kuti nthu ashaye luzibo,
ne nthu unoyenda eyendisa unoleya zila.
3 Ha bulengwe gwe nthu gu tjinya zila iye,
moyo uwe unogwadzila Yahwe.
4 Fumwa inozhisa bazwalani batshwa banjinji,
koga nshayi unosiyiwa nge nzwalani.
5 Ntendeki we manyepkhwa aatowoletjiwa asalobgwa shamu,
ne unoleba manyepkhwa aatowoletjedziwa.
6 Banjinji banozwizwadzanya ne nthu una mamo,
kakale mmwe ne mmwe nzwalani we nthu unopa zwipo.
7 Nshayi unobengiwa ne bana ba tate babe bose,
ngono bazwalani babe ibo banowoyendila kule naye kungapani!
Unodzobalebesa, koga abatoshako hwa.
8 Iye unowana butjenjedu unozwida,
iye unobhata hwisiso unowodwililambeli.
9 Ntendeki we manyepkhwa aatowoletjiwa asalogwa shamu,
ne unoleba manyepkhwa unowoloba.
10 Akutofanila kuti tjilengwe tjitjilile mu ipepkhwe,
koga se nlanda aangabe she we bakololo ba mambo.
11 Nkumbulo wakalulwama unothama nthu kasigwadze moyo tjinyolotjo,
ngono gudzo laanalo loyita kuti asibe ne hanya ne jinyo.
12 Kugwadzamoyo kwa mambo konga tjibombo tje shumba,
koga ludo gugwe gonga khawa mu bushwa.
13 Tjilengwe tje mwana tjo lengudza tate batjo,
ne nkadzi unoda zhoba unonga vula ye midumbi.
14 Dzing'umba ne fumwa ithaka inodwa kuna botate,
koga nkadzi wakatjenjela unodwa kuna Yahwe.
15 Busimbe golonga nthu mu hwope hwulu,
ne simbe inowofa nge zhala.
16 Iye unolondolodza nlayo unolondolodza butjilo gugwe,
iye unolingila dama pasi unowofa.
17 Iye una buthu ku bashayi unobigisa kuna Yahwe,
ngobe unonlipila nshingo uwe wakanaka.
18 Laya mwana uwo kutjina kugalabgwe,
usilonge luboko mu lufu gugwe.
19 Nthu una moywana unowolipila jinyo lile,
ngoti ha unsunungula unowobgwilulula kakale.
20 Teedza gumbuludzo uamutjile zwidiyo,
kuti ndizo kubupelo ube wakatjenjela.
21 Nkumbulo we nthu unoluka maano manjinji,
koga kuda kwa Yahwe ndiko kunowoshingikala.
22 Tjinoshakika mu nthu hwugalikabgwe,
ne nshayi unopinda nyepi.
23 Kutja Yahwe kokwebela ku butjilo,
na iye unago ugedzikane,
aanga hwigwe nge tjimwe tjakabipa.
24 Simbe inolonga luboko gwayo mu ndilo,
kakale ikakongwa ku gubgwiliza ku nlomo.
25 Loba ndadi, ndizo usinamano unowozwidiya butjenjedu;
tjemela nthu una kuhwisisa, unowowana butjenjedu.
26 Iye una phipiti na tate babe ebe etata mmeyabe munzi
unobhatisa shoni kunogwadza.
27 Nkololo wangu ha uletja kuteedza ndayo,
unobe e fupatila matama e luzibo.
28 Ntendeki usina nshingo unodadila kutambunuka,
ne nlomo mbiimbi unomidza mbipo.
29 Kusumikilisiwa kwakalindila badadi,
ne shamu ye ikamba yakalindila zwilengwe.
1 It is better to be poor but honest than to be a lying fool.
2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is not good; impatience will get you into trouble.
3 Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame the Lord.
4 Rich people are always finding new friends, but the poor cannot keep the few they have.
5 If you tell lies in court, you will be punished—there will be no escape.
6 Everyone tries to gain the favor of important people; everyone claims the friendship of those who give out favors.
7 Even the relatives of a poor person have no use for him; no wonder he has no friends. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot win any.
8 Do yourself a favor and learn all you can; then remember what you learn and you will prosper.
9 No one who tells lies in court can escape punishment; he is doomed.
10 Fools should not live in luxury, and slaves should not rule over noblemen.
11 If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it.
12 The king's anger is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like welcome rain.
13 Stupid children can bring their parents to ruin. A nagging wife is like water going drip-drip-drip.
14 A man can inherit a house and money from his parents, but only the Lord can give him a sensible wife.
15 Go ahead and be lazy; sleep on, but you will go hungry.
16 Keep God's laws and you will live longer; if you ignore them, you will die.
17 When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back.
18 Discipline your children while they are young enough to learn. If you don't, you are helping them destroy themselves.
19 If someone has a hot temper, let him take the consequences. If you get him out of trouble once, you will have to do it again.
20 If you listen to advice and are willing to learn, one day you will be wise.
21 People may plan all kinds of things, but the Lord's will is going to be done.
22 It is a disgrace to be greedy; poor people are better off than liars.
23 Obey the Lord and you will live a long life, content and safe from harm.
24 Some people are too lazy to put food in their own mouths.
25 Arrogance should be punished, so that people who don't know any better can learn a lesson. If you are wise, you will learn when you are corrected.
26 Only a shameful, disgraceful person would mistreat his father or turn his mother away from his home.
27 My child, when you stop learning, you will soon neglect what you already know.
28 There is no justice where a witness is determined to hurt someone. Wicked people love the taste of evil.
29 A conceited fool is sure to get a beating.