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.
1 The Lord controls the mind of a king as easily as he directs the course of a stream.
2 You may think that everything you do is right, but remember that the Lord judges your motives.
3 Do what is right and fair; that pleases the Lord more than bringing him sacrifices.
4 Wicked people are controlled by their conceit and arrogance, and this is sinful.
5 Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.
6 The riches you get by dishonesty soon disappear, but not before they lead you into the jaws of death.
7 The wicked are doomed by their own violence; they refuse to do what is right.
8 Guilty people walk a crooked path; the innocent do what is right.
9 Better to live on the roof than share the house with a nagging wife.
10 Wicked people are always hungry for evil; they have no mercy on anyone.
11 When someone who is conceited gets his punishment, even an unthinking person learns a lesson. One who is wise will learn from what he is taught.
12 God, the righteous one, knows what goes on in the homes of the wicked, and he will bring the wicked down to ruin.
13 If you refuse to listen to the cry of the poor, your own cry for help will not be heard.
14 If someone is angry with you, a gift given secretly will calm him down.
15 When justice is done, good people are happy, but evil people are brought to despair.
16 Death is waiting for anyone who wanders away from good sense.
17 Indulging in luxuries, wine, and rich food will never make you wealthy.
18 The wicked bring on themselves the suffering they try to cause good people.
19 Better to live out in the desert than with a nagging, complaining wife.
20 Wise people live in wealth and luxury, but stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it.
21 Be kind and honest and you will live a long life; others will respect you and treat you fairly.
22 A shrewd general can take a city defended by strong men, and destroy the walls they relied on.
23 If you want to stay out of trouble, be careful what you say.
24 Show me a conceited person and I will show you someone who is arrogant, proud, and inconsiderate.
25 Lazy people who refuse to work are only killing themselves; 26 all they do is think about what they would like to have. The righteous, however, can give, and give generously.
27 The Lord hates it when wicked people offer him sacrifices, especially if they do it from evil motives.
28 The testimony of a liar is not believed, but the word of someone who thinks matters through is accepted.
29 Righteous people are sure of themselves; the wicked have to pretend as best they can.
30 Human wisdom, brilliance, insight—they are of no help if the Lord is against you.
31 You can get horses ready for battle, but it is the Lord who gives victory.