1 Ha ungagala pasi u ja ne mbusi,
uyele njele tjimbeli kuko,
2 ubige mpanga pa hwulo dzidzo
ha uli nthu unoda ja kwazo.
3 Usiyemule zwinamunamu zwizwe,
nekuti zojiwa zwinotjebela.
4 Usitongo zwinyadza nge kushaka fumwa,
tjenjela uzwidzibe mu nkumbulo uwoyo.
5 Ha uyilashila mesho awo, ibile ya yenda,
tjinyolotjo ya milidza mapapilo,
iwuluka se dzu liwulukila zhuzhugwi.
6 Usije zojiwa zwe nthu unonyimana,
usiyemule zwinamunamu zwizwe,
7 ngekuti unonga zwaanoalakana mu moyo.
Unokudwa eti “Ija u ng'we!”,
Koga moyo uwe usinga jalo.
8 Unowothwa kushomanana kwawaja,
ukabe wazanisa matama awo mabuya.
9 Usilebelekele mu zebe dze tjilengwe,
ngobe unowolingila pasi butjenjedu gwe matama awo.
10 Usi duse n'gathu wa ntolo,
kene ukangina mu minda ye siyang'wa,
11 ngobe Ntjidzi wabo wakasima;
unowobamilila mu ndebo dzabo nawe.
12 Moyo uwo ngawude kulayiwa,
ne zebe iyo iteedze matama e luzibo.
13 Usiletjedze kutjemela mwana,
ha unloba nge shamu, aangafe.
14 Ha unloba nge shamu
unogwila kuti asingine mu lufu.
15 Mwanangu, ha moyo uwo wakatjenjela,
moyo wangu unowoshathabo.
16 Meya yangu inowopembela,
ha nlomo uwo uleba tjakalulwama.
17 Moyo uwo usitongo yemula batjinyi,
koga dwilila mu kutja Yahwe zhuba lose.
18 Malebeswa wose mbhayilo uyapo
ne kugalabgwe kuko akutowothubugwa.
19 Ihwa mwanangu, kakale u tjenjele,
kakale ulonge moyo uwo mu zila yakatambunuka.
20 Usibe mmwe we banogungila nkumbi we zhambi,
kene pakati kwe magovu baji be nyama;
21 ngobe tjidakwa ne govu banowobe bashayi,
ne hwope dzowombadza nthu makandana.
22 Teedza tate babo bakakuzwala,
kakale usilingile mmeyabo pasi ha batjikwegula.
23 Tenga lebeswa, usitongo litengesa,
tenga butjenjedu, ndayo ne hwisiso.
24 Tate be wakalulwama banowoshatha kwazo,
iye unozwala nkololo wakatjenjela unowonshathila.
25 Tate babo na mmeyabo ngabashathe,
nkadzi wakakuzwala ngaashathe.
26 Nkololo wangu, undipe moyo uwo,
ne mesho awo ngaabone zila dzangu.
27 Ngekuti fukula i gomba lakangina,
ne bamba i tshime lakamanikana.
28 Unolalila se ntoleli
epaphidza kusagagwabgwe mu balume.
29 Ndiani una mbatsha? Ndiyani una buyendasi?
Ndiyani una phipiti? Ndiyani unong'ong'ola?
Ndiyani wakadusigwa mbonje suli?
Ndiyani una mesho mashabashaba?
30 Ndiibabo banogalisa mu nkumbi we zhambi,
ndiibabo banoyenda beshaka nkumbi we zhambi wakashanganyiwa.
31 Usilinge nkumbi we zhambi ha uli nshaba,
ha ubayima mu bhepe,
usodzoloka mu hwulo.
32 Gwe bupelo unoluma se nyoka,
unoluma se thumbi.
33 Mesho awo anowobona mazhangaladzimu,
ne nkumbulo uwo unowoleba mazhuluzhulu.
34 Unowonga nthu wakayizela mu gungwa
kene nthu wakayizela pezhugwi kwe bhango le ikepe.
35 Unowoti, “Bakandiwomba, koga andizokubala,
bakandiloba, koga andizohwila.
Ndowomuka lini?
Ndowoshaka kung'wa kakale?”
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: 2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. 3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: 7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words. 9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: 11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. 13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. 15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine. 16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. 18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. 20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. 22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. 23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. 25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. 26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. 27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit. 28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. 34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. 35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.