1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, 2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. 5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter , and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 ¶ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. 9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
12 ¶ A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. 13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; 14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. 15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16 ¶ These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 ¶ My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. 22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: 24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. 25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. 27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? 29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. 30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; 31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. 32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. 33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. 34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
Jenjedzo limwe
1 Nkololo wangu, ha wakazwisunga kuti unowolipa ikoloto tje mbakidzani uwo,
wakagadzabgwe kubhatsha ntaya,
2 ha wabhatshigwa nge matama awaleba,
wabhakhwa mu matama e nlomo uwo,
3 tjithama woku, nkololo wangu kuti uzwitjidze
ngobe wabe mu simba le mbakidzani uwo,
tjimbidza unkumbile akusunungule.
4 Usitongo izelela ndebo iyeyi
usitshung'ayile ne kutukununu kose,
5 uzwitjidze se phala itizha mvimi,
se nyuni ipudzumuka mu luboko gwe nteyi.
6 Yenda ku jenetha simbe ndiwe
ubone sekwa linoshinga, u tjenjele.
7 Alina ntungamili
kene nlingili kene mbusi,
8 lolulwamisa zojiwa zwalo mu zhizha
likubunganya zojiwa zwalo mu tjibaka tje kuvuna.
9 Unowolala ipapo kuswikila lini, simbe ndiwe?
Unowomuka mu hwope dzidzo lini kene?
10 Kuyizela kushomanana, kutshung'ayila kushomanana
kufukata maboko nthu eti unonyaluluka,
11 saikoko bushayi gowozha se mbava,
kusheta kukuwila se nthu wakadedela zwibhayano.
12 Nthu usina nshingo, nthu mbiimbi,
unoyenda eleba ndebo dzisakatambunuka,
13 eti volivoli mesho, etendeka
ne makumbo ne tjinyala tjitje,
14 ne moyo usakalulwama unoluka zwakayipa,
etombelela edzwala sahwanana,
15 ndizo wali unotjimbidza ngina mu mbatsha,
mu tjibakanyana unowogwala gusina ndapo.
16 Kuna zwithu zwitathatu zwinobengiwa ndi Yahwe,
zwili kutendeka zwabanoshima,
17 mesho ana mazwikudzo, lulimi gunonyepa,
ne maboko anotebula lopa lisina nlandu,
18 moyo unoluka mano mabiibi,
makumbo anolabuka elibilidzila kunotjinya
19 ne nyepi unopa butendeki gwe manyepkhwa
ne nthu unogwisanya bana be nthu.
20 Nkololo wangu, londolodza nlayo wa tate babo,
kakale usilashe zwidiyo zwa mme babo.
21 Zwigale mu moyo uwo mu zwibaka zose,
uzwisungile mu ntshibha uwo.
22 Ha uyenda zowokutungamila,
ha uizela zowokulinda,
kakale ha umuka zowolebeleka nawe.
23 Ngobe nlayo luvone kakale zwidiyo i tjedza,
ne kutjemegwa mu butjilo nlenje we butjilo,
24 kukubakilila mu nkadzi mbiimbi,
ungakutjebela nge lulimi gwe bubamba.
25 Usitongo yemula bubuya gugwe,
usi nletje akakuweba nge mesho awe,
26 ngobe fukula inotengwa nge tjiwunga
koga phombgwekadzi inolonga bushayi butjilo gwe nlume.
27 Apa nthu ungasenga moto ne hapkhwa,
ukasi mpisile zwiambalo kene?
28 Kene nthu ungayenda mu masimbe anopisa
makumbo awe akasitshwe kene?
29 Kwakajalo koga ne nthu unowalilana ne nkadzi we mbakidzani uwe,
akuna unonbhata ungasalobgwa shamu.
30 Apa bathu abatolingila pasi mbava
inokwiba kuzwigutsha ha ina zhala kene?
31 Koga ha ibhakhwa, inowolipa katendeka,
inowolipa nge thundu yose yainayo.
32 Iye unothama bupombgwe aana njalakang'wa,
iye unothama ikoko unozwibulaya.
33 Mbonje ne shoni ndizo zwaanowowana
ne kulengudzika kukwe akutowofa kwapela.
34 Ndandala inothama kuti nlume abe ne bushongola
kakale aatowoshalula ha ebgwilizila.
35 Aatowoamutjila ndipo
kene kushathisiwa nge zwipo zwinjinji.