1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. 3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. 4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: 5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
6 ¶ For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, 7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, 8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, 9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: 10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. 11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: 12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) 13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, 14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. 15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. 16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works , with fine linen of Egypt. 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. 19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: 20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. 21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. 22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; 23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 ¶ Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. 25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. 26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. 27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
Jenjedzo ngekwe phombgwekadzi
1 Nkololo wangu, londolodza matama angu,
kakale utjengete milayo yangu,
2 londolodza milayo yangu utjile
ubhate zwidiyo zwangu ne ludo gugo gose,
3 uzwisungilile mu zwinyala zwizo,
uzwikwale mu moyo uwo.
4 Uti ku butjenjedu, “U hazwadzi yangu,”
udane hwisiso nzwalani wepa moyo,
5 kuti ubakililike mu bamba,
fukula inoleba matama anosodzoloka.
6 Ngoti ndakashozhela
nge fesitere le ng'umba yangu,
7 ngono ndakabona pakati kwe basakatjenjela,
abona we tjilengwe pakati kwe bazhuzha,
8 e nyenyeledza ali mu zila epinda pa ndzibo uwe
etola zila inoyenda ku ng'umba ye fukula
9 kuli madekwana kwatjibhata,
mu zhalima le busiku.
10 Ipapo tjinyolotjo nkadzi kanshanganidza,
akaambala se fukula, wakatjenjelela ntome.
11 Nkadzi iwoyu unolebanya,
unotjutjula aatogala pasi,
12 unobe mu dzizila kabe mu matengeselo,
unolalila mu ndzibo mmwe ne mwe.
13 Unontshakatila e mputa,
unolebeleka akasima moyo eti kunli,
14 “Ndakadusa tjipo tje mbakisano
ngono nasi ndalipa zwandakagadzabwe,
15 ndizo ngwenu ndazha kukushanganidza,
ndakushaka ngono ndakuwana.
16 Ndawala bulawo gwangu ne matyila mabuya,
ana mibala yakanaka e jila le Egipiti,
17 ndafafayidza bulawo gwangu nge mafuta anonuhwilila,
e mira, gonde ne sinamoni.
18 Buya, tishathisane nge ludo kuswikila mangwanana,
ngatizwishathise nge ludo.
19 Ngobe nlume wangu aapo mu nzi,
wakatola gwendo bulefu,
20 wakayenda ne hwomo ye mari,
unowobuya tjose mwedzi uli ntjena”
21 Nge ndebo iye yakanaka unonkwekweredza,
ne matama awe anosodzoloka wakambhata.
22 Tjinyolotjo nzhuzha unonsala shule,
se ng'ombe ikwebegwa kunobulawa,
kene se phuka yabhatshigwa,
23 kuswikila thumo liipubula mabula,
se nyuni iwila mu dati,
aatoziba kuti unowolipa ne butjilo gugwe.
24 Ndizo ngwenu, imwi bakololo, mundibhulutane,
kakale muteedze kwazo matama e nlomo wangu.
25 Musi letje mimoyo yenyu ikapambukila ku zila dzidze,
musitongo lashikila mu zijana dzidze,
26 ngobe banjinji baakaliga, baakabulaya abana mbalo.
27 Ng'umba iye i zila inoyenda ka Satani,
idelukila ku ng'umba dze lufu.