< Proverbs 4 >
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;
Ananu, mverani malangizo a abambo anu; tcherani khutu kuti mupeze nzeru zodziwira zinthu.
2 for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.
Zimene ndikukuphunzitsani ndi zabwino. Choncho musasiye malangizo anga.
3 For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
Paja ndinalinso mwana mʼnyumba mwa abambo anga; mwana mmodzi yekha wapamtima pa amayi anga.
4 And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.
Ndipo abambo anandiphunzitsa ndi mawu akuti, “Ugwiritse mawu anga pa mtima pako, usunge malamulo anga kuti ukhale ndi moyo.
5 Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Upeze nzeru, upeze nzeru zomvetsa zinthu; usayiwale mawu anga kapena kutayana nawo.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.
Usasiye nzeru ndipo idzakusunga. Uziyikonda ndipo idzakuteteza.
7 The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.
Fundo yayikulu pa za nzeru ndi iyi: upeze nzeru. Kaya pali china chilichonse chimene ungapeze, koma upeze nzeru yomvetsa bwino zinthu.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.
Uyilemekeze nzeruyo ndipo idzakukweza; ikumbatire nzeruyo ndipo idzakupatsa ulemu.
9 She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.
Idzayika sangamutu yokongola yamaluwa pamutu pako; idzakupatsa chipewa chaufumu chaulemu.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.
Mwana wanga, umvere ndi kuvomereza zimene ndikunena, ndipo zaka za moyo wako zidzakhala zochuluka.
11 I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.
Ndakuphunzitsa njira yake ya nzeru. Ndakutsogolera mʼnjira zolungama.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Pamene ukuyenda, mapazi ako sadzawombana; ukamadzathamanga, sudzapunthwa.
13 Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life.
Ugwiritse zimene ndikukuphunzitsazi osazitaya ayi. Uwasamale bwino pakuti moyo wako wagona pamenepa.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:
Usayende mʼnjira za anthu oyipa kapena kuyenda mʼnjira ya anthu ochimwa.
15 avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.
Pewa njira zawo, usayende mʼmenemo; uzilambalala nʼkumangopita.
16 For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.
Pakuti iwo sagona mpaka atachita zoyipa; tulo salipeza mpaka atapunthwitsa munthu wina.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Paja chakudya chawo ndicho kuchita zoyipa basi ndipo chakumwa chawo ndi chiwawa.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.
Koma njira ya anthu olungama ili ngati kuwala kwa mʼbandakucha kumene kumanka kuwalirawalira mpaka dzuwa litafika pa mutu.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
Koma njira ya anthu oyipa ili ngati mdima wandiweyani; iwo sadziwa chomwe chimawapunthwitsa.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Mwana wanga, mvetsetsa zimene ndikunena; tchera khutu ku mawu anga.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
Usayiwale malangizo angawa, koma uwasunge mu mtima mwako.
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Pakuti amapatsa moyo kwa aliyense amene awapeza ndipo amachiritsa thupi lake lonse.
23 Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.
Ndipotu mtima wako uziwuyangʼanira bwino ndithu pakuti ndiwo magwero a moyo.
24 Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
Usiyiretu kuyankhula zokhotakhota; ndipo ulekeretu kuyankhula zinthu zonyansa.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Maso ako ayangʼane patsogolo; uziyangʼana kutsogolo molunjika.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.
Uzilingalira bwino kumene kupita mapazi ako ndipo njira zako zonse zidzakhala zosakayikitsa.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
Usapatukire kumanja kapena kumanzere; usapite kumene kuli zoyipa.