Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.
Teererai, vanakomana vangu, kurayira kwababa venyu; nyatsoteererai mugowana kunzwisisa.
2 I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.
Ndinokupai dzidziso yakanaka, saka regai kurasa dzidziso yangu.
3 For I also was my father’s son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:
Pandakanga ndiri mukomana mumba mababa vangu, ndichiri muduku uye mwana mumwe chete wamai vangu,
4 And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
baba vangu vakandidzidzisa vachiti, “Mwoyo wako ngaubatisise mashoko angu; chengeta mirayiro yangu ugorarama.
5 Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Wana uchenjeri, wana kunzwisisa; usakanganwa mashoko angu kana kubva paari.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.
Usarasa uchenjeri, ipapo huchakuchengeta; hude, ihwo hugokurinda.
7 The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
Uchenjeri chinhu chikuru; naizvozvo wana uchenjeri. Kunyange huchikutorera zvose zvaunazvo, wana kunzwisisa.
8 Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.
Uhukudze; ipapo huchakusimudzira; uhumbundikire, ipapo huchakukudza.
9 She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.
Huchakupfekedza chishongo chenyasha mumusoro mako, uye huchakupa korona yokubwinya.”
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.
Teerera, mwanakomana wangu, gamuchira zvandinotaura, ipapo makore oupenyu hwako achava mazhinji.
11 I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:
Ndinokudzidzisa nzira youchenjeri uye ndiri kukutungamirira panzira dzakarurama.
12 Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
Paunofamba, tsoka dzako hadzingapinganidzwi, paunomhanya, haungagumburwi.
13 Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.
Batisisa kurayirwa, usarega kuchienda; nyatsokurinda zvakanaka, nokuti ndihwo upenyu hwako.
14 Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
Usaisa rutsoka panzira dzavakaipa, kana kufamba panzira dzavanhu vakaipa.
15 Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.
Udzinzvenge, usafamba padziri; tsauka padziri ugopfuurira mberi.
16 For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.
Nokuti havangavati vasati vaita zvakaipa; havangabatwi nehope kusvikira vaita kuti mumwe munhu aputsike.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.
Vanodya zvokudya zvezvakaipa, uye vanonwa waini yezvechisimba.
18 But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.
Nzira yavakarurama yakafanana nechiedza chamambakwedza, chinoramba chichiwedzera kubwinya kusvikira pachiedza chamasikati makuru.
19 The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
Asi nzira yavakaipa yakaita serima guru; havazivi zvinoita kuti vagumburwe.
20 My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.
Mwanakomana wangu, nyatsoteerera zvandinotaura; teereresa kumashoko angu.
21 Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:
Usaite kuti abve pameso ako, achengete pakati pomwoyo wako;
22 For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.
nokuti upenyu kuna avo vanoawana uye noutano kumuviri wose womunhu.
23 With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.
Pamusoro pazvo zvose, chengetedza mwoyo wako, nokuti ndicho chitubu choupenyu.
24 Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.
Bvisa zvinotsausa pamuromo wako; kutaura kwakaora ngakuve kure nemiromo yako.
25 Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.
Meso ako ngaatarire mberi bedzi, ramba wakatarira mberi kwako.
26 Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
Gadzirira tsoka dzako gwara ugofamba munzira dzakasimba chete.
27 Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.
Usatsaukira kurudyi kana kuruboshwe; chengetedza rutsoka rwako kuti rusaende pane zvakaipa.
