< Proverbs 4 >
1 Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Teererai, vanakomana vangu, kurayira kwababa venyu; nyatsoteererai mugowana kunzwisisa.
2 For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.
Ndinokupai dzidziso yakanaka, saka regai kurasa dzidziso yangu.
3 For I was a son unto my father, a tender and an only child before my mother.
Pandakanga ndiri mukomana mumba mababa vangu, ndichiri muduku uye mwana mumwe chete wamai vangu,
4 And he instructed me, and said unto me, Let thy heart grasp firmly my words: observe my commandments and live.
baba vangu vakandidzidzisa vachiti, “Mwoyo wako ngaubatisise mashoko angu; chengeta mirayiro yangu ugorarama.
5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
Wana uchenjeri, wana kunzwisisa; usakanganwa mashoko angu kana kubva paari.
6 Forsake her not, and she will watch over thee: love her, and she will keep thee.
Usarasa uchenjeri, ipapo huchakuchengeta; hude, ihwo hugokurinda.
7 The beginning of wisdom is, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.
Uchenjeri chinhu chikuru; naizvozvo wana uchenjeri. Kunyange huchikutorera zvose zvaunazvo, wana kunzwisisa.
8 Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest her.
Uhukudze; ipapo huchakusimudzira; uhumbundikire, ipapo huchakukudza.
9 She will give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.
Huchakupfekedza chishongo chenyasha mumusoro mako, uye huchakupa korona yokubwinya.”
10 Hear, O my son, and accept my sayings: and they will increase unto thee the years of life.
Teerera, mwanakomana wangu, gamuchira zvandinotaura, ipapo makore oupenyu hwako achava mazhinji.
11 In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.
Ndinokudzidzisa nzira youchenjeri uye ndiri kukutungamirira panzira dzakarurama.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Paunofamba, tsoka dzako hadzingapinganidzwi, paunomhanya, haungagumburwi.
13 Lay fast hold of correction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
Batisisa kurayirwa, usarega kuchienda; nyatsokurinda zvakanaka, nokuti ndihwo upenyu hwako.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and step not on the way of the bad.
Usaisa rutsoka panzira dzavakaipa, kana kufamba panzira dzavanhu vakaipa.
15 Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off from it, and pass away.
Udzinzvenge, usafamba padziri; tsauka padziri ugopfuurira mberi.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done evil, and their sleep is robbed away, unless they cause some to stumble.
Nokuti havangavati vasati vaita zvakaipa; havangabatwi nehope kusvikira vaita kuti mumwe munhu aputsike.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness; and the wine of violence do they drink.
Vanodya zvokudya zvezvakaipa, uye vanonwa waini yezvechisimba.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the early morning light, that shineth more and more brightly until the height of noonday.
Nzira yavakarurama yakafanana nechiedza chamambakwedza, chinoramba chichiwedzera kubwinya kusvikira pachiedza chamasikati makuru.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.
Asi nzira yavakaipa yakaita serima guru; havazivi zvinoita kuti vagumburwe.
20 My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.
Mwanakomana wangu, nyatsoteerera zvandinotaura; teereresa kumashoko angu.
21 Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard them in the midst of thy heart.
Usaite kuti abve pameso ako, achengete pakati pomwoyo wako;
22 For they are life unto every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.
nokuti upenyu kuna avo vanoawana uye noutano kumuviri wose womunhu.
23 Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.
Pamusoro pazvo zvose, chengetedza mwoyo wako, nokuti ndicho chitubu choupenyu.
24 Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.
Bvisa zvinotsausa pamuromo wako; kutaura kwakaora ngakuve kure nemiromo yako.
25 Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.
Meso ako ngaatarire mberi bedzi, ramba wakatarira mberi kwako.
26 Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.
Gadzirira tsoka dzako gwara ugofamba munzira dzakasimba chete.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Usatsaukira kurudyi kana kuruboshwe; chengetedza rutsoka rwako kuti rusaende pane zvakaipa.