Zvirevo 17
1 Zviri nani kuva nechimedu chakaoma chechingwa uine rugare norunyararo pane imba izere namabiko, ine kupesana.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 Muranda akachenjera achatonga mwanakomana anonyadzisa, uye achagoverwa nhaka somumwe wehama.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 Hari ndeyokunyautsira sirivha uye choto ndechokunatsa goridhe, asi Jehovha ndiye anoedza mwoyo.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 Munhu akaipa anoteerera miromo yakaipa; murevi wenhema anorerekera nzeve yake kururimi runoparadza.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 Uyo anoseka varombo anozvidza Musiki wavo, ani naani anofarira njodzi dzavamwe haangaregi kurangwa.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Vana vevana ikorona kune vakwegura, uye vabereki ndivo kukudzwa kwavana vavo.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Kutaura kuna manyawi hakuna kufanira benzi, zvikuru sei kutaura nhema kwomubati!
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Fufuro inofadza uyo anoipa; kwose kwose kwaanoenda, anobudirira.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 Uyo anofukidzira kudarika kwomumwe anotsvaka rudo, asi ani naani anomutsazve mhaka anoparadzanisa shamwari dzepedyo.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 Kutsiurwa kunofadza munhu ane njere kupfuura kurohwa kwebenzi kazana.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Munhu akaipa anongotsvaka kumukira chete; nhume isina tsitsi ichatumirwa kundomurwisa.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Zviri nani kusangana nechikara chatorerwa vana vacho pane benzi muupenzi hwaro.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 Kana munhu akaripira zvakanaka nezvakaipa zvakaipa hazvizombobvi paimba yake.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Kuvamba kwokukakavara kwakafanana nokudziurira mvura yedhamu; saka rega nharo kurwa kusati kwatanga.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 Kupembedza ane mhosva nokupomera asina mhaka, Jehovha anozvivenga zvose.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 Ine basa reiko mari kana iri muruoko rwebenzi, sezvo risina chishuvo chokuwana uchenjeri?
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 Shamwari inoda panguva dzose, uye hama yakaberekerwa kupikisana.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Munhu anoshayiwa njere ndiye anombunda noruoko rwake pamhiko, uye anoitira muvakidzani wake rubatso.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 Uyo anoda zvokukakavara anoda chivi; uyo anovaka suo refu anotsvaka kuparadzwa.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 Munhu ane mwoyo wakaipa haabudiriri; uyo ane rurimi runonyengera achawira mudambudziko.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 Kuva nomwanakomana benzi kunouyisa kurwadziwa; baba vebenzi havana mufaro.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Mwoyo wakafara mushonga wakanaka, asi mweya wakaputsika unoomesa mapfupa.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Munhu akaipa anogamuchira fufuro muchivande, kuti aminamise nzira dzokururamisira.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Munhu ane njere anoisa uchenjeri pamberi, asi meso ebenzi anosvika kumagumo enyika.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 Mwanakomana benzi anorwadzisa baba vake, uye anoitisa shungu uyo akamubereka.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Hazvina kunaka kuranga munhu asina mhosva, kana kurova machinda nokuda kwokururama kwavo.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Munhu ano ruzivo anoshandisa mashoko achizvidzora, uye munhu anonzwisisa akadzikama.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 Kunyange benzi, kana rakanyarara, rinonzi rakachenjera, uye rikabata muromo waro rinonzi rakangwara.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
