< Zvirevo 23 >
1 Kana ukagara pakudya pamwe chete nomubati, nyatsocherechedza zviri pamberi pako,
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,
2 uise banga pahuro kana uri munhu wamadyo.
And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.
3 Usapanga zvokudya zvake zvinonaka nokuti zvokudya izvozvo zvinonyengera.
Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.
4 Usazvionza nokuda kuwana pfuma; iva nouchenjeri hunoita kuti uzvibate.
Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.
5 Kungoti tarisei papfuma, wanei yaenda, nokuti zvirokwazvo inomera mapapiro igobhururuka ichienda kudenga segondo.
For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
6 Usadya zvokudya zvomunhu anonyima, kana kupanga zvokudya zvake zvinonaka;
Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,
7 nokuti munhu uya anongofunga chete mutengo wazvo. Anoti kwauri, “Idya ugonwa,” asi mumwoyo make asingadi.
For as he hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart [is] not with thee.
8 Ucharutsa zvishoma izvozvo zvawadya, uye unenge watambisa mashoko ako nokumutenda.
Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.
9 Usataura nebenzi, nokuti richashora uchenjeri hwamashoko ako.
In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
10 Usabvisa dombo romuganhu wakare kana kupinda paminda yenherera,
Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,
11 nokuti Mudziviriri wavo ane simba; iye achavarwira pamhaka yavo newe.
For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.
12 Isa mwoyo wako kumurayiro nenzeve dzako kumashoko ezivo.
Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.
13 Usarega kuranga mwana; ukamuranga neshamhu, haafi.
Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
14 Murange neshamhu ugoponesa mweya wake kubva parufu. (Sheol )
Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest. (Sheol )
15 Mwanakomana wangu, kana mwoyo wako wakachenjera, ipapo mwoyo wangu uchafara;
My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,
16 mukatikati mangu muchapembera kana miromo yako ichitaura zvakarurama.
And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.
17 Usarega mwoyo wako uchichiva vatadzi, asi nguva dzose shingairira kutya Jehovha.
Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
18 Zvirokwazvo ramangwana rako rine tariro, uye tariro yako haingaparadzwi.
For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.
19 Teerera, mwanakomana wangu, ugova nouchenjeri, uye uchengete mwoyo wako panzira yakarurama.
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,
20 Usabatana navaya vanonwa waini zhinji, kunyange vaya vanokara nyama,
Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
21 nokuti zvidhakwa nevane madyo vachava varombo, uye hope dzichavapfekedza mamvemve.
For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.
22 Teerera kuna baba vako, ivo vakakubereka, uye usazvidza mai vako kana vachinge vakwegura.
Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.
23 Tenga zvokwadi urege kuzoitengesa; uwane uchenjeri, kuzvibata nokunzwisisa.
Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
24 Baba vomunhu akarurama vane mufaro mukuru; uyo ane mwanakomana akachenjera anofadzwa naye.
The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.
25 Baba vako namai vako ngavafare; mai vakakubereka ngavafare kwazvo!
Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
26 Mwanakomana wangu, ndipe mwoyo wako uye meso ako ngaananʼanidze nzira dzangu,
Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.
27 nokuti chifeve igomba rakadzika, uye mukadzi asingazvibati itsime rakamanikana.
For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a strait pit.
28 Segororo anohwandira, anowedzera vasina kutendeka pakati pavarume.
She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
29 Ndiani ane nhamo? Ndiani akasuwa? Ndiani anokakavara? Ndiani anonyunyuta? Ndiani ane mavanga pasina mhaka? Ndiani ane meso akatsvuka?
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
30 Vaya vanogara pawaini, vanoenda kundoravira makate ewaini yakavhenganiswa.
Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
31 Usatarisa waini kana yatsvuka, kana ichivaima iri mumukombe, kana ichidzika zvakanaka pakunwa!
See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.
32 Pakupedzisira inoruma senyoka uye ine uturu semvumbi.
Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
33 Meso ako achaona zvisakamboonekwa uye pfungwa dzako dzichafunga zvakapesana.
Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.
34 Uchava souya akarara pamusoro pamafungu amakungwa, kana somunhu avete pamusoro pedanda rechikepe.
And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
35 Uchati, “Vakandirova, asi handina kukuvara! Vakandirova asi handina kuzvinzwa! Ndichamuka rinhiko kuti ndigotsvakazve waini?”
'They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I seek it yet again!'