Zvirevo 26
1 Sechando muzhizha kana mvura pakukohwa, rukudzo haruna kufanira kubenzi.
Like snow in summer and rain when the grain is being cut, so honour is not natural for the foolish.
2 Sezvinoita kadhimba pakubhururuka kwako, kana nyenganyenga pakubhururuka kwayo somuseve, saizvozvowo kutuka pasina mhosva hakuna zvakunoita.
As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.
3 Tyava yakaitirwa bhiza, matomu akaitirwa mbongoro, uye shamhu musana webenzi!
A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.
4 Usapindura benzi maererano noupenzi hwaro, kana kuti iwe pachako uchafanana naro.
Do not give to the foolish man a foolish answer, or you will be like him.
5 Pindura benzi maererano noupenzi hwaro, kuti rirege kuona sokuti rakachenjera.
Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.
6 Sokuzvigura tsoka kana kunwa bongozozo, ndizvo zvakaita kutumira shoko noruoko rwebenzi.
He who sends news by the hand of a foolish man is cutting off his feet and drinking in damage.
7 Samakumbo echirema akangorembera ndizvo zvakaita chirevo mumuromo webenzi.
The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.
8 Sokusungira ibwe pachipfuramabwe ndizvo zvakaita kupa rukudzo kubenzi.
Giving honour to a foolish man is like attempting to keep a stone fixed in a cord.
9 Segwenzi reminzwa riri muruoko rwechidhakwa, ndizvo zvakaita chirevo chiri mumuromo webenzi.
Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.
10 Somuwemburi weuta anopfura pose pose, ndizvo zvakaita anoshandirwa nebenzi kana nomupfuuri zvake.
Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.
11 Sembwa inodzokera kumarutsi ayo, ndizvo zvakaita benzi rinodzokorora upenzi hwaro.
Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.
12 Unoona munhu anozviti akachenjera pakuona kwake here? Benzi rinotova netariro kupfuura iye.
Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.
13 Simbe inoti, “Kune shumba kunzira, shumba inotyisa iri kufamba-famba munzira dzomumusha!”
The hater of work says, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 Segonhi rinotenderera pamahinji aro, ndizvo zvinoita simbe pamubhedha wayo.
A door is turned on its pillar, and the hater of work on his bed.
15 Simbe inoisa ruoko rwayo mundiro; inoita usimbe hwokutadza kurudzosera kumuromo wayo.
The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin: lifting it again to his mouth is a weariness to him.
16 Simbe inozviti yakachenjera pakuona kwayo kupfuura vanhu vanomwe vanopindura nenjere.
The hater of work seems to himself wiser than seven men who are able to give an answer with good sense.
17 Somunhu anobata imbwa nenzeve dzayo, ndizvo zvakaita mupfuuri anopindira pagakava risinei naye.
He who gets mixed up in a fight which is not his business, is like one who takes a dog by the ears while it is going by.
18 Somupengo unopotsera zvitsiga zvomoto, kana miseve inouraya,
As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,
19 ndizvo zvakaita munhu anonyengera muvakidzani wake uye achizoti, “Ndanga ndichiita zvangu je-e!”
So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?
20 Pasina huni moto unodzima; pasina makuhwa kukakavara kunopera.
Without wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no secret talk, argument is ended.
21 Sezvakaita mazimbe pazvitsiga zvinopfuta nehuni pamoto, ndizvo zvakaita munhu wegakava pakupfutidza rukave.
Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.
22 Mashoko eguhwa akaita semisuva yakaisvonaka inodzika mukatikati momunhu.
The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, they go down into the inner parts of the stomach.
23 Sezvinopenya zvakanamirwa kunze kwomudziyo wevhu, ndizvo zvakaita miromo inotaura zvinoyevedza, asi nomwoyo wakaipa.
Smooth lips and an evil heart are like a vessel of earth plated with silver waste.
24 Muparadzi anozvivanza namatauriro ake, asi mumwoyo make akaviga ruvengo.
With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;
25 Kunyange mashoko ake achitapira, usatenda zvaanotaura, nokuti mumwoyo make mune zvinonyangadza zvinomwe.
When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:
26 Ruvengo rwake rungavigwa mukunyengera kwake, asi kuipa kwake kuchabudiswa pachena paungano.
Though his hate is covered with deceit, his sin will be seen openly before the meeting of the people.
27 Kana munhu akachera gomba, achawira mariri; kana munhu akakungurutsa ibwe, richakunguruka, richidzokera pamusoro pake.
He who makes a hole in the earth will himself go falling into it: and on him by whom a stone is rolled the stone will come back again.
28 Rurimi runoreva nhema runovenga varunorwadzisa, uye muromo unobata kumeso unoparadza.
A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.
