Zvirevo 26
1 Sechando muzhizha kana mvura pakukohwa, rukudzo haruna kufanira kubenzi.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Sezvinoita kadhimba pakubhururuka kwako, kana nyenganyenga pakubhururuka kwayo somuseve, saizvozvowo kutuka pasina mhosva hakuna zvakunoita.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Tyava yakaitirwa bhiza, matomu akaitirwa mbongoro, uye shamhu musana webenzi!
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Usapindura benzi maererano noupenzi hwaro, kana kuti iwe pachako uchafanana naro.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Pindura benzi maererano noupenzi hwaro, kuti rirege kuona sokuti rakachenjera.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Sokuzvigura tsoka kana kunwa bongozozo, ndizvo zvakaita kutumira shoko noruoko rwebenzi.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Samakumbo echirema akangorembera ndizvo zvakaita chirevo mumuromo webenzi.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Sokusungira ibwe pachipfuramabwe ndizvo zvakaita kupa rukudzo kubenzi.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Segwenzi reminzwa riri muruoko rwechidhakwa, ndizvo zvakaita chirevo chiri mumuromo webenzi.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Somuwemburi weuta anopfura pose pose, ndizvo zvakaita anoshandirwa nebenzi kana nomupfuuri zvake.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Sembwa inodzokera kumarutsi ayo, ndizvo zvakaita benzi rinodzokorora upenzi hwaro.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Unoona munhu anozviti akachenjera pakuona kwake here? Benzi rinotova netariro kupfuura iye.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Simbe inoti, “Kune shumba kunzira, shumba inotyisa iri kufamba-famba munzira dzomumusha!”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Segonhi rinotenderera pamahinji aro, ndizvo zvinoita simbe pamubhedha wayo.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Simbe inoisa ruoko rwayo mundiro; inoita usimbe hwokutadza kurudzosera kumuromo wayo.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Simbe inozviti yakachenjera pakuona kwayo kupfuura vanhu vanomwe vanopindura nenjere.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Somunhu anobata imbwa nenzeve dzayo, ndizvo zvakaita mupfuuri anopindira pagakava risinei naye.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Somupengo unopotsera zvitsiga zvomoto, kana miseve inouraya,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 ndizvo zvakaita munhu anonyengera muvakidzani wake uye achizoti, “Ndanga ndichiita zvangu je-e!”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Pasina huni moto unodzima; pasina makuhwa kukakavara kunopera.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Sezvakaita mazimbe pazvitsiga zvinopfuta nehuni pamoto, ndizvo zvakaita munhu wegakava pakupfutidza rukave.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Mashoko eguhwa akaita semisuva yakaisvonaka inodzika mukatikati momunhu.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Sezvinopenya zvakanamirwa kunze kwomudziyo wevhu, ndizvo zvakaita miromo inotaura zvinoyevedza, asi nomwoyo wakaipa.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Muparadzi anozvivanza namatauriro ake, asi mumwoyo make akaviga ruvengo.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Kunyange mashoko ake achitapira, usatenda zvaanotaura, nokuti mumwoyo make mune zvinonyangadza zvinomwe.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Ruvengo rwake rungavigwa mukunyengera kwake, asi kuipa kwake kuchabudiswa pachena paungano.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Kana munhu akachera gomba, achawira mariri; kana munhu akakungurutsa ibwe, richakunguruka, richidzokera pamusoro pake.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Rurimi runoreva nhema runovenga varunorwadzisa, uye muromo unobata kumeso unoparadza.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
