Zvirevo 4
1 Teererai, vanakomana vangu, kurayira kwababa venyu; nyatsoteererai mugowana kunzwisisa.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.
2 Ndinokupai dzidziso yakanaka, saka regai kurasa dzidziso yangu.
I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.
3 Pandakanga ndiri mukomana mumba mababa vangu, ndichiri muduku uye mwana mumwe chete wamai vangu,
For I also was my father’s son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:
4 baba vangu vakandidzidzisa vachiti, “Mwoyo wako ngaubatisise mashoko angu; chengeta mirayiro yangu ugorarama.
And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
5 Wana uchenjeri, wana kunzwisisa; usakanganwa mashoko angu kana kubva paari.
Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Usarasa uchenjeri, ipapo huchakuchengeta; hude, ihwo hugokurinda.
Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.
7 Uchenjeri chinhu chikuru; naizvozvo wana uchenjeri. Kunyange huchikutorera zvose zvaunazvo, wana kunzwisisa.
The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
8 Uhukudze; ipapo huchakusimudzira; uhumbundikire, ipapo huchakukudza.
Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.
9 Huchakupfekedza chishongo chenyasha mumusoro mako, uye huchakupa korona yokubwinya.”
She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.
10 Teerera, mwanakomana wangu, gamuchira zvandinotaura, ipapo makore oupenyu hwako achava mazhinji.
Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.
11 Ndinokudzidzisa nzira youchenjeri uye ndiri kukutungamirira panzira dzakarurama.
I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:
12 Paunofamba, tsoka dzako hadzingapinganidzwi, paunomhanya, haungagumburwi.
Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
13 Batisisa kurayirwa, usarega kuchienda; nyatsokurinda zvakanaka, nokuti ndihwo upenyu hwako.
Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.
14 Usaisa rutsoka panzira dzavakaipa, kana kufamba panzira dzavanhu vakaipa.
Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
15 Udzinzvenge, usafamba padziri; tsauka padziri ugopfuurira mberi.
Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.
16 Nokuti havangavati vasati vaita zvakaipa; havangabatwi nehope kusvikira vaita kuti mumwe munhu aputsike.
For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.
17 Vanodya zvokudya zvezvakaipa, uye vanonwa waini yezvechisimba.
They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.
18 Nzira yavakarurama yakafanana nechiedza chamambakwedza, chinoramba chichiwedzera kubwinya kusvikira pachiedza chamasikati makuru.
But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.
19 Asi nzira yavakaipa yakaita serima guru; havazivi zvinoita kuti vagumburwe.
The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
20 Mwanakomana wangu, nyatsoteerera zvandinotaura; teereresa kumashoko angu.
My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.
21 Usaite kuti abve pameso ako, achengete pakati pomwoyo wako;
Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:
22 nokuti upenyu kuna avo vanoawana uye noutano kumuviri wose womunhu.
For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.
23 Pamusoro pazvo zvose, chengetedza mwoyo wako, nokuti ndicho chitubu choupenyu.
With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.
24 Bvisa zvinotsausa pamuromo wako; kutaura kwakaora ngakuve kure nemiromo yako.
Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.
25 Meso ako ngaatarire mberi bedzi, ramba wakatarira mberi kwako.
Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.
26 Gadzirira tsoka dzako gwara ugofamba munzira dzakasimba chete.
Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
27 Usatsaukira kurudyi kana kuruboshwe; chengetedza rutsoka rwako kuti rusaende pane zvakaipa.
Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.
