¹My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,

¹Mwanakomana wangu, kana ukagamuchira mashoko angu, Nokuchengeta mirairo yangu kwauri;

²so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] thou apply thy heart to understanding;

²Kuti urerekere nzeve yako iteerere uchenjeri, Nokurwadza moyo wako, kuti unzwisise;

³yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;

³Kana ukachemera kunzwisisa, Ukadanidzira nenzwi rako kuti uwane njere;

⁴if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:

⁴Zvirokwazvo kana ukahutsvaka sesirivha, Ukahutsvakisisa sefuma yakavanzwa;

⁵then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God.

⁵Ipapo uchanzwisisa kutya Jehovha, Nokuwana zivo yaMwari.

⁶For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.

⁶nekuti Jehovha ndiye anopa uchenjeri; Mumuromo make munobuda zivo nenjere,

⁷He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [he] is a shield to them that walk in integrity;

⁷Unovigira vakarurama uchenjeri chaihwo; Ndiye nhovo yavanofamba muzvokwadi;

⁸guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.

⁸nekuti anorinda makwara okururamisa, Nokuchengeta nzira yavatsvene vake.

⁹Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.

⁹Ipapo uchanzwisisa kururama nokururamisa, Nokutendeka, idzo nzira dzose dzakanaka.

¹⁰When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,

¹⁰nekuti uchenjeri huchapinda mumoyo mako, Zivo ichafadza mweya wako;

¹¹discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:

¹¹Kungwara kuchakurindira, Njere dzichakuchengeta;

¹²To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things;

¹²Zvikurwire panzira yezvakaipa, Napavanhu vanotaura zvisakarurama;

¹³[from those] who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

¹³Vanorasha makwara okururama, Kuti vafambe nenzira dzerima;

¹⁴who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of evil;

¹⁴Vanofarira kuita zvakaipa, Vanofadzwa nokunyengera kwezvakaipa.

¹⁵whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:

¹⁵Vane nzira dzakaminama, Vanotsauka pamakwara avo;

¹⁶To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;

¹⁶Kuti zvikurwire kumukadzi wokumwe, Kumukadzi mutorwa, anobata kumeso namashoko ake.

¹⁷who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God;

¹⁷Iye, anorasha shamwari youduku hwake, Achikangamwa sungano yaMwari wake.

¹⁸-- for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead;

¹⁸nekuti imba yake inonyura kurufu, Nenzira dzake kuvakafa;

¹⁹none that go unto her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

¹⁹Hakuna anopinda kwaari anozodzokazve; Havasviki panzira dzoupenyu;

²⁰-- that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, and keep the paths of the righteous.

²⁰Kuti ufambe nenzira yavakanaka, Uchengete makwara avakarurama.

²¹For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it;

²¹nekuti vakarurama vachagara panyika, Vakakwana vachafambirapo.

²²but the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.

²²Asi vakaipa vachaparadzwa panyika; Vanoita nokunyengedzera vachadzurwapo.