¹A [good] name is rather to be chosen than great riches; loving favour rather than silver and gold.

¹Zita rakanaka rinofanira kutsa­nangurwa kupfuura fuma zhinji; Uye kudikamwa kupfuura sirivha nendarama.

²The rich and poor meet together; Jehovah is the maker of them all.

²Vafumi navarombo vanosangana pamwechete; Jehovha ndiye muiti wavo vose.

³A prudent [man] seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

³Munhu akangwara anoona zvakaipa, ndokuvanda; Asi vasina mano vanopfuura havo, ndokuwira munjodzi.

⁴The reward of humility [and] the fear of Jehovah is riches, and honour, and life.

⁴Mubayiro wokuzvininipisa nokutya Jehovha Ifuma nokukudzwa noupenyu.

⁵Thorns [and] snares are in the way of the perverse: he that keepeth his soul holdeth himself far from them.

⁵mhinzwa nemisungo zviri panzira yousakarurama; Asi anochengeta mweya wake achagara kure nazvo.

⁶Train up the child according to the tenor of his way, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁶Rovedza mwana nzira yaanofanira kufamba nayo, Ipapo kunyange akwegura haangatsauki pairi.

⁷The rich ruleth over the poor; and the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁷Mufumi anobata ushe pamusoro pomurombo; Anotora chikwereti, muranda, wowakamupa chikwereti.

⁸He that soweth unrighteousness shall reap iniquity, and the rod of his wrath shall have an end.

⁸Unodzvara zvakaipa, uchacheka dambudziko; Shamhu yokutsamwa kwake ichanyangarika.

⁹He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

⁹Ane moyo munyoro acharopafadzwa; nekuti anopa varombo zvokudya zvake.

¹⁰Cast out the scorner, and contention will depart, and strife and ignominy shall cease.

¹⁰Dzinga mudadi, kukakavara kugoendawo; Nenharo nokunyadzwa zvichaguma.

¹¹He that loveth pureness of heart, upon whose lips is grace, the king is his friend.

¹¹Anoda kuchena komoyo, Neane miromo inofadza, mambo achava shamwari yake.

¹²The eyes of Jehovah preserve knowledge; but he overthroweth the words of the unfaithful.

¹²Meso aJehovha anochengeta ane zivo; Asi achakonesa mashoko omunhu anonyengedzera.

¹³The sluggard saith, There is a lion without, I shall be killed in the streets!

¹³Simbe inoti, Kune shumba kunze, Ndingaurawa pakati penzira dzomumusha.

¹⁴The mouth of strange women is a deep ditch: he with whom Jehovah is displeased shall fall therein.

¹⁴Muromo wavakadzi vokumwe igomba rakadzika; Anotsamwirwa naJehovha achawiramo.

¹⁵Folly is bound in the heart of a child; the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

¹⁵Upenzi hunonamatira mumoyo womwana; Asi shamhu yokurairira ichahudzingira kure naye.

¹⁶He that oppresseth the poor, it is to enrich him; he that giveth to the rich, [bringeth] only to want.

¹⁶Anomanikidza murombo, anomufumisa; Anopa mufumi zvipo, anongomushaisa.

¹⁷Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thy heart unto my knowledge.

¹⁷Rerekera nzeve yako, unzwe mashoko owakachenjera, moyo wako urangarire zivo yangu.

¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee: they shall be together fitted on thy lips.

¹⁸nekuti chinhu chakanaka, kana uchigara nazvo mukati mako, Ngazvigare pamwechete pamiromo yako.

¹⁹That thy confidence may be in Jehovah, I have made [them] known to thee this day, even to thee.

¹⁹Ndakakuzivisa, iyewe, izvozvo nhasi, Kuti uvimbe naJehovha.

²⁰Have not I written to thee excellent things, in counsels and knowledge,

²⁰Handina kukunyorera mashoko akaisvonaka here, Okurairira nezivo here?

²¹that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest carry back words of truth to them that send thee?

²¹Kuti uziviswe kwazvo mashoko ezvokwadi, Kuti udzosere mashoko ezvokwadi kuna vanokutuma here?

²²Rob not the poor, because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate;

²²Usatorera murombo, nekuti murombo; Usamanikidza anotambudzika pasuwo;

²³for Jehovah will plead their cause, and despoil the soul of those that despoil them.

²³nekuti Jehovha achavarwira pamhaka dzavo, Nokutadzira upenyu hwevanovatadzira.

²⁴Make no friendship with an angry man, and go not with a furious man;

²⁴Usashamwaridzana nomunhu anotsamwa; Usafambidzana nomunhu ane hasha;

²⁵lest thou learn his paths, and get a snare to thy soul.

²⁵Kuti urege kudzidza tsika dzake, Uteyire mweya wako musungo.

²⁶Be not of them that strike hands, of them that are sureties for debts:

²⁶Usava mumwe wavanozvisunga noruoko, Kana vakazviita rubatso nokuda kwechikwereti.

²⁷if thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

²⁷Kana usina chaungaripa nacho, Uchagokutorereiko nhovo dzako pasi pako?

²⁸Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set.

²⁸Usabvisa muganhu wekare, Wakaiswapo namadzibaba ako.

²⁹Hast thou seen a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before the mean.

²⁹Unoona munhu anoshingaira pabasa rake here? Achamira pamberi pamadzimambo; Haangamiri pamberi pavanhu vasingazikamwi.