¹The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the prophecy uttered by the man unto Ithiel, [even] unto Ithiel and Ucal:

¹Mashoko aAguri, mwanako­mana waJake; chirevo chake. Murume anoti kuna Itieri, kuna Itieri naUkari,

²Truly *I* am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence.

²Zvirokwazvo, ndiri benzi kupfuura vanhu vose; Handine njere dzomunhu.

³I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the Holy.

³Handina kudzidza uchenjeri, Uye handina zivo yoMutsvene.

⁴Who hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a mantle? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?

⁴Ndiani akakwira kudenga, akaburukazve? Ndiani akasungira mvura munguvo yake? Ndiani akasungira migumo yose yenyika? Zita rake ndiani, nezita romwanakomana wake, kana uchiriziva?

⁵Every word of +God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

⁵Shoko rimwe nerimwe raMwari rakanatswa; Ndiye nhovo yavose vanovanda maari.

⁶Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

⁶Usawedzera pamashoko ake, Kuti arege kukupa mhosva, uwanikwe une nhema.

⁷Two things do I ask of thee; deny me [them] not before I die:

⁷Zvinhu zviviri ndakakumbira kwamuri; Musandirambira izvo, ndisati ndafa.

⁸Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need:

⁸Bvisai kure neni zvisina kutendeka nenhema; Regai kundipa urombo kana fuma; Mundigutse nezvokudya zvakandifanira;

⁹lest I be full and deny [thee], and say, Who is Jehovah? or lest I be poor and steal, and outrage the name of my God.

⁹Ndirege kuti kana ndaguta, ndikurambei, ndichiti, Jehovha ndianiko? Kana zvimwe ndive murombo, ndibe, Ndimhure zita raMwari wangu.

¹⁰Speak not too much about a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.

¹⁰Rega kuudzisira muranda kuna tenzi vake, Arege kukutuka, ukanzi une mhosva.

¹¹There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother;

¹¹Rudzi ruriko runotuka baba varwo, Rusingaropafadzi mai varwo.

¹²there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness;

¹²Rudzi ruriko runoti pakuona kwedu takachena kwazvo, Asi rusina kunatswa patsvina yarwo.

¹³there is a generation, -- how lofty are their eyes, how their eyelids are lifted up!

¹³Rudzi ruriko, meso arwo ana manyawi sei! Mafungiro ameso avo akakwidzwa.

¹⁴-- a generation whose teeth are swords, and their jaw-teeth knives, to devour the afflicted from off the earth, and the needy from [among] men.

¹⁴Rudzi ruriko, meno ago akafanana neminondo, nameno eshaya dzarwo samapanga, Kuti rupedze varombo panyika, navanoshaiwa pakati pavanhu.

¹⁵The leech hath two daughters: Give, give. There are three [things] never satisfied; four which say not, It is enough:

¹⁵Chikweva ropa chinavakunda vaviri, vanoti, Ndipe! Ndipe! Zvinhu zvitatu zviriko zvisingatongoguti, Zvina zvisingatongoti, Zvaringana!

¹⁶-- Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, It is enough.

¹⁶Sheori; nechizvaro chisingabereki; Pasi pasingaguti mvura; Nomoto, usingati, Zvaringana!

¹⁷The eye that mocketh at a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

¹⁷Ziso rinoseka baba, Rinoshora kuteerera mai, Makunguvo omupata acharinongora, Vana vegondo vacharidya.

¹⁸There are three [things] too wonderful for me, and four that I know not:

¹⁸Zvinhu zvitatu zviriko zvinondishamisa, Zvirokwazvo zvina, zvandisingazivi, zvinoti:

¹⁹The way of an eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.

¹⁹Kufamba kwegondo mudenga; Kufamba kwenyoka paruware; Kufamba kwechikepe pakati pegungwa; Nokufamba komurume nomusikana.

²⁰Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

²⁰Ndizvo zvakaita kufamba komukadzi woupombwe; Anodya, ndokupisika muromo wake, Achiti, Handina kuita chinhu chakaipa.

²¹Under three [things] the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up:

²¹Nyika inodedera nokuda kwezvinhu zvitatu; Uye nokuda kwezvina zvaisingadi kuona;

²²Under a servant when he reigneth, and a churl when he is filled with meat;

²²Nokuda komuranda kana achizova mambo; Nokuda kwebenzi, kana raguta zvokudya;

²³under an odious [woman] when she is married, and a handmaid when she is heir to her mistress.

²³Nokuda komukadzi arambwa, kana azowanikwa; Uye mushandiri, kana azova mugari wenhaka yatenzi wake.

²⁴There are four [things] little upon the earth, and they are exceeding wise:

²⁴Zvinhu zvina zviriko panyika zviduku hazvo, Asi zvakachenjera kwazvo, zvinoti:

²⁵The ants, a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;

²⁵Majuru, rudzi rusine simba harwo; Kunyange zvakadaro anounganidza zvokudya zvawo muzhizha;

²⁶the rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their house in the cliff;

²⁶Mbira, rudzi rusine simba harwo, Kunyange zvakadaro dzinoita imba yadzo mumatombo;

²⁷the locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;

²⁷Mhashu hadzina mambo , Kunyange zvakadaro dzinofamba zvakanaka dzichiita mapoka;

²⁸thou takest hold of the lizard with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces.

²⁸Chipfira ungachibata namaoko ako, Kunyange zvakadaro chiri mudzimba dzamadzimambo.

²⁹There are three [things] which have a stately step, and four are comely in going:

²⁹Zvinhu zvitatu zviriko zvinokufamba kunokudzwa, Zvirokwazvo zvina zvinokufamba kunokudzwa, zvinoti:

³⁰The lion, mighty among beasts, which turneth not away for any;

³⁰Shumba, mhare pakati pemhuka dzose, Isingatizi mhuka ipi neipi;

³¹a [horse] girt in the loins; or the he-goat; and a king, against whom none can rise up.

³¹Nemhuka ine zviuno zakasimba, nenhongo yembudzi; Namambo kana anavarwi vake.

³²If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] the hand upon thy mouth.

³²Kana uchinge waita noupenzi, wazvikudza, Kana zvimwe warangarira zvakashata, Pfumbira muromo wako.

³³For the pressing of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood; and the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.

³³nekuti mukaka warozva unobudisa mafuta, Nemhino dzadzvinyiwa dzinobudisa ropa, Saizvozvo hasha dzambandidzirwa dzinobudisa kukakavara.