¹Wisdom hath built her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars;

¹Uchenjeri hwakavaka imba yahwo; Hwakaveza mbiru dzahwo nomwe;

²she hath slaughtered her cattle, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also prepared her table;

²Hwakabaya zvipfuwo zvahwo; Hwakavhenganisa waini yahwo; Hwakagadzirawo tafura yahwo.

³she hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the summits of the high places of the city,

³Hwakatuma varandakadzi vahwo; hunodanidzira pamitunhu yeguta, huchiti,

⁴Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither. To him that is void of understanding, she saith,

⁴Asina mano ngaatsaukire muno; Asina njere, hunoti kwaari,

⁵Come, eat ye of my bread, and drink of the wine that I have mingled.

⁵Uyai mudye chingwa changu, Mumwe waini yandakavhenganisa.

⁶Forsake follies and live, and go in the way of intelligence.

⁶Regai kusasvinuka murarame; Mufambe nenzira yenjere.

⁷He that instructeth a scorner getteth to himself shame; and he that reproveth a wicked [man] [getteth] to himself a blot.

⁷Munhu, anoraira mudadiri anozvitsvakira kunyadziswa; Anotuka munhu wakaipa achasvibiswa.

⁸Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; reprove a wise [man], and he will love thee.

⁸Usaraira mudadiri, kuti arege kukuvenga; Raira munhu wakachenjera, iye achakuda.

⁹Impart to a wise [man], and he will become yet wiser; teach a righteous [man], and he will increase learning.

⁹Ipa wakachenjera dzidzo, ipapo iye achawedzerwa huchenjeri; Dzidzisa wakarurama, ipapo iye achawedzerwa zivo.

¹⁰The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy is intelligence.

¹⁰Kuvamba kouchenjeri ndiko kutya Iehovha., Kuziva Mutsvene ndidzo njere.

¹¹For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and years of life shall be added to thee.

¹¹nekuti neni mazuva ako achaitwa mazhinji, Makore oupenyu hwako achawedzerwa.

¹²If thou art wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself; and if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

¹²Kana wakachenjera, iwe, wakazvichenjerera hako; Kana uri mudadiri, iwe woga uchava nemhosva yazvo.

¹³The foolish woman is clamorous; she is stupid, and knoweth nothing.

¹³Mukadzi benzi anopupira; Haana mano, haazivi chinhu.

¹⁴And she sitteth at the entry of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

¹⁴Anogara pamukova weimba yake, Pachigaro pamitunhu yeguta.

¹⁵to call passers-by who go right on their ways:

¹⁵Kuti adanidzire kuna vanopfuura napo, Ivo vanorurama nenzira dzavo, achiti,

¹⁶Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither. And to him that is void of understanding she saith,

¹⁶Ani naani asina mano, ngaatsaukire muno; Asine njere, mukadzi anoti kwaari,

¹⁷Stolen waters are sweet, and the bread of secrecy is pleasant.

¹⁷Mvura yabiwa inozipa, Chingwa chinodyiwa pakavanda chinonaka.

¹⁸But he knoweth not that the dead are there; [that] her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

¹⁸Asi haazivi kuti vanopindamo vanofa; Kuti vakakokerwa naye vari mukati-kati meSheori.