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

¹My son, if thou dost accept my sayings, And my commands dost lay up with thee,

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

²To cause thine ear to attend to wisdom, Thou inclinest thy heart to understanding,

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

³For, if for intelligence thou callest, For understanding givest forth thy voice,

⁴Zvirokwazvo kana ukahutsvaka sesirivha, Ukahutsvakisisa sefuma yakavanzwa;

⁴If thou dost seek her as silver, And as hid treasures searchest for her,

⁵Ipapo uchanzwisisa kutya Jehovha, Nokuwana zivo yaMwari.

⁵Then understandest thou fear of Jehovah, And knowledge of God thou findest.

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

⁶For Jehovah giveth wisdom, From His mouth knowledge and understanding.

⁷Unovigira vakarurama uchenjeri chaihwo; Ndiye nhovo yavanofamba muzvokwadi;

⁷Even to lay up for the upright substance, A shield for those walking uprightly.

⁸nekuti anorinda makwara okururamisa, Nokuchengeta nzira yavatsvene vake.

⁸To keep the paths of judgment, And the way of His saints He preserveth.

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

⁹Then understandest thou righteousness, And judgment, and uprightness — every good path.

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

¹⁰For wisdom cometh into thy heart, And knowledge to thy soul is pleasant,

¹¹Kungwara kuchakurindira, Njere dzichakuchengeta;

¹¹Thoughtfulness doth watch over thee, Understanding doth keep thee,

¹²Zvikurwire panzira yezvakaipa, Napavanhu vanotaura zvisakarurama;

¹²To deliver thee from an evil way, From any speaking froward things,

¹³Vanorasha makwara okururama, Kuti vafambe nenzira dzerima;

¹³Who are forsaking paths of uprightness, To walk in ways of darkness,

¹⁴Vanofarira kuita zvakaipa, Vanofadzwa nokunyengera kwezvakaipa.

¹⁴Who are rejoicing to do evil, They delight in frowardness of the wicked,

¹⁵Vane nzira dzakaminama, Vanotsauka pamakwara avo;

¹⁵Whose paths [are] crooked, Yea, they are perverted in their ways.

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

¹⁶To deliver thee from the strange woman, From the stranger who hath made smooth her sayings,

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

¹⁷Who is forsaking the guide of her youth, And the covenant of her God hath forgotten.

¹⁸nekuti imba yake inonyura kurufu, Nenzira dzake kuvakafa;

¹⁸For her house hath inclined unto death, And unto Rephaim her paths.

¹⁹Hakuna anopinda kwaari anozodzokazve; Havasviki panzira dzoupenyu;

¹⁹None going in unto her turn back, Nor do they reach the paths of life.

²⁰Kuti ufambe nenzira yavakanaka, Uchengete makwara avakarurama.

²⁰That thou dost go in the way of the good, And the paths of the righteous dost keep.

²¹nekuti vakarurama vachagara panyika, Vakakwana vachafambirapo.

²¹For the upright do inhabit the earth, And the perfect are left in it,

²²Asi vakaipa vachaparadzwa panyika; Vanoita nokunyengedzera vachadzurwapo.

²²And the wicked from the earth are cut off, And treacherous dealers plucked out of it!