¹Izvowo ndizvo zvirevo zvaSo­romoni, zvakanyorwa navanhu vaHezekia mambo wavaJudha,

¹Also these are Proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed: —

²Ndiko kukudzwa kwaMwari kuti avanze chinhu; Asi kukudzwa kwamadzimambo ndiko kuti vanzvere mhosva.

²The honour of God [is] to hide a thing, And the honour of kings to search out a matter.

³Kukwirira kwedenga, nokudzika kwenyika, Nemoyo yamadzimambo hazvibviri kunzverwa.

³The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings — [are] unsearchable.

⁴Bvisa marara pasirivha, Muumbi agobudisirwa hari.

⁴Take away dross from silver, And a vessel for the refiner goeth forth,

⁵Bvisa akaipa pamberi pamambo, Chigaro chake choushe chisimbiswe nokururama.

⁵Take away the wicked before a king, And established in righteousness is his throne.

⁶Usava namanyawi pamberi pamambo; Usamira panzvimbo yavakuru.

⁶Honour not thyself before a king, And in the place of the great stand not.

⁷nekuti zviri nani kuti vati kwauri, Kwira pano, Pakuti uninipiswe pamberi pomuchinda. Wawaona nameso ako.

⁷For better [that] he hath said to thee, `Come thou up hither,` Than [that] he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.

⁸Usakurumidza kundoita nharo; nekuti uchazodini pashure, Kana wokwako akunyadzisa?

⁸Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush?

⁹Rangana nowakaipa pamusoro pemhosva iri pakati penyu, Asi usareurura zvakavanzika zvomumwe;

⁹Thy cause plead with thy neighbour, And the secret counsel of another reveal not,

¹⁰Kuti mumwe anozvinzwa arege kukutuka, Guhwa rako rikasaguma.

¹⁰Lest the hearer put thee to shame, And thine evil report turn not back.

¹¹Shoko rinotaurwa nenguva yakafanira, Rakafanana namatamba endarama mumidziyo yesirivha.

¹¹Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.

¹²Murairi akachenjera panzeve inoteerera, Zvakafanana nechindori chenzeve chendarama noukomba hwendarama yakaisvonaka.

¹²A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.

¹³Nhume yakatendeka kuna vanoituma yakafanana nokutonhorera kwechando panguva yokukohwa; nekuti anoponesa mweya yavatenzi vayo.

¹³As a vessel of snow in a day of harvest, [So is] a faithful ambassador to those sending him, And the soul of his masters he refresheth.

¹⁴Munhu anozvirumbidza pamusoro pechipo chenhema, Akafanana namakore nemhepo zvisina mvura.

¹⁴Clouds and wind, and rain there is none, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.

¹⁵Mubati anokundwa kana achiitirwa moyo murefu, Uye rurimi runyoro runovhuna mafupa.

¹⁵By long-suffering is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh a bone.

¹⁶Wawana uchi here? Chidya hunokuringana, Kuti urege kuzvimbirwa nahwo, ukahurutsa.

¹⁶Honey thou hast found — eat thy sufficiency, Lest thou be satiated [with] it, and hast vomited it.

¹⁷Rutsoka rwako ngarurege kuwanza kupinda paimba yowokwako; Arege kuzoneta newe, akakuvenga.

¹⁷Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour`s house, Lest he be satiated [with] thee, and have hated thee.

¹⁸Munhu anopupurira wokwake nhema, Akafanana netsvimbo, nomunondo, nomuseve unopinza.

¹⁸A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying against his neighbour a false testimony.

¹⁹Kutenda munhu asina kutendeka panguva yenhamo, Kwakafanana nezino rakagurika norutsoka rwakashodoka.

¹⁹A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.

²⁰Somunhu anobvisa nguvo kana kuchitonhora, uye sevhiniga kana ichiiswa pasoda, Ndizvo zvakaita munhu anoimbira moyo unorwadza nziyo.

²⁰Whoso is taking away a garment in a cold day, [Is as] vinegar on nitre, And a singer of songs on a sad heart.

²¹Kana muvengi wako ane nzara, umupe zvokudya adye; Kana ane nyota, umupe mvura amwe.

²¹If he who is hating thee doth hunger, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirst, cause him to drink water.

²²nekuti uchatutira mazimbe omoto pamusoro wake, Uye Jehovha achakuripira.

²²For coals thou art putting on his head, And Jehovah giveth recompense to thee.

²³Mhepo inobva kumaodzanyemba inouyisa mvura; Saizvozvo rurimi runa makuhwa runouyisa chiso chakatsamwa.

²³A north wind bringeth forth rain, And a secret tongue — indignant faces.

²⁴Zviri nani kugara pakona redenga, Pakugara muimba imwe nomukadzi unokakavara.

²⁴Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company.

²⁵Shoko rakanaka, rinobva kunyika iri kure, Rakafanana nemvura inotonhorera kumweya ane nyota.

²⁵[As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.

²⁶Munhu akarurama, anozununguka pamberi pavakaipa, Akafanana netsime rakabvongodzwa nechitubu chine tsvina.

²⁶A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.

²⁷Hazvina kunaka kudya uchi huzhinji; Asi kunzvera zvinorema ndiko kukudzwa.

²⁷The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one`s own honour — honour.

²⁸Munhu asingadzori mweya wake, Akafanana neguta rakaputswa, risina rusvingo.

²⁸A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!