¹Mwanakomana wangu, kana uchinge wakazviitira wokwako rubatso, Wazvisunga nokuda komutorwa noruoko rwako,

¹My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand,

²Wazviteya namashoko omuromo wako, Wabatwa namashoko omuromo wako,

²Hast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings of thy mouth,

³Zvino ita kudai, mwanakomana wangu, uzvirwire, Zvawabatwa noruoko rwowokwako, Enda, undozvininipisa, ukumbire zvikuru kunowokwako.

³Do this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend,

⁴Usatendera meso ako hope, Kana mafungiro ameso ako kutsumwaira;

⁴Give not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids,

⁵Uzvirwire semhara paruoko rwomuvhimi, Seshiri paruoko rwomuteyi.

⁵Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.

⁶Enda kumujuru, iwe simbe; Cherekedza nzira dzawo ugova wakachenjera!

⁶Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;

⁷Kunyange iwo usina mutongi, Kana mutariri kana mubati,

⁷Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,

⁸Unogadzira zvokudya zvawo muzhizha, Nokuunganidza zvokudya zvawo mukukohwa.

⁸She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food.

⁹Iwe simbe, uchavata pasi kusvikira rinhiko? Uchamuka rinhiko pahope dzako?

⁹Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?

¹⁰Kumbovata zvishomanene, kumbotsumwaira zvishomanene, Kumbofungatira maoko zvishomanene, ndizorore;

¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,

¹¹Saizvozvo urombo hwako huchasvika segororo, Nokushaiwa kwako somunhu wakashonga nhumbi dzokurwa.

¹¹And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.

¹²Munhu asina maturo, munhu anoita zvakaipa, Ndiye anofamba nomuromo une nhema;

¹²A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking [with] perverseness of mouth,

¹³Anobwaira nameso ake, anotendekera netsoka dzake, Anodudzira nemimwe yake;

¹³Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers,

¹⁴Ane zvisakarurama pamoyo pake, Anosifungira vamwe zvakaipa, Anokusha kupesana.

¹⁴Frowardness [is] in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.

¹⁵Saka njodzi yake ichamuwira kamwe-kamwe; Achavhuniwa pakarepo, kusina chingamubatsira.

¹⁵Therefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken — and no healing.

¹⁶Zvinhu zvitanhatu zviriko zvinovengwa naJehovha; Zvirokwazvo, tingati kune zvinomwe, zvinomunyangadza, zvinoti:

¹⁶These six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven [are] abominations to His soul.

¹⁷Meso ounozvikudza, rurimi runoreva nhema, Maoko anodurura ropa risina mhaka;

¹⁷Eyes high — tongues false — And hands shedding innocent blood —

¹⁸moyo unofunga mano akaipa, Tsoka dzinokurumidza kuvangira zvakashata;

¹⁸A heart devising thoughts of vanity — Feet hasting to run to evil —

¹⁹Chapupu chinonyengera chinoreva nhema, Uye anokusha kupesana pakati pehama.

¹⁹A false witness [who] doth breathe out lies — And one sending forth contentions between brethren.

²⁰Mwanakomana wangu, chengeta murayiro wababa vako; Usarasha kudzidzisa kwamai vako.

²⁰Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.

²¹Uzvisungire nguva dzose pamoyo wako; Uzvishonge pamutsipa wako.

²¹Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck.

²²Kana uchifamba, zvichakutungamirira; Kana uchivata pasi, zvichakurinda; Kana womuka, zvichataurirana newe.

²²In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked — it talketh [with] thee.

²³nekuti murayiro ndiwo mwenje; murau ndicho chiedza; Kuraira kokurairirwa inzira youpenyu;

²³For a lamp [is] the command, And the law a light, And a way of life [are] reproofs of instruction,

²⁴Kuti uchengetwe pamukadzi wakaipa, Pakubata kumeso korurimi rwomutorwa.

²⁴To preserve thee from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

²⁵Usachiva kunaka kwake mumoyo mako; Arege kukubata namafungiro ameso ake.

²⁵Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids.

²⁶nekuti nokuda kwechifeve munhu angasvikira pakudya chimeduchetechechingwa; Mukadzi womumwe munhu anovhima upenyu hunokosha.

²⁶For a harlot consumeth unto a cake of bread, And an adulteress the precious soul hunteth.

²⁷Ko munhu ungaisa moto muchipfuva chake, nguvo dzake dzikasatsva here?

²⁷Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt?

²⁸Kana munhu angatsika mazimbe anopisa, Tsoka dzake dzikasapiswa here?

²⁸Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched?

²⁹Ndizvo zvakaita munhu anopinda kumukadzi wowokwake; Ani naani anomubata iye mukadzi haangaregwi kurohwa.

²⁹So [is] he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.

³⁰Vanhu havangazvidzi mubi kana achiba Kuti agute kana achinge ane nzara.

³⁰They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,

³¹Asi kana akabatwa anofanira kudzosera zvava zvinomwe; Anofanira kuripa nefuma yose yeimba yake.

³¹And being found he repayeth sevenfold, All the substance of his house he giveth.

³²Anoita upombwe nomukadzi, anoshaiwa njere; Anoda kuparadza upenyu hwake ndiye anoita izvozvo.

³²He who committeth adultery [with] a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it.

³³Uchangozviwanira mavanga nokusakudzwa; Kunyadziswa kwake hakungatongopusikwi.

³³A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away,

³⁴nekuti godo rinomutsa hasha dzomurume; Haanganzwiri tsitsi pazuva rokutsiva.

³⁴For jealousy [is] the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance.

³⁵Haangavi nehanya nomuripo; Haangatendi, kunyange ukamuvigira zvipo zvizhinji.

³⁵He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!