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

¹The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; The oracle. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:

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

²Surely I am more brutish than any man, And have not the understanding of a man;

³Handina kudzidza uchenjeri, Uye handina zivo yoMutsvene.

³And I have not learned wisdom, Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One.

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

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

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

⁵Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him.

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

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

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

⁷Two things have I asked of thee; Deny me [them] not before I die:

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

⁸Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me:

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

⁹Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And use profanely the name of my God.

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

¹⁰Slander not a servant unto his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.

¹¹Rudzi ruriko runotuka baba varwo, Rusingaropafadzi mai varwo.

¹¹There is a generation that curse their father, And bless not their mother.

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

¹²There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, And [yet] are not washed from their filthiness.

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

¹³There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up.

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

¹⁴There is a generation whose teeth are [as] swords, and their jaw teeth [as] knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

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

¹⁵The horseleach hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, [Yea], four that say not, Enough:

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

¹⁶Sheol; and the barren womb; The earth that is not satisfied with water; And the fire that saith not, Enough.

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

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

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

¹⁸There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yea, four which I know not:

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

¹⁹The way of an eagle in the air; 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 maiden.

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

²⁰So is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, And saith, I have done no wickedness.

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

²¹For three things the earth doth tremble, And for four, [which] it cannot bear:

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

²²For a servant when he is king; And a fool when he is filled with food;

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

²³For an odious woman when she is married; And a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

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

²⁴There are four things which are little upon the earth, But they are exceeding wise:

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

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

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

²⁶The conies are but a feeble folk, Yet make they their houses in the rocks;

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

²⁷The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands;

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

²⁸The lizard taketh hold with her hands, Yet is she in kings' palaces.

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

²⁹There are three things which are stately in their march, Yea, four which are stately in going:

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

³⁰The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, And turneth not away for any;

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

³¹The greyhound; the he-goat also; And the king against whom there is no rising up.

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

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

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

³³For the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.