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

¹My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor, If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger;

²Wazviteya namashoko omuromo wako, Wabatwa namashoko omuromo wako,

²Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

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

³Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbor: Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neighbor;

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

⁴Give not sleep to thine eyes, Nor slumber to thine eyelids;

⁵Uzvirwire semhara paruoko rwomuvhimi, Seshiri paruoko rwomuteyi.

⁵Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand [of the hunter], And as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

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

⁶Go to the ant, thou sluggard; Consider her ways, and be wise:

⁷Kunyange iwo usina mutongi, Kana mutariri kana mubati,

⁷Which having no chief, Overseer, or ruler,

⁸Unogadzira zvokudya zvawo muzhizha, Nokuunganidza zvokudya zvawo mukukohwa.

⁸Provideth her bread in the summer, And gathereth her food in the harvest.

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

⁹How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

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

¹⁰[Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep:

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

¹¹So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man.

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

¹²A worthless person, a man of iniquity, Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth;

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

¹³That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, That maketh signs with his fingers;

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

¹⁴In whose heart is perverseness, Who deviseth evil continually, Who soweth discord.

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

¹⁵Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

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

¹⁶There are six things which Jehovah hateth; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him:

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

¹⁷Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood;

¹⁸moyo unofunga mano akaipa, Tsoka dzinokurumidza kuvangira zvakashata;

¹⁸A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief,

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

¹⁹A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.

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

²⁰My son, keep the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:

²¹Uzvisungire nguva dzose pamoyo wako; Uzvishonge pamutsipa wako.

²¹Bind them continually upon thy heart; Tie them about thy neck.

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

²²When thou walkest, it shall lead thee; When thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee; And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

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

²³For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

²⁴Kuti uchengetwe pamukadzi wakaipa, Pakubata kumeso korurimi rwomutorwa.

²⁴To keep thee from the evil woman, From the flattery of the foreigner's tongue.

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

²⁵Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

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

²⁶For on account of a harlot [a man is brought] to a piece of bread; And the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.

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

²⁷Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?

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

²⁸Or can one walk upon hot coals, And his feet not be scorched?

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

²⁹So he that goeth in to his neighbor's wife; Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished.

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

³⁰Men do not despise a thief, if he steal To satisfy himself when he is hungry:

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

³¹But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; He shall give all the substance of his house.

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

³²He that committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: He doeth it who would destroy his own soul.

³³Uchangozviwanira mavanga nokusakudzwa; Kunyadziswa kwake hakungatongopusikwi.

³³Wounds and dishonor shall he get; And his reproach shall not be wiped away.

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

³⁴For jealousy is the rage of a man; And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

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

³⁵He will not regard any ransom; Neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.