1imwi vanakomana, inzwai kurairira kwababa venyu; Teererai, muzive njere.
1Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;
2nekuti ndinokupai dzidziso yakanaka; Regai kurasha murayiro wangu.
2for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.
3nekuti ini ndakanga ndiri mwanakomana kuna baba vangu, Mwana oga akadikamwa kwazvo, namai vangu;
3For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
4Ivo baba vakandidzidzisa, vakati kwandiri, moyo wako ngaunyatsobata mashoko angu; Chengeta mirairo yangu, urarame.
4And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.
5Zviwanire uchenjeri, zviwanire njere; Regai kukangamwa kana kutsauka pamashoko omuromo wangu;
5Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6Usahurasha, hugokuchengeta; Uhude, hugokurinda.
6Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.
7Uchenjeri chinhu chikuru kune zvose; saka uzviwanire uchenjeri; Uzviwanire njere nezvose zvaunazvo.
7The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.
8Uhukudze, hugokukwiridza iwe; Huchakuvigira kukudzwa, kana uchihumbundikira.
8Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.
9Huchapa musoro wako chishongo chakanaka; Huchakuisira korona inobwinya.
9She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.
10Chinzwa iwe mwanakomana wangu, ugamuchire zvandinoreva; Makore oupenyu hwako agova mazhinji.
10Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.
11Ndakakudzidzisa panzira youchenjeri; Ndakakufambisa pamakwara akarurama.
11I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.
12Kana uchifamba, tsoka dzako hadzingapinganidzwi; Kana uchimhanya, haungagumburwi.
12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13Natsa kubata kurairirwa; usakuregedza; Ukuchengete, nekuti ndihwo hupenyu hwako.
13Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life.
14Usapinda pagwara ravakaipa, Usafamba nenzira yavakashata.
14Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:
15Uinzvenge, usapinda pairi; Tsauka pairi, upfuure hako.
15avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.
16nekuti havavati, kana vasingaiti zvakashata; Vanotorerwa hope dzavo, kana vasingagumbusi vamwe.
16For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.
17nekuti vanodya zvokudya zvezvakaipa, Nokumwa waini yokumanikidza.
17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18Asi gwara ravakarurama rakaita sechiedza chamambakwedza, Chinoramba chichiwedzera kubwinya kusvikira pamasikati makuru.
18But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.
19Nzira yavakaipa yakaita serima; Havazivi chingavagumbusa.
19The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
20Mwanakomana wangu, teerera mashoko angu; Rerekera nzeve yako kune zvandinoreva.
20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21Urambe uchitarira, Uachengete mukati momoyo wako.
21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
22nekuti ndihwo hupenyu kuna vanowawana, Noukukutu bwemuviri yavo yose.
22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23Chengeta moyo wako kupfuura zvose zvinofanira kurindwa; nekuti mukati mawo ndimo mune zvitubu zvoupenyu.
23Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.
24Bvisa kwauri nhema dzomuromo, Kutsauka kwemiromo ngakuve kure newe.
24Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
25Meso ako ngaarurame pakutarira; Mafungiro ameso ako ngaatarire mberi kwako.
25Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26Gadzirira tsoka dzako gwara; Nzira dzako dzose dzive dzakasimba.
26Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.
27Usatsaukira kurudyi kana kuruboshwe; Rutsoka rwako urubvise pane zvakaipa.
27Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.