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

¹My son, if thou hast become surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand 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, since thou hast come into the hand of thy friend: go, humble thyself, and be urgent with thy friend.

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 gazelle 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, sluggard, wilt thou lie down? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

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

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

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

¹¹So shall thy poverty come as a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.

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

¹²A man of Belial, a wicked person, is he that goeth about with a perverse mouth;

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

¹³he winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

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

¹⁴deceits are in his heart; he deviseth mischief at all times, he soweth discords.

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

¹⁵Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly: in a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy.

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

¹⁶These six [things] doth Jehovah hate, yea, seven 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 imaginations; 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 discords among brethren.

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

²⁰My son, observe thy father's commandment, and forsake not the teaching 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 keep 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 teaching a 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 tongue of a strange woman.

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 by means of a whorish woman [a man is brought] to a loaf of bread, and another's wife doth hunt for the precious soul.

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

²⁷Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his garments not be burned?

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

²⁸Can one go 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 neighbour's wife: whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

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

³⁰They do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry:

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

³¹and 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.

³²Whoso committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

³³Uchangozviwanira mavanga nokusakudzwa; Kunyadziswa kwake hakungatongopusikwi.

³³A wound and contempt 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 multipliest [thy] gifts.