¹Zvirevo zvaSoromoni, mwanakomana waDhavhidhi, mambo waIsiraeri.

¹The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

²Kuti vanhu vazive uchenjeri nokurairirwa; Nokunzwisisa mashoko enjere;

²to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

³Varairirwe nzira yokungwara, Neyokururama, nokururamisa, nokutendeka;

³to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

⁴Vasina mano vapiwe kungwara, Jaya ripiwe zivo nokuchenjera;

⁴to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man:

⁵Kuti wakachenjera anzwe, awedzere kudzidza; Nomunhu wenjere awane mano akanaka.

⁵that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:

⁶Vanzwisise chirevo nomufananidzo, Mashoko avakachenjera nezvirabwe zvavo.

⁶to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

⁷Kutya Jehovha ndiko kuvamba kwezivo; Mapenzi anoshora uchenjeri nokurairirwa.

⁷The fear of Yahweh “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸Mwanakomana wangu, inzwa kurairira kwababa vako; Usarasha kudzidzisa kwamai vako.

⁸My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:

⁹nekuti zvichava chishongo chakanaka pamusoro wako, Nengetani pamutsipa pako.

⁹for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

¹⁰Mwanakomana wangu, kana vatadzi vachikugombedzera, Usatenda iwe.

¹¹Kana vachiti, Hendei tose, Ngatirindire ropa; Ngativandire vasina mhosva kunyange pasina mhaka.

¹¹If they say, “Come with us, Let’s lay in wait for blood; let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

¹²Ngativamedze vari vapenyu seSheori, Vari vakukutu saivo vanoburukira kugomba.

¹²let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. , and whole, like those who go down into the pit.

¹³Tichawana fuma yamarudzi mazhinji; Tichazadza dzimba dzedu nezvatakapamba;

¹³We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with spoil.

¹⁴Iwe uchava mumwe wedu; Tose tichava nechikwama chimwechete.

¹⁴You shall cast your lot among us. We’ll all have one purse.”

¹⁵Mwanakomana wangu, usafamba navo nenzira yavo; Dzora rutsoka rwako panzira yavo;

¹⁵My son, don’t walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path,

¹⁶nekuti tsoka dzavo dzinovangira zvakaipa; Vanokurumidza kudurura ropa.

¹⁶for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷nekuti mumbure unodzikirwa pasina Shiri dzamarudzi ose dzichizviona.

¹⁸Vanhu ava vanogarira ropa ravo vamene; Vanozvivandira hupenyu hwavo.

¹⁸but these lay wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

¹⁹Ndizvo zvakaitawo nzira dzavose vanokarira fuma; Zvinotorera mwene wazvo upenyu hwake.

¹⁹So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

²⁰Uchenjeri hunodanidzira panzira dzomumusha; hunonzwisa inzwi rahwo panzvimbo dzakafara;

²⁰Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.

²¹hunodana panzvimbo panoungana vazhinji; Pavanopinda pamasuwo, Paguta, ndipo pahunotaura mashoko ahwo, huchiti,

²¹She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

²²Nhai imwi vasina mano, muchada kusava namano kusvikira rinhiko? nemwi vaseki kufarira kuseka kwenyu, Namapenzi kuvenga zivo?

²²“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?

²³Dzokai kana muchinzwa kuraira kwangu, Tarirai ndichadurura mweya wangu pamusoro penyu; Ndichakuzivisai mashoko angu.

²³Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

²⁴Zvandakadana, imwi mukaramba; Ndikatambanudza ruoko rwangu, kukasava nomunhu akarangarira;

²⁴Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

²⁵Asi makazvidza mano angu ose, Mukaramba chose kuraira kwangu,

²⁵but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;

²⁶Naizvozvo neniwo ndichaseka kana mava munhamo yenyu; Ndichakudadirai, kana kutya kwenyu kuchisvika.

²⁶I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you;

²⁷Kana kutya kwenyu kuchisvika sedutu guru, Nenhamo yenyu ichisvika sechamupupuri; Kana kutambudzika nokudumbirwa zvichikuwirai.

²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come on you.

²⁸Nenguva iyo uchadana kwandiri, asi handingapinduri; Vachanditsvaka zvikuru, asi havangandiwani.

²⁸Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;

²⁹Zvavakavenga zivo, Vakasazvitsaurira kutya Jehovha,

²⁹because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.

³⁰Vakaramba mano angu ose, Vakashora kuraira kwangu kose,

³⁰They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.

³¹Naizvozvo vachadya zvibereko zvenzira yavo; Vachagutswa namano avo.

³¹Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.

³²nekuti kudzokera shure kwavasina mano kuchavauraya, Kusava nehanya kwamapenzi kuchavaparadza.

³²For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

³³Asi ani naani anonditeerera achagara zvakasimba, Achagadzikana, asingatyi zvakaipa.

³³But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”