¹The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

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

²“Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.

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

³I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

³Handina kudzidza uchenjeri, Uye handina zivo yoMutsvene.

⁴Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?

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

⁵“Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

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

⁶Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

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

⁷“Two things I have asked of you; don’t deny me before I die:

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

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

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

⁹lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

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

¹⁰“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

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

¹¹There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother.

¹¹Rudzi ruriko runotuka baba varwo, Rusingaropafadzi mai varwo.

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

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

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

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

¹⁴There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.

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

¹⁵“The leach has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough:’

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

¹⁶ Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. , the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough.’

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

¹⁷“The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother: the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it.

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

¹⁸“There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:

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

¹⁹The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent on a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maiden.

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

²⁰“So is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

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

²¹“For three things the earth tremble, and under four, it can’t bear up:

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

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

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

²³for an unloved woman when she is married; and a handmaid who is heir to her mistress.

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

²⁴“There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:

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

²⁵the ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.

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

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

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

²⁷The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.

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

²⁸You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

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

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

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

³⁰The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;

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

³¹the greyhound, the male goat also; and the king against whom there is no rising up.

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

³²“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth.

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

³³For as the churning of milk brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood; so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife.”

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