¹Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,

¹Inzwai chinhu ichi, imwi vanhu vose; Teererai, imwi mose mugere panyika;

²both low and high, rich and poor together.

²imwi vaduku navanokudzwa, Vafumi navarombo pamwechete.

³My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart shall utter understanding.

³Muromo wangu uchataura huchenjeri; Uye kufunga komoyo wangu kuchava nenjere.

⁴I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will open my riddle on the harp.

⁴Ndicharerekera nzeve yangu inzwe mufananidzo; Ndichadudza shoko rangu rakavanzika nembira.

⁵Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

⁵Ndichatya neiko pamisi yezvakaipa, Kana zvakaipa, zvavari pazvitsitsinho zvangu, zvichindikomba?

⁶Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches—

⁶Ivo, vanovimba nefuma yavo, Vanozvikudza pamusoro pokuwanda kwefuma yavo;

⁷none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.

⁷Hapana angatongodzikunura hama yake, Kana kupa Mwari rudzikunuro pamusoro pake;

⁸For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,

⁸(Nokuti rudzikunuro rwemweya yawo runokosha, Runofanira kuregwa nokusingaperi;)

⁹That he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption.

⁹Kuti arambe ari mupenyu misi yose, Arege kuona kuora.

¹⁰For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others.

¹⁰nekuti anoona kuti vachenjeri vanofa, Benzi neasina njere vanopera pamwechete, Vachisiira vamwe fuma yavo.

¹¹Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves.

¹¹Murarangariro wavo wechomukati ndiwo kuti dzimba dzavo dzichagara nokusingaperi, Nougaro hwavo kusvikira kumarudzi avo ose; Nyika dzavo vanodzitumidza mazita avo.

¹²But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure. He is like the animals that perish.

¹²Asi munhu haagari achikudzwa, Akafanana nemhuka dzinopera.

¹³This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings. Selah.

¹³Iyi ndiyo nzira yamapenzi; Kunyange zvakadaro vanhu vanovatevera vachitenda zvavanotaura.

¹⁴They are appointed as a flock for Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. . Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. , far from their mansion.

¹⁴Vakatarirwa Sheori samakwai; Rufu ruchavafudza; Vakarurama vachabata ushe pamusoro pavo mangwanani; Chimiro chavo ndechekuparadzwa neSheori, kuti kurege kuva nougaro.

¹⁵But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. , for he will receive me. Selah.

¹⁵Asi Mwari achadzikunura mweya wangu pasimba reSheori, nekuti iye achandigamuchira.

¹⁶Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased.

¹⁶Usatya hako iwe kana mumwe munhu achifumiswa, Kana fuma yeimba yake ichiwedzerwa.

¹⁷For when he dies he shall carry nothing away. His glory shall not descend after him.

¹⁷Nekuti kana achifa hapana chaachaenda nacho; Mukurumbira wake haungaburuki uchimutevera.

¹⁸Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself—

¹⁸Kunyange paupenyu hwake waikorokotedza mweya wake (Kunyange vanhu vaikurumbidza kana uchizviitira zvakanaka),

¹⁹he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.

¹⁹Achaenda iye kurudzi rwamadzibaba ake; Ivo havangatongooni chiedza nokusingaperi.

²⁰A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.

²⁰Munhu, anokudzwa, asina njere, Akafanana nemhuka dzinopera.