Zvirevo 4

¹Imi vanakomana, inzwai kurairira kwababa venyu; Teererai, muzive njere.Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

²Nokuti ndinokupai dzidziso yakanaka; Regai kurasha murayiro wangu.For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

³Nokuti ini ndakanga ndiri mwanakomana kuna baba vangu, Mwana oga akadikanwa kwazvo, namai vangu;For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

⁴Ivo baba vakandidzidzisa, vakati kwandiri, moyo wako ngaunyatsobata mashoko angu; Chengeta mirairo yangu, urarame.He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Zviwanire uchenjeri, zviwanire njere; Regai kukanganwa kana kutsauka pamashoko omuromo wangu;Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

⁶Usahurasha, hugokuchengeta; Uhude, hugokurinda.Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

⁷Uchenjeri chinhu chikuru kune zvose; saka uzviwanire uchenjeri; Uzviwanire njere nezvose zvaunazvo.Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

⁸Uhukudze, hugokukwiridza iwe; Huchakuvigira kukudzwa, kana uchihumbundikira.Exalt 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.She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

¹⁰Chinzwa iwe mwanakomana wangu, ugamuchire zvandinoreva; Makore oupenyu hwako agova mazhinji.Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

¹¹Ndakakudzidzisa panzira youchenjeri; Ndakakufambisa pamakwara akarurama.I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

¹²Kana uchifamba, tsoka dzako hadzingapinganidzwi; Kana uchimhanya, haungagumburwi.When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

¹³Natsa kubata kurairirwa; usakuregedza; Ukuchengete, nokuti ndihwo hupenyu hwako.Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

¹⁴Usapinda pagwara ravakaipa, Usafamba nenzira yavakashata.Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Uinzvenge, usapinda pairi; Tsauka pairi, upfuure hako.Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

¹⁶Nokuti havavati, kana vasingaiti zvakashata; Vanotorerwa hope dzavo, kana vasingagumbusi vamwe.For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

¹⁷Nokuti vanodya zvokudya zvezvakaipa, Nokunwa waini yokumanikidza.For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸Asi gwara ravakarurama rakaita sechiedza chamambakwedza, Chinoramba chichiwedzera kubwinya kusvikira pamasikati makuru.But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

¹⁹Nzira yavakaipa yakaita serima; Havazivi chingavagumbusa.The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

²⁰Mwanakomana wangu, teerera mashoko angu; Rerekera nzeve yako kune zvandinoreva.My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

²¹Urambe uchitarira, Uachengete mukati momoyo wako.Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

²²Nokuti ndihwo hupenyu kuna vanoawana, Noukukutu hwemuviri wavo vose.For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

²³Chengeta moyo wako kupfuura zvose zvinofanira kurindwa; Nokuti mukati mawo ndimo mune zvitubu zvoupenyu.Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

²⁴Bvisa kwauri nhema dzomuromo, Kutsauka kwemiromo ngakuve kure newe.Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

²⁵Meso ako ngaarurame pakutarira; Mafungiro ameso ako ngaatarire mberi kwako.Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

²⁶Gadzirira tsoka dzako gwara; Nzira dzako dzose dzive dzakasimba.Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

²⁷Usatsaukira kurudyi kana kuruboshwe; Rutsoka rwako urubvise pane zvakaipa.Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.