1Mtima wa mfumu uli ngati mtsinje wamadzi mʼdzanja la Yehova;
Iye amautsongolera pa chilichonse chimene akufuna.
2Makhalidwe a munthu amaoneka olungama kwa mwini wakeyo,
koma Yehova ndiye amayesa mtima wake.
3Za chilungamo ndi zolondola
ndi zomwe zimakondweretsa Yehova kuposa kupereka nsembe.
4Maso odzikuza ndi mtima wonyada,
zimatsogolera anthu oyipa ngati nyale nʼchifukwa chake amachimwa.
5Zolinga za munthu wakhama zimachulukitsa zinthu zake;
koma aliyense wochita zinthu mofulumira amadzakhala wosauka.
6Chuma chochipeza ndi mawu onyenga ndi chosakhalitsa
ndipo chimakola anthu mu msampha wa imfa.
7Chiwawa cha anthu oyipa chidzawawononga,
pakuti iwo amakana kuchita zolungama.
8Njira ya munthu wolakwa ndi yokhotakhota,
koma makhalidwe a munthu wosalakwa ndi olungama.
9Nʼkwabwino kukhala wekha pa ngodya ya denga la nyumba,
kuposa kukhala mʼnyumba pamodzi ndi mkazi wolongolola.
10Munthu woyipa amalakalaka zoyipa;
sachitira chifundo mnansi wake wovutika.
11Munthu wonyoza akalangidwa, anthu opusa amapeza nzeru;
koma munthu wanzeru akalangizidwa, amapeza chidziwitso.
12Zolingalira za munthu woyipa nʼzosabisika pamaso pa Yehova,
ndipo Iye adzawononga woyipayo.
13Amene atsekera mʼkhutu mwake wosauka akamalira,
nayenso adzalira koma palibe adzamuyankhe.
14Mphatso yoperekedwa mseri imathetsa mkwiyo,
ndipo chiphuphu choperekedwa mobisa chimathetsa mphamvu ya ukali woopsa.
15Chilungamo chikachitika anthu olungama amasangalala,
koma anthu oyipa amaopsedwa nazo.
16Munthu amene amachoka pa njira ya anthu anzeru
adzapezeka mʼgulu la anthu akufa.
17Aliyense wokonda zisangalalo adzasanduka mʼmphawi,
ndipo wokonda vinyo ndi mafuta sadzalemera.
18Anthu oyipa adzakhala chowombolera cha anthu olungama
ndipo osakhulupirika chowombolera anthu olungama mtima.
19Nʼkwabwino kukhala mʼchipululu
kuposa kukhala ndi mkazi wolongolola ndi wopsa mtima msanga.
20Munthu wanzeru samwaza chuma chake,
koma wopusa amachiwononga.
21Amene amatsata chilungamo ndi kukhulupirika,
amapeza moyo ndi ulemerero.
22Munthu wanzeru amagonjetsa mzinda wa anthu amphamvu
ndi kugwetsa linga limene iwo amalidalira.
23Amene amagwira pakamwa pake ndi lilime lake
sapeza mavuto.
24Munthu wonyada ndi wodzikuza amamutcha, “Mnyodoli,”
iye amachita zinthu modzitama kwambiri.
25Chilakolako cha munthu waulesi chidzamupha yekha
chifukwa manja ake amangokhala goba osagwira ntchito.
26Tsiku lonse anthu oyipa amasirira zambiri,
koma anthu olungama amapereka mowolowamanja.
27Nsembe ya anthu oyipa imamunyansa Yehova,
nanji akayipereka ndi cholinga choyipa!
28Mboni yonama idzawonongeka,
koma mawu a munthu wakumva adzakhala nthawi zonse.
29Munthu woyipa amafuna kudzionetsa ngati wolimba mtima,
koma munthu wowongoka amaganizira njira zake.
30Palibe nzeru, palibe kumvetsa bwino, palibenso uphungu,
zimene zingapambane Yehova.
31Kavalo amamukonzera tsiku la nkhondo,
koma ndi Yehova amene amapambanitsa.
1In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
that he channels toward all who please him.
2A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
3To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
5The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
6A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
7The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
for they refuse to do what is right.
8The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
10The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.
12The Righteous One21:12 Or The righteous person takes note of the house of the wicked
and brings the wicked to ruin.
13Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
will also cry out and not be answered.
14A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.
15When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.
16Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.
17Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
18The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.
20The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
21Whoever pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity21:21 Or righteousness and honor.
22One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
23Those who guard their mouths and their tongues
keep themselves from calamity.
24The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.
25The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.
27The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!
28A false witness will perish,
but a careful listener will testify successfully.
29The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.
30There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the Lord.
31The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.
