1My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, 2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 3Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.6.3 and make…: or, so shalt thou prevail with thy friend 4Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. 5Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6¶ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. 9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
12¶ A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. 13He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; 14Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.6.14 soweth: Heb. casteth forth 15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16¶ These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:6.16 unto…: Heb. of his soul 17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,6.17 A proud…: Heb. Haughty eyes 18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20¶ My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. 22When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 23For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:6.23 lamp: or, candle 24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.6.24 of the…: or, of the strange tongue 25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 26For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.6.26 the adulteress: Heb. the woman of a man, or, a man’s wife 27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? 28Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? 29So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. 30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; 31But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. 32But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.6.32 understanding: Heb. heart 33A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. 34For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.6.35 He will…: Heb. He will not accept the face of any ransom
Za Moyo wa Uchitsiru
1Mwana wanga, ngati wamuperekera mnansi wako chikole,
ngati walonjeza kumulipirira mlendo,
2ngati wagwidwa ndi zimene iwe unanena,
wakodwa ndi mawu a mʼkamwa mwako.
3Tsono popeza iwe mwana wanga
wadziponya mʼmanja mwa mnansi wako, chita izi kuti udzipulumutse:
pita msanga ukamupemphe mnansi wako;
kuti akumasule!
4Usagone tulo,
usawodzere.
5Dzipulumutse monga imachitira mphoyo mʼdzanja la mlenje,
ndi monga imachitira mbalame mu msampha wa munthu wosaka.
6Pita kwa nyerere, mlesi iwe;
kaonetsetse njira zake kuti uphunzirepo kanthu!
7Zilibe mfumu,
zilibe woyangʼanira kapena wolamulira,
8komabe zimasungiratu chakudya chake nthawi ya chilimwe
ndipo zimatuta chakudyacho nthawi yokolola.
9Kodi uzingogonabe pamenepo mpaka liti mlesi iwe?
Kodi tulo tako tidzatha liti?
10Ukati ndingogona pangʼono, ndingowodzera pangʼono
ndingopinda manjawa pangʼono kuti ndipumule,
11umphawi udzakugwira ngati mbala
ndipo usiwa udzafika ngati munthu wachifwamba.
12Munthu wachabechabe, munthu woyipa,
amangoyendayenda ndi kumayankhula zoyipa,
13amatsinzinira maso ake,
namakwakwaza mapazi ake
ndi kulozaloza ndi zala zake,
14amalingalira zoyipa ndi mtima wake wachinyengo
ndipo nthawi zonse amangokhalira kuyambitsa mikangano pakati pa anthu.
15Nʼchifukwa chake tsoka lidzamugwera modzidzimutsa;
adzawonongeka msangamsanga popanda chomupulumutsa.
16Pali zinthu zisanu ndi chimodzi zimene Yehova amadana nazo,
zinthu zisanu ndi ziwiri zimene zimamunyansa:
17maso onyada,
pakamwa pabodza,
manja akupha munthu wosalakwa,
18mtima wokonzekera kuchita zoyipa,
mapazi othamangira msanga ku zoyipa,
19mboni yonama yoyankhula mabodza
komanso munthu amene amayambitsa mikangano pakati pa abale.
Chenjezo pa za Chigololo
20Mwana wanga, usunge malamulo a abambo ako;
ndipo usataye zimene anakuphunzitsa amayi ako.
21Zimenezi uzimatirire pa mtima pako masiku onse,
uzimangirire mʼkhosi mwako.
22Ukamayenda, zidzakulozera njira;
ukugona, zidzakulondera;
ukudzuka, zidzakuyankhula.
23Paja malamulo awa ali ngati nyale,
malangizowa ali ngati kuwunika,
ndipo chidzudzulo cha mwambo ndiwo
moyo weniweni,
24kukupulumutsa kwa mkazi wadama,
zimenezi zidzakutchinjiriza kwa mkazi wadama, ndi kukuthandiza kuti usamvere mawu oshashalika a mkazi wachiwerewere.
25Mu mtima wako usakhumbire kukongola kwake,
asakukope ndi zikope zake,
26paja mkazi wadama amakusandutsa kukhala ngati nyenyeswa za buledi
ndipo mkazi wa mwini wake amasokonezeratu moyo wako wonse.
27Kodi munthu angathe kutenga moto
zovala zake osapsa?
28Kodi munthu angathe kuyenda pa makala amoto
mapazi ake osapserera?
29Ndizo zimachitikira munthu amene amagonana ndi mkazi wa munthu wina.
Aliyense wokhudza mkazi wotere adzalangidwa.
30Paja anthu sayinyoza mbala ikaba
chifukwa chakuti ili ndi njala.
31Komabe ngati mbalayo igwidwa iyenera kulipira kasanu nʼkawiri,
ngakhale kulandidwa katundu wa mʼnyumba mwake.
32Munthu wochita chigololo ndi wopanda nzeru.
Wochita zimenezi amangodziwononga yekha.
33Adzalandira mabala ndi mʼnyozo,
ndipo manyazi ake sadzamuchokera.
34Paja nsanje imachititsa mwini mkaziyo kukalipa,
ndipo sadzachita chifundo pobwezera.
35Iye savomera dipo lililonse;
sangapepeseke ngakhale umupatse mphatso zochuluka motani.
