1An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
2Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.
3When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.
4The words of the mouth are deep waters,
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
5It is not good to be partial to the wicked
and so deprive the innocent of justice.
6The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.
7The mouths of fools are their undoing,
and their lips are a snare to their very lives.
8The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.
9One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.
10The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.
11The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
12Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honour.
13To answer before listening –
that is folly and shame.
14The human spirit can endure in times of illness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?
15The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,
for the ears of the wise seek it out.
16A gift opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
17In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.
18Casting the lot settles disputes
and keeps strong opponents apart.
19A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.
21The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
22He who finds a wife finds what is good
and receives favour from the Lord.
23The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
24One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
1Munthu wokonda kukhala yekha amafunafuna zomukomera yekha;
iye amatsutsana ndi malangizo onse anzeru.
2Chitsiru chilibe chidwi chomvetsa zinthu,
koma chimakondwera ndi kuyankhula maganizo ake okha.
3Kuyipa mtima kukabwera, manyozonso amabwera.
Manyazi amabwera pamodzi ndi kunyozeka.
4Mawu a munthu ali ngati madzi akuya,
kasupe wa nzeru ndiye mtsinje wotumphuka.
5Si kwabwino kukondera munthu woyipa pa milandu;
kapena kupondereza munthu wosalakwa.
6Mawu a chitsiru amautsa mkangano;
pakamwa pake pamayitana mkwapulo.
7Pakamwa pa chitsiru ndipo pamabweretsa chiwonongeko chake,
ndipo milomo yake ili ngati msampha wa moyo wake.
8Mawu a miseche ali ngati chakudya chokoma;
amalowa mʼmimba mwa munthu.
9Munthu waulesi pa ntchito yake
ali pachibale ndi munthu amene amawononga zinthu.
10Dzina la Yehova lili ngati nsanja yolimba;
wolungama amathawiramo napulumuka.
11Chuma cha anthu olemera chili ngati mzinda wake wolimba;
chili ngati khoma lalitali limene amaganiza kuti limutchinjiriza.
12Chiwonongeko chisanafike, mtima wa munthu umakhala wonyada,
koma ulemu umatsatira kudzichepetsa.
13Ukayankha usanamvetse bwino nkhani,
umenewo ndi uchitsiru ndipo umachita manyazi.
14Mtima wa munthu utha kupirira pa matenda,
koma munthu akataya mtima ndani angathe kumulimbitsanso.
15Munthu wanzeru amawonjezera nzeru zina;
amafunafuna kudziwa bwino zinthu.
16Mphatso ya munthu imamutsekulira njira
yomufikitsa pamaso pa anthu akuluakulu.
17Amene amayamba kufotokoza mlandu wake amaoneka ngati wolungama ndiye
mpaka mnzake atabwera ndi kumufunsa bwino.
18Kuchita maere kumathetsa mikangano;
amalekanitsa okangana amphamvu.
19Mʼbale amene wamuthandiza amakhala ngati mzinda wolimba,
koma kukangana naye kumatsekereza thandizo.
20Munthu amapeza bwino malingana ndi zoyankhula zake.
Adzakhuta ndi zipatso za pakamwa pake.
21Mawu ako angathe kukuphetsa kapena kukukhalitsa moyo.
Wokonda kuyankhulayankhula adzadya zipatso zake.
22Wapeza mkazi wapeza chinthu chabwino
ndipo Yehova amamukomera mtima.
23Munthu wosauka amapempha
koma munthu wolemera amayankha mwaukali.
24Pali abwenzi amene chibwenzi chawo nʼchapamaso,
koma pali bwenzi limene limakukangamira kuposa mʼbale wako.
