Invitations of wisdom and folly
1Wisdom has built her house;
she has set up9:1 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew has hewn out its seven pillars.
2She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3She has sent out her servants, and she calls
from the highest point of the city,
4‘Let all who are simple come to my house!’
To those who have no sense she says,
5‘Come, eat my food
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of insight.’
7Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.
8Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;
rebuke the wise and they will love you.
9Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11For through wisdom9:11 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew me your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
12If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.
13Folly is an unruly woman;
she is simple and knows nothing.
14She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,
15calling out to those who pass by,
who go straight on their way,
16‘Let all who are simple come to my house!’
To those who have no sense she says,
17‘Stolen water is sweet;
food eaten in secret is delicious!’
18But little do they know that the dead are there,
that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.
Za Nzeru ndi Uchitsiru
1Nzeru inamanga nyumba yake;
inayimika nsanamira zake zisanu ndi ziwiri.
2Inapha ziweto zake ndipo yasakaniza vinyo wake;
inasakaniza vinyo wake ndi kuyala tebulo lake.
3Nzeruyo inatuma adzakazi ake,
kuti akakhale pamwamba penipeni pa mzinda ndi kukalengeza kuti,
4“Aliyense amene ali munthu wamba, abwere kuno!”
Kwa onse opanda nzeru inkanena kuti,
5“Bwerani, dzadyeni chakudya changa
ndipo dzamweni vinyo amene ndakonza.
6Lekani zopusa zanu kuti mukhale ndi moyo;
yendani njira ya nzeru yomvetsa zinthu.”
7Aliyense amene amayesa kukonza munthu wonyoza amadziputira minyozo;
aliyense amene amadzudzula munthu woyipa amadetsa mbiri yake.
8Usadzudzule munthu wonyoza kuti angadzadane nawe;
dzudzula munthu wanzeru ndipo adzakukonda.
9Ukalangiza munthu wanzeru ndiye adzapitirira kukhala wanzeru;
ukaphunzitsa munthu wolungama ndiye adzawonjezera kuphunzira kwake.
10Kuopa Yehova ndiye chiyambi cha nzeru;
kudziwa Woyerayo ndiko kukhala womvetsa bwino zinthu.
11Chifukwa cha ine nzeru, masiku ako adzachuluka,
ndipo zaka za moyo wako zidzawonjezeredwa.
12Ngati ndiwe wanzeru, nzeru yakoyo idzakupindulitsa;
ngati ndiwe wonyoza ena, udzavutika wekha.
13Uchitsiru ndi mkazi waphokoso,
wopulikira ndiponso wosadziwa zinthu.
14Iye amakhala pa mpando, pa khomo la nyumba yake,
pamalo aatali a mu mzinda,
15kuti aziyitana anthu ongodutsa,
amene akunka nayenda njira zawo.
16Amati, “Onse amene ndi anthu wamba abwere kuno,”
ndipo kwa wopanda nzeru amati,
17“Madzi akuba ndiye amatsekemera;
chakudya chodya mobisa ndi chokoma!”
18Koma amunawo sadziwa kuti akufa ali kale komweko,
ndi kuti alendo ake alowa kale mʼmanda akuya.
