Moral Benefits of Wisdom
1My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.
12Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
14who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.
16Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.2:17 Or covenant of her God
18Surely her house leads down to death
and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19None who go to her return
or attain the paths of life.
20Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21For the upright will live in the land,
and the blameless will remain in it;
22but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
Ubwino Wanzeru
1Mwana wanga, ngati ulandira mawu anga
ndi kusunga malamulo anga mu mtima mwako,
2ndiponso kutchera khutu lako ku nzeru
ndi kuyikapo mtima pa kumvetsa zinthu;
3ngati upempha kuti uzindikire zinthu
inde kupempha ndi mtima wonse kuti ukhale womvetsa zinthu,
4ngati ufunafuna nzeruyo ngati siliva
ndi kuyisakasaka ngati chuma chobisika,
5ndiye udzamvetsa bwino tanthauzo la kuopa Yehova;
ndipo udzapezanso tanthauzo la kumudziwa Yehova.
6Pakuti Yehova ndiye amapereka nzeru,
ndipo mʼkamwa mwake mumachokera chidziwitso ndi kumvetsa zinthu.
7Anthu olungama zinthu zimawayendera bwino chifukwa Yehova amakhala nawo.
Paja Yehova ndiye chishango cha amene amayenda mwangwiro,
8pakuti ndiye mlonda wa njira zolungama.
Iye amasamala mayendedwe a anthu ake okhulupirika.
9Choncho udzamvetsa tanthauzo la ungwiro, chilungamo,
kusakondera ndi njira iliyonse yabwino.
10Pakuti nzeru idzalowa mu mtima mwako,
kudziwa zinthu kudzakusangalatsa.
11Kuganizira bwino za mʼtsogolo kudzakusunga;
kumvetsa zinthu bwino kudzakuteteza.
12Nzeru idzakupulumutsa ku mayendedwe oyipa,
kwa anthu amabodza,
13amene amasiya njira zolungama
namayenda mʼnjira zamdima,
14amene amakondwera pochita zoyipa
namasangalala ndi kuyipa kwa ntchito zawo zonyansa.
15Amenewa ndi anthu a njira zawo zokhotakhota,
ndipo makhalidwe awo ndi achinyengo.
16Nzeruyo idzakupulumutsanso kwa mkazi wachigololo;
kwa mkazi wachilendo woyankhula moshashalika,
17amene wasiya mwamuna wa chitsikana wake
ndi kuyiwala pangano limene anachita pamaso pa Mulungu wake.
18Pakuti nyumba yake imatsetserekera ku imfa;
njira zake zimamufikitsa ku manda.
19Opita kwa iye palibe ndi mmodzi yemwe amabwerera
kapena kupezanso njira zamoyo.
20Choncho iwe uziyenda mʼnjira za anthu abwino,
uzitsata njira za anthu ochita chilungamo.
21Pakuti anthu olungama ndiwo ati adzakhale mʼdziko
ndipo anthu angwiro ndiwo ati adzakhazikike mʼmenemo;
22Koma anthu oyipa adzachotsedwa mʼdzikomo,
ndipo anthu onyenga adzachotsedwamo.