1 My son, attend unto my wisdom,
And bow thine ear to my understanding:
Mwanangu, sikiliza hekima yangu; Tega sikio lako, mzisikie akili zangu;
2 That thou mayest regard discretion,
And that thy lips may keep knowledge.
Upate kuilinda busara, Na midomo yako iyahifadhi maarifa.
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb,
And her mouth is smoother than oil:
Maana midomo ya malaya hudondoza asali, Na kinywa chake ni laini kuliko mafuta;
4 But her end is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a twoedged sword.
Lakini mwisho wake ni mchungu kuliko pakanga; Ni mkali kama upanga wa makali kuwili.
5 Her feet go down to death;
Her steps take hold on hell.
Miguu yake inatelemkia mauti; Hatua zake zinashikamana na kuzimu;
6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life,
Her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them .
Hata asiweze kuiona njia sawa ya uzima; Njia zake ni za kutanga-tanga wala hana habari.
7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children,
And depart not from the words of my mouth.
Basi, wanangu, nisikilizeni sasa, Wala msiache maneno ya kinywa changu.
8 Remove thy way far from her,
And come not nigh the door of her house:
Itenge njia yako mbali naye, Wala usiukaribie mlango wa nyumba yake.
9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others,
And thy years unto the cruel:
Usije ukawapa wengine heshima yako, Na wakorofi miaka yako;
10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth;
And thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
Wageni wasije wakashiba nguvu zako; Kazi zako zikawa ndani ya nyumba ya mgeni;
11 And thou mourn at the last,
When thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
Nawe ukaziombolea siku zako za mwisho, Nyama yako na mwili wako utakapoangamia;
12 And say, How have I hated instruction,
And my heart despised reproof;
Ukasema, Jinsi nilivyochukia maonyo, Na moyo wangu ukadharau kukemewa;
13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
Wala sikuisikia sauti ya waalimu wangu, Wala sikuwategea sikio langu walionifundisha!
14 I was almost in all evil
In the midst of the congregation and assembly.
Nalikuwa karibu na kuingia katika maovu yote, Katikati ya mkutano na kusanyiko.
15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern,
And running waters out of thine own well.
Unywe maji ya birika lako mwenyewe, Na maji yenye kububujika katika kisima chako.
16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad,
And rivers of waters in the streets.
Je! Chemchemi zako zitawanyike mbali, Na mito ya maji katika njia kuu?
17 Let them be only thine own,
And not strangers' with thee.
Yawe yako mwenyewe peke yako, Wala si ya wageni pamoja nawe.
18 Let thy fountain be blessed:
And rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Chemchemi yako ibarikiwe; Nawe umfurahie mke wa ujana wako.
19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe;
Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times;
And be thou ravished always with her love.
Ni ayala apendaye na paa apendezaye; Maziwa yake yakutoshe sikuzote; Na kwa upendo wake ushangilie daima.
20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman,
And embrace the bosom of a stranger?
Mwanangu! Mbona unashangilia malaya, Na kukikumbatia kifua cha mgeni?
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD,
And he pondereth all his goings.
Kwa maana njia za mwanadamu zi mbele za macho ya Bwana, Na mienendo yake yote huitafakari.
22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself,
And he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Maovu yake yeye yatampata mdhalimu, Naye atashikwa kwa kamba za dhambi zake.
23 He shall die without instruction;
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Atakufa huyo kwa kukosa maonyo, Naye atapotea kwa wingi wa ujinga wake.
