1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words,
And hide my commandments with thee;
Mwanangu, kama ukiyakubali maneno yangu, Na kuyaweka akiba maagizo yangu;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom,
And apply thine heart to understanding;
Hata ukatega sikio lako kusikia hekima, Ukauelekeza moyo wako upate kufahamu;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge,
And liftest up thy voice for understanding;
Naam, ukiita busara, Na kupaza sauti yako upate ufahamu;
4 If thou seekest her as silver,
And searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Ukiutafuta kama fedha, Na kuutafutia kama hazina iliyositirika;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD,
And find the knowledge of God.
Ndipo utakapofahamu kumcha Bwana, Na kupata kumjua Mungu.
6 For the LORD giveth wisdom:
Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
Kwa kuwa Bwana huwapa watu hekima; Kinywani mwake hutoka maarifa na ufahamu;
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous:
He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
Huwawekea wanyofu akiba ya hekima kamili; Yeye ni ngao kwao waendao kwa ukamilifu;
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment,
And preserveth the way of his saints.
Apate kuyalinda mapito ya hukumu, Na kuhifadhi njia ya watakatifu wake.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment,
And equity; yea , every good path.
Ndipo utakapofahamu haki na hukumu, Na adili, na kila njia njema.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart,
And knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
Maana hekima itaingia moyoni mwako, Na maarifa yatakupendeza nafsi yako;
11 Discretion shall preserve thee,
Understanding shall keep thee:
Busara itakulinda; Ufahamu utakuhifadhi.
12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man ,
From the man that speaketh froward things;
Ili kukuokoa na njia ya uovu, Na watu wanenao yaliyopotoka;
13 Who leave the paths of uprightness,
To walk in the ways of darkness;
Watu waziachao njia za unyofu, Ili kuziendea njia za giza;
14 Who rejoice to do evil,
And delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
Wafurahio kutenda mabaya; Wapendezwao na upotoe wa waovu;
15 Whose ways are crooked,
And they froward in their paths:
Waliopotoka katika njia zao; Walio wakaidi katika mapito yao.
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman,
Even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
Ili kuokoka na malaya, Naam, malaya mwenye kubembeleza kwa maneno yake;
17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth,
And forgetteth the covenant of her God.
Amwachaye rafiki wa ujana wake, Na kulisahau agano la Mungu wake.
18 For her house inclineth unto death,
And her paths unto the dead.
Maana nyumba yake inaelekea mauti, Na mapito yake yanakwenda kwenye wafu.
19 None that go unto her return again,
Neither take they hold of the paths of life.
Katika hao wamwendeao harudi hata mmoja, Wala hawazifikilii njia za uzima.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men ,
And keep the paths of the righteous.
Ili upate kwenda katika njia ya watu wema, Na kuyashika mapito ya wenye haki.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land,
And the perfect shall remain in it.
Maana wanyofu watakaa katika nchi, Na wakamilifu watadumu ndani yake.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth,
And the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
Bali waovu watatengwa na nchi, Nao wafanyao hila watang'olewa.
