Mwanangu, kama ukiyakubali maneno yangu, Na kuyaweka akiba maagizo yangu;
My son, if you will receive my words, And store up my commandments within you;
Hata ukatega sikio lako kusikia hekima, Ukauelekeza moyo wako upate kufahamu;
So as to turn your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;
Naam, ukiita busara, Na kupaza sauti yako upate ufahamu;
Yes, if you call out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding;
Ukiutafuta kama fedha, Na kuutafutia kama hazina iliyositirika;
If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures:
Ndipo utakapofahamu kumcha Bwana, Na kupata kumjua Mungu.
Then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, And find the knowledge of God.
Kwa kuwa Bwana huwapa watu hekima; Kinywani mwake hutoka maarifa na ufahamu;
For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
Huwawekea wanyofu akiba ya hekima kamili; Yeye ni ngao kwao waendao kwa ukamilifu;
He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;
Apate kuyalinda mapito ya hukumu, Na kuhifadhi njia ya watakatifu wake.
That he may guard the paths of justice, And preserve the way of his saints.
Ndipo utakapofahamu haki na hukumu, Na adili, na kila njia njema.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.
Maana hekima itaingia moyoni mwako, Na maarifa yatakupendeza nafsi yako;
For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Busara itakulinda; Ufahamu utakuhifadhi.
Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,
Ili kukuokoa na njia ya uovu, Na watu wanenao yaliyopotoka;
To deliver you from the way of evil, From the men who speak perverse things;
Watu waziachao njia za unyofu, Ili kuziendea njia za giza;
Who forsake the paths of uprightness, To walk in the ways of darkness;
Wafurahio kutenda mabaya; Wapendezwao na upotoe wa waovu;
Who rejoice to do evil, And delight in the perverseness of evil;
Waliopotoka katika njia zao; Walio wakaidi katika mapito yao.
Who are crooked in their ways, And wayward in their paths:
Ili kuokoka na malaya, Naam, malaya mwenye kubembeleza kwa maneno yake;
To deliver you from the strange woman, Even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;
Amwachaye rafiki wa ujana wake, Na kulisahau agano la Mungu wake.
Who forsakes the friend of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God:
Maana nyumba yake inaelekea mauti, Na mapito yake yanakwenda kwenye wafu.
For her house leads down to death, Her paths to the dead.
Katika hao wamwendeao harudi hata mmoja, Wala hawazifikilii njia za uzima.
None who go to her return again, Neither do they attain to the paths of life:
Ili upate kwenda katika njia ya watu wema, Na kuyashika mapito ya wenye haki.
That you may walk in the way of good men, And keep the paths of the righteous.
Maana wanyofu watakaa katika nchi, Na wakamilifu watadumu ndani yake.
For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.
Bali waovu watatengwa na nchi, Nao wafanyao hila watang'olewa.
But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.