Proverbs 2
1 My son, if thou will receive my words, and lay up my commandments with thee,
Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,
2 so as to incline thine ear to wisdom, and apply thy heart to understanding,
ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,
3 yea, if thou cry after discernment, and lift up thy voice for understanding,
yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,
4 if thou seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures,
uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,
5 then thou shall understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God.
khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.
6 For Jehovah gives wisdom. Out of his mouth is knowledge and understanding.
Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.
7 He lays up sound wisdom for the upright, a shield to those who walk in integrity,
Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,
8 that he may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of his sanctified.
ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.
9 Then thou shall understand righteousness and justice and equity, yea, every good path.
Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.
10 For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to thy soul,
Lapho inhlakanipho izangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho;
11 discretion shall watch over thee, understanding shall keep thee,
ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;
12 to deliver thee from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things,
ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,
abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;
14 who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil,
abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;
15 who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths,
abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;
16 to deliver thee from the interloping woman, even from the stranger who flatters with her words,
ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;
17 who forsakes the companion of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God
otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;
18 (for her house inclines to death, and her paths to the dead;
ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.
19 none who go to her return again, nor do they attain to the paths of life),
Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.
20 that thou may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.
kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.
