Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.
Ndodana yami, gcina amazwi ami, uzibekele imilayo yami.
2 Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.
Gcina imilayo yami, uphile, lomthetho wami njengenhlamvu yamehlo akho.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
Ukubophele eminweni yakho, kubhale esibhebheni senhliziyo yakho.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding [thy] kinswoman:
Uthi kunhlakanipho: Ungudadewethu; ubize ukuqedisisa ngokuthi yisihlobo sakho;
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.
ukuze kukugcine kumfazi wemzini, kowesifazana wemzini oyengayo ngamazwi akhe.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
Ngoba ewindini lendlu yami, ngeminxibo yewindi ngalunguza phandle,
7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,
ngasengibona phakathi kwabangelalwazi, ngananzelela phakathi kwabatsha ijaha eliswele ingqondo,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,
lisedlula esitaladeni eceleni kwengonsi yakhe, linyathela endleleni yendlu yakhe,
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
kusihlwa, ngentambama yosuku, ebusuku obumnyama, lomnyama.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
Khangela-ke, owesifazana walihlangabeza, lesembatho sewule, elobuqili ngenhliziyo.
11 (She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:
Lo wayelomsindo, eyisiqholo; inyawo zakhe kazihlali endlini yakhe.
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.)
Khathesi uphandle, abesesiba ezitaladeni, ecathama kuyo yonke ingonsi.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, [And] with an impudent face she said unto him:
Ngokunjalo walibamba, walanga, waqinisa ubuso bakhe, wathi kulo:
14 Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.
Imihlatshelo yeminikelo yokuthula ikimi; lamuhla sengibhadele izifungo zami.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
Ngakho-ke ngiphumile ukukuhlangabeza, ngidingisise ubuso bakho; ngikutholile.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
Ngendlele umbheda wami ngezendlalo, ngamalembu acolekileyo kakhulu alemibalabala avela eGibhithe.
17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Ngifafazile umbheda wami ngemure, izinhlaba, lekinamoni.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.
Woza, sizidakise ngothando kuze kuse, sizithokozise ngothando olukhulu.
19 For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:
Ngoba indoda kayikho endlini yayo, ihambile uhambo khatshana.
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
Ithethe isaka lemali esandleni sayo; ngosuku lwenyanga egcweleyo izakuza endlini yayo.
21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
Walihuga ngobunengi bemfundiso yakhe, walivumisa ngenkulumo zakhe ezincengayo.
22 He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as [one in] fetters to the correction of the fool;
Lahle lamlandela njengenkabi isiya ekuhlatshweni, lanjengesiphukuphuku sisiya ekujezisweni esongweni lenqagala;
23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.
uze umtshoko uhlabe isibindi salo, njengenyoni iphangisela esifwini, ingazi ukuthi simelene lempilo yayo.
24 Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.
Khathesi-ke, bantwana, ngizweni, lilalele amazwi omlomo wami.
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.
Inhliziyo yakho kayingaphambukeli endleleni zakhe; ungaduhi emikhondweni yakhe.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
Ngoba ubawisele phansi abanengi abalimeleyo, labo bonke ababuleweyo bakhe banengi.
