Proverbs 1
1 The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
Izaga zikaSolomoni, indodana kaDavida, inkosi yakoIsrayeli;
2 To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
ukwazi inhlakanipho lokulaywa, ukuqedisisa amazwi okuqedisisa,
3 To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
ukwemukela ukulaya kwenhlakanipho, ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda;
4 To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
ukunika abangelalwazi inhlakanipho, ijaha ulwazi lengqondo.
5 (The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided: )
Ohlakaniphileyo uzakuzwa, andise ukufunda, loqedisisayo uzazuza izeluleko,
6 To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
ukuqedisisa isaga lomzekeliso, amazwi abahlakaniphileyo, lamalibho abo.
7 The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
Ukwesaba iNkosi kuyikuqala kolwazi; izithutha ziyadelela inhlakanipho lokulaywa.
8 My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
Ndodana yami, zwana ukulaya kukayihlo, ungawudeli umlayo kanyoko;
9 For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
ngoba kuzakuba ngumqhele womusa ekhanda lakho, lemigaxo entanyeni yakho.
10 My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
Ndodana yami, uba izoni zikuhuga, ungavumi.
11 If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
Uba zisithi: Hamba lathi, siyecathamela igazi, sicatshele ongelacala kungelasizatho;
12 Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; (Sheol h7585)
sibaginye bephila njengengcwaba, yebo, ngokupheleleyo, njengabehlela egodini. (Sheol h7585)
13 Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
Sizathola yonke impahla eligugu, sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango.
14 Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
Phosela inkatho yakho phakathi kwethu; sonke sibe lesikhwama semali sinye.
15 My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
Ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo endleleni; unqande unyawo lwakho emkhondweni wazo.
16 For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
Ngoba inyawo zazo zigijimela ebubini, ziphangisa ukuchitha igazi.
17 Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
Isibili, imbule lendlalelwa ize phambi kwamehlo aloba yiyiphi inyoni.
18 And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
Lalaba bacathamela igazi labo, bacatshele imiphefumulo yabo.
19 Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
Zinjalo indlela zakhe wonke ozuza inzuzo ngokuphanga; ithatha impilo yabaniniyo.
20 Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
UkuHlakanipha kuyamemeza ngaphandle, kukhupha ilizwi lakho emidangeni.
21 Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
Kuyamemeza endaweni eqakathekileyo yokuxokozela, ekungeneni kwamasango; emzini kutsho amazwi akho,
22 How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
kusithi: Koze kube nini, lina elingelalwazi, lithanda ukungabi lalwazi, labaklolodayo bezifisela ukukloloda, leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi?
23 Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
Phendukelani ekukhuzeni kwami; khangelani, ngizathululela umoya wami kini, ngilazise amazwi ami.
24 Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
Ngoba ngibizile, kodwa lala; ngelulile isandla sami, kodwa kakho onanzayo;
25 You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
ladelela sonke iseluleko sami, kalivumanga ukukhuza kwami;
26 So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
mina-ke ngizahleka ukuchitheka kwenu, ngiklolode ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu,
27 When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu njengesiphepho, lokuchitheka kwenu kufika njengesivunguzane, lapho ubuhlungu losizi kulehlela.
28 Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
Khona bazangibiza, kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidingisisa, kodwa kabayikungithola.
29 For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
Ngenxa yokuthi babezonda ulwazi, bengakhethanga ukwesaba iNkosi.
30 They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
Kabavumanga iseluleko sami, bedelela konke ukukhuza kwami.
31 So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
Ngakho bazakudla okwesithelo sendlela yabo, basuthiswe ngamacebo abo.
32 For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
Ngoba ukuhlehla kwabangelalwazi kuzababulala, lokonwaba kweziphukuphuku kuzababhubhisa.
33 But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
Kodwa ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile, onwabe ekwesabeni okubi.
