Proverbs 7
1 My son, guard my words and conceal my precepts within you.
Ndodana yami, gcina amazwi ami, uzibekele imilayo yami.
2 Son, preserve my commandments, and you shall live. And keep my law as the pupil of your eye.
Gcina imilayo yami, uphile, lomthetho wami njengenhlamvu yamehlo akho.
3 Bind it with your fingers; write it on the tablets of your heart.
Ukubophele eminweni yakho, kubhale esibhebheni senhliziyo yakho.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call prudence your friend.
Uthi kunhlakanipho: Ungudadewethu; ubize ukuqedisisa ngokuthi yisihlobo sakho;
5 So may she guard you from the woman who is an outsider, and from the stranger who sweetens her words.
ukuze kukugcine kumfazi wemzini, kowesifazana wemzini oyengayo ngamazwi akhe.
6 For I gaze from the window of my house, through the lattice,
Ngoba ewindini lendlu yami, ngeminxibo yewindi ngalunguza phandle,
7 and I see little ones. I consider a frenzied youth,
ngasengibona phakathi kwabangelalwazi, ngananzelela phakathi kwabatsha ijaha eliswele ingqondo,
8 who crosses the street at the corner and close to the way of that house.
lisedlula esitaladeni eceleni kwengonsi yakhe, linyathela endleleni yendlu yakhe,
9 He steps into shadows, as day becomes evening, into the darkness and gloom of the night.
kusihlwa, ngentambama yosuku, ebusuku obumnyama, lomnyama.
10 And behold, a woman meets him, dressed like a harlot, prepared to captivate souls: chattering and rambling,
Khangela-ke, owesifazana walihlangabeza, lesembatho sewule, elobuqili ngenhliziyo.
11 unwilling to bear silence, unable to keep her feet at home,
Lo wayelomsindo, eyisiqholo; inyawo zakhe kazihlali endlini yakhe.
12 now outside, now in the streets, now lying in ambush near the corners.
Khathesi uphandle, abesesiba ezitaladeni, ecathama kuyo yonke ingonsi.
13 And overtaking the youth, she kisses him, and with a provocative face, she flatters him, saying:
Ngokunjalo walibamba, walanga, waqinisa ubuso bakhe, wathi kulo:
14 “I vowed sacrifices for well-being. Today I have repaid my vows.
Imihlatshelo yeminikelo yokuthula ikimi; lamuhla sengibhadele izifungo zami.
15 Because of this, I have gone out to meet you, desiring to see you, and I have found you.
Ngakho-ke ngiphumile ukukuhlangabeza, ngidingisise ubuso bakho; ngikutholile.
16 I have woven my bed with cords. I have strewn it with embroidered tapestries from Egypt.
Ngendlele umbheda wami ngezendlalo, ngamalembu acolekileyo kakhulu alemibalabala avela eGibhithe.
17 I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloe, and cinnamon.
Ngifafazile umbheda wami ngemure, izinhlaba, lekinamoni.
18 Come, let us be inebriated in abundance, and let us delight in the embraces of desire, until the day begins to dawn.
Woza, sizidakise ngothando kuze kuse, sizithokozise ngothando olukhulu.
19 For my husband is not in his house. He has gone away on a very long journey.
Ngoba indoda kayikho endlini yayo, ihambile uhambo khatshana.
20 He took with him a bag of money. He will return to his house on the day of the full moon.”
Ithethe isaka lemali esandleni sayo; ngosuku lwenyanga egcweleyo izakuza endlini yayo.
21 She enmeshed him with many words, and she drew him forward with the flattery of her lips.
Walihuga ngobunengi bemfundiso yakhe, walivumisa ngenkulumo zakhe ezincengayo.
22 Immediately, he follows her, like an ox being led to the sacrifice, and like a lamb acting lasciviously, and not knowing that he is being drawn foolishly into chains,
Lahle lamlandela njengenkabi isiya ekuhlatshweni, lanjengesiphukuphuku sisiya ekujezisweni esongweni lenqagala;
23 until the arrow pierces his liver. It is just as if a bird were to hurry into the snare. And he does not know that his actions endanger his own soul.
uze umtshoko uhlabe isibindi salo, njengenyoni iphangisela esifwini, ingazi ukuthi simelene lempilo yayo.
24 Therefore, my son, hear me now, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Khathesi-ke, bantwana, ngizweni, lilalele amazwi omlomo wami.
25 Do not let your mind be pulled into her ways. And do not be deceived by her paths.
Inhliziyo yakho kayingaphambukeli endleleni zakhe; ungaduhi emikhondweni yakhe.
26 For she has tossed aside many wounded, and some of those who were very strong have been slain by her.
Ngoba ubawisele phansi abanengi abalimeleyo, labo bonke ababuleweyo bakhe banengi.
