Proverbs 1
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
Izaga zikaSolomoni, indodana kaDavida, inkosi yakoIsrayeli;
2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
ukwazi inhlakanipho lokulaywa, ukuqedisisa amazwi okuqedisisa,
3 to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness and judgment, and equity;
ukwemukela ukulaya kwenhlakanipho, ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda;
4 to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
ukunika abangelalwazi inhlakanipho, ijaha ulwazi lengqondo.
5 He that is wise will hear, and will increase learning; and the intelligent will gain wise counsels:
Ohlakaniphileyo uzakuzwa, andise ukufunda, loqedisisayo uzazuza izeluleko,
6 to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.
ukuqedisisa isaga lomzekeliso, amazwi abahlakaniphileyo, lamalibho abo.
7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Ukwesaba iNkosi kuyikuqala kolwazi; izithutha ziyadelela inhlakanipho lokulaywa.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
Ndodana yami, zwana ukulaya kukayihlo, ungawudeli umlayo kanyoko;
9 for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
ngoba kuzakuba ngumqhele womusa ekhanda lakho, lemigaxo entanyeni yakho.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not.
Ndodana yami, uba izoni zikuhuga, ungavumi.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
Uba zisithi: Hamba lathi, siyecathamela igazi, sicatshele ongelacala kungelasizatho;
12 let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
sibaginye bephila njengengcwaba, yebo, ngokupheleleyo, njengabehlela egodini. (Sheol h7585)
13 we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
Sizathola yonke impahla eligugu, sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango.
14 cast in thy lot among us; we will all have one purse:
Phosela inkatho yakho phakathi kwethu; sonke sibe lesikhwama semali sinye.
15 — my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path;
Ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo endleleni; unqande unyawo lwakho emkhondweni wazo.
16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
Ngoba inyawo zazo zigijimela ebubini, ziphangisa ukuchitha igazi.
17 For in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything which hath wings.
Isibili, imbule lendlalelwa ize phambi kwamehlo aloba yiyiphi inyoni.
18 And these lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.
Lalaba bacathamela igazi labo, bacatshele imiphefumulo yabo.
19 So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain: it taketh away the life of its possessors.
Zinjalo indlela zakhe wonke ozuza inzuzo ngokuphanga; ithatha impilo yabaniniyo.
20 Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways;
UkuHlakanipha kuyamemeza ngaphandle, kukhupha ilizwi lakho emidangeni.
21 she calleth in the chief [place] of concourse, in the entry of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words:
Kuyamemeza endaweni eqakathekileyo yokuxokozela, ekungeneni kwamasango; emzini kutsho amazwi akho,
22 How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness, and scorners take pleasure in their scorning, and the foolish hate knowledge?
kusithi: Koze kube nini, lina elingelalwazi, lithanda ukungabi lalwazi, labaklolodayo bezifisela ukukloloda, leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words.
Phendukelani ekukhuzeni kwami; khangelani, ngizathululela umoya wami kini, ngilazise amazwi ami.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;
Ngoba ngibizile, kodwa lala; ngelulile isandla sami, kodwa kakho onanzayo;
25 and ye have rejected all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
ladelela sonke iseluleko sami, kalivumanga ukukhuza kwami;
26 I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
mina-ke ngizahleka ukuchitheka kwenu, ngiklolode ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu,
27 when your fear cometh as sudden destruction, and your calamity cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you:
ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu njengesiphepho, lokuchitheka kwenu kufika njengesivunguzane, lapho ubuhlungu losizi kulehlela.
28 — then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, and shall not find me.
Khona bazangibiza, kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidingisisa, kodwa kabayikungithola.
29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah;
Ngenxa yokuthi babezonda ulwazi, bengakhethanga ukwesaba iNkosi.
30 they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof:
Kabavumanga iseluleko sami, bedelela konke ukukhuza kwami.
31 therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way, and be filled with their own devices.
Ngakho bazakudla okwesithelo sendlela yabo, basuthiswe ngamacebo abo.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall cause them to perish.
Ngoba ukuhlehla kwabangelalwazi kuzababulala, lokonwaba kweziphukuphuku kuzababhubhisa.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from fear of evil.
Kodwa ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile, onwabe ekwesabeni okubi.
