< Proverbs 2 >

1 My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,
Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,
2 so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] thou apply thy heart to understanding;
ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,
3 yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;
yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,
4 if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:
uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,
5 then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God.
khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.
6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.
Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [he] is a shield to them that walk in integrity;
Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,
8 guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.
ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.
Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.
10 When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,
Lapho inhlakanipho izangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho;
11 discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:
ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;
12 To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things;
ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;
13 [from those] who leave 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 frowardness of evil;
abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;
15 whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:
abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;
ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;
17 who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God;
otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;
18 — for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead;
ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.
19 none that go unto her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:
Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.
20 — that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, 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 unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.
kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.

< Proverbs 2 >