Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well who is before thee;
Nxa uhlala phansi usidla lombusi, nanzelela ukuthi kuyini okuphambi kwakho,
2 and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
ungazifaki ingqamu entanyeni nxa uhugwa yibuhwaba.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food.
Ungahawukeli izibiliboco zakhe ngoba lokho kudla kuyakhohlisa.
4 Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from thine own intelligence:
Ungazihlukuluzi uzigugise ngomsebenzi uzama inotho; hlakanipha wazi ukuzikhuza.
5 wilt thou set thine eyes upon it, it is gone; for indeed it maketh itself wings and it flieth away as an eagle towards the heavens.
Ungayibona manje inotho, masinyane isinyamalele, ngoba ngempela izamila impiko iphaphele emkhathini njengengqungqulu.
6 Eat thou not the food of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties.
Ungakudli ukudla komuntu oncitshanayo, ungazihawukeli izibiliboco zakhe;
7 For as he thinketh in his soul, so is he. Eat and drink! will he say unto thee; but his heart is not with thee.
ngoba yena uhlezi ebalisa ngendleko. Angathi kuwe, “Dlana unathe,” kodwa kungasuki enhliziyweni yakhe.
8 Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou vomit up, and thou wilt have wasted thy sweet words.
Uzakuhlanza okuncane lokho okudlileyo ube udlalise amazwi akho okubonga.
9 Speak not in the ears of a foolish [man], for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Ungakhulumi lesithutha ngoba sizakweyisa inhlakanipho yamazwi akho.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
Ungasusi ilitshe lakudala elomngcele loba uzithathele amasimu ezintandane,
11 for their redeemer is mighty; he will plead their cause against thee.
ngoba uMhlengi wazo ulamandla; uzakuba ngumeli wazo aphikisane lawe.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Nikela inhliziyo yakho ekufundisweni lezindlebe zakho emazwini olwazi.
13 Withhold not correction from the child; for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die:
Ungayekeli ukumlaya umntwana; ukumtshaya ngoswazi akuyikumbulala.
Mjezise ngoswazi ukuze uphephise umphefumulo wakhe ekufeni. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine;
Ndodana yami, aluba inhliziyo yakho ihlakaniphile, inhliziyo yami layo izathokoza;
16 and my reins shall exult, when thy lips speak right things.
ingaphakathi yami izajabula lapho izindebe zakho zikhuluma okulungileyo.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day;
Inhliziyo yakho mayingahawukeli izoni, kodwa hlala utshisekela ukwesaba uThixo.
18 for surely there is a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Ngeqiniso lihle ikusasa lakho, lethemba lakho kaliyikucitshwa.
19 Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct thy heart in the way.
Lalela, ndodana yami, uhlakaniphe, ubeke inhliziyo yakho endleleni elungileyo.
20 Be not among winebibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh.
Ungahlangani leziminzi zewayini labazitika ngenyama,
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth with rags.
ngoba izidakwa lezihwaba ziba ngabayanga, ukuwozela kwazo kuzembese amadabudabu.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Lalela uyihlo owakuletha emhlabeni, njalo ungeyisi unyoko nxa eseluphele.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and intelligence.
Thenga iqiniso ungalithengisi; zuza ukuhlakanipha lokuzikhuza lokuzwisisa.
24 The father of a righteous [man] shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise [son] shall have joy of him:
Uyise womuntu olungileyo uyathokoza kakhulu; lowo olendodana ehlakaniphileyo uyathokoza ngayo.
25 let thy father and thy mother have joy, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
Sengathi uyihlo lonyoko bangathokoza; sengathi lowo owakuzalayo angajabula!
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Ndodana yami, ngipha inhliziyo yakho, amehlo akho ahlale ezindleleni zami,
27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
ngoba isifebe singumgodi otshonayo lomfazi olibele lendlela ungumthombo oyingozi.
28 She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.
Uyacathamela njengesigebenga, andise amadoda angathembekanga.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes?
Ngubani ohlaba umkhosi? Ngubani olosizi na? Ngubani otshingayo? Ngubani olensolo na? Ngubani omahluzuhluzu ngeze? Ngubani omehlo abomvu gebhu na?
30 — They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
Yilabo abalibala ngewayini, abahamba bedinga inzwisa yewayini elidibanisiweyo.
31 Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkleth in the cup, and goeth down smoothly:
Ungahugwa liwayini ulibona libomvu, nxa likhazimula enkomitshini, lapho lisehla kamnandi!
32 at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Ekucineni liluma njengenyoka libe lobuhlungu obubulalayo njengenhlangwana.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall speak froward things;
Amehlo akho azabona izinto ezingaqedakaliyo lengqondo yakho icabange izinto ezididayo.
34 and thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, and as he that lieth down upon the top of a mast:
Uzakuba njengomuntu ondendayo phakathi kolwandle, olele esiqongweni sensika yomkhumbi.
35 — “They have smitten me, [and] I am not sore; they have beaten me, [and] I knew it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
Uzakuthi, “Bangitshayile kodwa kangilimalanga! Bangibethile kodwa kakubuhlungu! Ngizavuka nini bo ngiyodinga obunye utshwala?”
