Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well who is before thee;
Nxa uhlalela ukudla lesiphathamandla, qaphelisa lokuqaphelisa okuphambi kwakho.
2 and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Ubeke ingqamu emphinjeni wakho uba uyisiminzi.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food.
Ungafisi izibondlo zaso, ngoba ziyikudla kwamanga.
4 Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from thine own intelligence:
Ungatshikatshikeli ukunotha; pheza ekuqedisiseni kwakho.
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.
Uzandizisa yini amehlo akho kokungekho? Ngoba kuzazenzela lokuzenzela izimpiko njengokhozi oluphaphela emazulwini.
6 Eat thou not the food of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties.
Ungadli ukudla kolelihlo elibi, ungafisi izibondlo 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 njengoba ecabangile emphefumulweni wakhe, unjalo. Uzakuthi: Dlana unathe; kodwa inhliziyo yakhe kayilawe.
8 Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou vomit up, and thou wilt have wasted thy sweet words.
Ucezu oludlileyo uzaluhlanza, wone amazwi akho amnandi.
9 Speak not in the ears of a foolish [man], for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Ungakhulumi endlebeni zoyisithutha, ngoba uzadelela inhlakanipho yamazwi akho.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
Ungatshedisi isikhonkwane esidala somngcele; ungangeni emasimini ezintandane;
11 for their redeemer is mighty; he will plead their cause against thee.
ngoba uMhlengi wazo ulamandla; yena uzamela udaba lwazo kuwe.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Beka 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:
Ungagodleli umntwana isijeziso; nxa umtshaya ngoswazi kayikufa.
Wena uzamtshaya ngoswazi, ukhulule umphefumulo wakhe esihogweni. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine;
Ndodana yami, uba inhliziyo yakho ihlakanipha, inhliziyo yami izathokoza, yebo eyami;
16 and my reins shall exult, when thy lips speak right things.
lezinso zami zizajabula ekukhulumeni kwendebe zakho izinto eziqondileyo.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day;
Inhliziyo yakho kayingahawukeli izoni; kodwa bana ekwesabeni iNkosi lonke usuku.
18 for surely there is a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Ngoba isibili kukhona umvuzo, lomlindelo wakho kawuyikuqunywa.
19 Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct thy heart in the way.
Lalela wena, ndodana yami, uhlakaniphe, uqondise inhliziyo yakho endleleni.
20 Be not among winebibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh.
Ungabi phakathi kwabanathi bewayini, phakathi kwezihwaba zenyama.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth with rags.
Ngoba isidakwa lesihwaba sizakuba ngumyanga, lokuwozela kugqokisa amadabudabu.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Lalela uyihlo owakuzalayo, ungamdeleli unyoko esemdala.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and intelligence.
Thenga iqiniso, ungalithengisi; inhlakanipho, lemfundiso, lokuqedisisa.
24 The father of a righteous [man] shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise [son] shall have joy of him:
Uyise wolungileyo uzathaba lokuthaba; lozala ohlakaniphileyo uzathokoza ngaye.
25 let thy father and thy mother have joy, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
Uyihlo lonyoko kabathokoze, lokuzeleyo kathabe.
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Ndodana yami, ngiphe inhliziyo yakho, lamehlo akho kawananzelele indlela zami.
27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
Ngoba iwule lingumgodi otshonayo, lowesifazana owemzini ungumthombo ongumcingo.
28 She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.
Laye ucathama njengomphangi, andise abangathembekanga phakathi kwabantu.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes?
Ngubani olo: Maye? Ngubani olo: Wo? Ngubani olenkani? Ngubani olesililo? Ngubani olamanxeba ngeze? Ngubani olamehlo abomvu?
30 — They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
Yilabo abalibala ewayinini, yilabo abazedinga iwayini elixutshanisiweyo.
31 Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkleth in the cup, and goeth down smoothly:
Ungakhangeli iwayini, lapho lizibonakalisa libomvu, nxa linika umbala walo enkomitshini, lihamba liqondile.
32 at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Ekucineni kwalo liluma njengenyoka, lilume njengebululu.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall speak froward things;
Amehlo akho azabona abesifazana bemzini, lenhliziyo yakho ikhulume izinto eziphambeneyo.
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:
Yebo, uzakuba njengolala enhliziyweni yolwandle, lanjengolala esihlokweni 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.”
Bangitshayile, kangizwanga buhlungu; bangidutshuzile, kangikunanzanga. Ngizavuka nini? Ngiphinde ngilidinge futhi.
