Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;
Zwanini, madodana ami, izeluleko zikayihlo; lalelani lizuze ukuqedisisa.
2 for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.
Ngilipha izifundo ezipheleleyo; ngakho lingalahli imfundiso yami.
3 For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
Ngathi ngisengumfana emzini kababa, ngisebuthakathaka, ngiyimi ngedwa ingane kamama,
4 And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.
wangifundisa ubaba wathi, “Abambe amazwi ami ngenhliziyo yakho yonke; gcina imilayo yami ukuze uphile.
5 Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Zuza ukuhlakanipha, zuza ukuqedisisa; ungawakhohlwa amazwi ami, kumbe ugudluke kuwo.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.
Ungafulatheli ukuhlakanipha, kuzakuvikela; kuthande, kuzakulinda.
7 The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.
Ukuhlakanipha kuyinqaba; ngakho zuza ukuhlakanipha. Zuza ukuqedisisa loba kungathatha konke olakho.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.
Kugogose, kuzakuphakamisa; kugone, kuzakunika udumo.
9 She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.
Kuzakwethesa umqhele wamaluba omusa ekhanda lakho kukwethese umqhele wenkazimulo.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.
Zwana mntanami, yamukela lokho engikutshoyo, ukuze insuku zokuphila kwakho zibe zinengi.
11 I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.
Ngiyakukhokhela endleleni yokuhlakanipha, ngikuqondise ezindleleni eziqondileyo.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Nxa uhamba kawuyikuthikaza; nxa ugijima kawuyikukhubeka.
13 Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life.
Bambelela iziqondiso, ungayekethisi; zigcine kuhle ngoba ziyikuphila kwakho.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:
Ungayingeni indlela yababi njalo ungahambi endleleni yezigangi.
15 avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.
Ixwaye, ungahambi ngayo; itshiye uqhubeke ngeyakho indlela.
16 For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.
Phela kabalali bengenzanga ukuganga; badela ubuthongo ukuze baqale balimaze omunye umuntu.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Badla isinkwa sobubi banathe iwayini lobudlwangudlwangu.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.
Indlela yabalungileyo injengovivi lokusa, kukhule ukukhanya kwalo kuze kuphelele emini.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
Kodwa indlela yababi ifana lomnyama omkhulu; kabazi ukuthi kuyini okubakhubayo.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Ndodana yami, zwana lokhu engikutshoyo; lalelisisa amazwi ami.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
Ungawasusi emehlweni akho, agcine enhliziyweni yakho;
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
ngoba ayikuphila kulabo abawafumanayo; lokuqina komzimba wonke womuntu.
23 Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.
Phezu kwakho konke, gcina inhliziyo yakho, ngoba ingumthombo wokuphila kwakho.
24 Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
Lahla izibozi zamazwi emlonyeni wakho; ungakhuphi inkulumo yokuxhwala ezindebeni zakho.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Khangelisa amehlo akho nta phambili, uwathi nhlo amehlo akho kulokho okuphambi kwakho.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.
Lungisa izindlela ukuze inyawo zakho zinyathele kuhle, uhambe ngezindlela eziqinileyo kuphela.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
Ungaphambukeli kwesokunene loba kwesokhohlo; ugcine unyawo lwakho lunganyatheli okubi.
