Proverbs 30
1 The words of Gatherer the son of Vomiter. The vision which the man spoke with whom God is, and who being strengthened by God, abiding with him, said:
Amazwi ka-Aguri indodana kaJakhe, amazwi ahlakaniphileyo: Umuntu lo wathi ku-Ithiyeli: “Ngikhathele, Oh Nkulunkulu, kodwa ngizophumelela.
2 I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
Angilalwazi okudlula bonke abantu; angilakho ukuzwisisa komuntu.
3 I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.
Angikufundanga ukuhlakanipha njalo kangilalwazi ngaye oNgcwele.
4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?
Ngubani oseke waya ezulwini waphinda wehla na? Ngubani oseke wafumbatha umoya ngesandla sakhe na? Ngubani oseke wagoqela amanzi ngesigqoko sakhe na? Ngubani omise yonke imikhawulo yomhlaba na? Lingubani ibizo lakhe, lebizo lendodana yakhe? Ngitshela nxa usazi!
5 Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
Wonke amazwi kaNkulunkulu akalamposiso; uyisihlangu kulabo abacatsha kuye.
6 Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:
Ungengezeleli emazwini akhe, funa akukhuze akwenze umqambimanga.
7 Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.
Zimbili izinto engizicela kuwe, Oh Thixo; ungangincitshi zona ngingakafi:
8 Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:
Susa kimi inkohliso lamanga; ungangiphi ubuyanga loba inotho, kodwa ungiphe kuphela ukudla kwami kwansukuzonke.
9 Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear the name of my God.
Phela ngingaba lokunengi kakhulu ngikuphike wena ngithi, ‘Ungubani uThixo?’ loba ngibengumyanga ngintshontshe; ngalokho ngiliyangise ibizo likaNkulunkulu wami.
10 Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
Ungahlebi inceku enkosini yayo, ngoba izakuqalekisa ungene enkathazweni.
11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
Bakhona abathuka oyise, abangababusisiyo onina;
12 A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
labo abazibona belungile ikanti kabahlambululwanga emanyaleni abo;
13 A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
labo abamehlo abo ahlezi egcwele ulaka, abakhangela ngokudelela;
14 A generation, that for teeth hath swords, and grindeth with their jaw teeth, to devour the needy from off the earth, and the poor from among men.
labo omazinyo abo zinkemba, omihlathi yabo inanyathiselwe izingqamu ukuze baginye abayanga baphele emhlabeni, labaswelayo abaphakathi kwabantu.
15 The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is enough.
Umkhaza ulamadodakazi amabili; ayamemeza athi, ‘Siphe! Siphe!’ Zintathu izinto ezingasuthiyo, zine ezingakaze zithi, ‘Sekwanele!’:
16 Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough. (Sheol h7585)
lingcwaba yisisu senyumba, lomhlabathi ongasuthiyo amanzi, lomlilo ongezukufa wathi, ‘Sekwanele!’ (Sheol h7585)
17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the labour of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles eat it.
Ilihlo elihleka uyise, elidelela ukulalela unina, lizakotsholwa ngamawabayi asesigodini, lizadliwa ngamanqe.
18 Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
Kukhona izinto ezintathu ezingimangalisayo kakhulu, ezine engingazizwisisiyo:
19 The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man in youth.
indlela yengqungqulu emkhathini, umzila wenyoka edwaleni, indlela yomkhumbi olwandle, lendlela yejaha lentombi.
20 Such is also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.
Le yindlela yesiphingikazi: siyadla sesule umlomo waso besesisithi, ‘Angenzanga lutho olubi.’
21 By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:
Zintathu izinto ezizamazamisa umhlaba, zine ongeke uzithwale:
22 By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
yinceku ebayinkosi, yisiwula esisuthiyo,
23 By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
ngumfazi owendileyo ongathandwayo, lencekukazi ethathela inkosikazi indoda.
24 There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
Kukhona emhlabeni izinto ezine ezincinyane, ikanti-ke zihlakaniphile kakhulu:
25 The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
Ubunyonyo kabulamandla anganani, kodwa buyabuthelela ukudla kwabo ehlobo;
26 The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
lezimbila ziyizidalwa ezilamandla angatsho lutho, kodwa zenza izikhundla zazo ezingoxweni zamadwala;
27 The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.
izintethe kazilankosi, kodwa zihamba ziludibi olwesabekayo;
28 The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.
umbankwa ungabanjwa ngesandla, kodwa ungena lasezigodlweni zamakhosi.
29 There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
Kulezinto ezintathu ezihamba zinqekuza kamnandi, zine ezihamba zibeka kamnandi:
30 A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
yisilwane, esilamandla esabekayo phakathi kwezilo, esingabalekeli lutho;
31 A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.
liqhude eliditshazelayo, yimpongo, njalo lenkosi nxa ihanqwe libutho layo.
32 There is that hath appeared a fool after he was lifted up on high: for if he had understood, he would have laid his hand upon his mouth.
Nxa ube yisithutha waziphakamisa, kumbe nxa wakhe amacebo okwenza okubi, vala umlomo wakho ngesandla sakho.
33 And he that strongly squeezeth the papa to bring out milk, straineth out butter: and he that violently bloweth his nose, bringeth out blood: and he that provoketh wrath bringeth forth strife.
Ngoba njengokuphehla uchago kudala iphehla, lanjengoba ukugubha amakhala kubanga umungula, kunjalo ukuvusa ulaka kudala ingxabano.”
