Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.
Zwanini, bantwana, umlayo kayihlo, linanzelele ukuze lazi ukuqedisisa.
2 I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.
Ngoba ngilinika imfundiso enhle, lingawutshiyi umlayo wami.
3 For I also was my father’s son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:
Ngoba bengiyindodana kababa, ngithambile, ngingedwa phambi kukamama.
4 And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
Wasengifundisa wathi kimi: Inhliziyo yakho kayibambelele emazwini ami; gcina imilayo yami, uphile.
5 Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Zuza inhlakanipho, uzuze ukuqedisisa, ungakhohlwa; ungaphambuki emazwini omlomo wami.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.
Ungakutshiyi, njalo kuzakulondoloza; ukuthande, njalo kuzakulinda.
7 The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
Okokuqala yinhlakanipho; zuza inhlakanipho; langenzuzo yakho yonke uzuze ukuqedisisa.
8 Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.
Kukhulise, njalo kuzakuphakamisa; kuzakunika udumo nxa ukugona.
9 She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.
Kuzanika ikhanda lakho umqhele womusa; kuzakulethela umqhele wodumo.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.
Zwana, ndodana yami, wemukele amazwi ami, leminyaka yempilo izakuba minengi kuwe.
11 I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:
Ngikufundisile endleleni yenhlakanipho; ngikwenze wanyathela emikhondweni yobuqotho.
12 Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
Ekuhambeni kwakho inyathelo lakho kaliyikufinyezwa, njalo nxa ugijima kawuyikukhubeka.
13 Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.
Bambelela ekulayweni, ungakuyekeli; kugcine, ngoba kuyimpilo yakho.
14 Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
Ungangeni emkhondweni wabakhohlakeleyo, ungahambi endleleni yababi.
15 Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.
Iyekele, ungedluli ngayo, phambuka kuyo, wedlule.
16 For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.
Ngoba kabalali uba bengenzanga okubi; lobuthongo babo buyasuswa uba bengakhubekisanga muntu.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.
Ngoba badla isinkwa senkohlakalo, banathe iwayini lobudlwangudlwangu.
18 But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.
Kodwa indlela yabalungileyo injengokukhanya okukhanyayo, kuqhubeka kukhanya kuze kube semini enkulu.
19 The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
Indlela yababi injengomnyama; kabazi ukuthi bazakhutshwa yini.
20 My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.
Ndodana yami, lalela amazwi ami, ubeke indlebe yakho ekukhulumeni kwami.
21 Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:
Kakungaphunyuki emehlweni akho; ukugcine phakathi kwenhliziyo yakho.
22 For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.
Ngoba kuyimpilo kwabakutholayo, lempilo enhle yenyama yabo yonke.
23 With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.
Gcina inhliziyo yakho phezu kwakho konke okungagcinwa, ngoba kuvela kikho ukuphuma kwempilo.
24 Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.
Susa kuwe ukuphambana komlomo, lokuphambeka kwendebe kususele khatshana lawe.
25 Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.
Amehlo akho kawakhangele phambili, lenkophe zakho ziqonde phambi kwakho.
26 Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
Linganisa umkhondo wonyawo lwakho, ukuze zonke indlela zakho ziqine.
27 Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.
Ungaphambukeli ngakwesokunene kumbe ngakwesokhohlo; uphambule unyawo lwakho ebubini.
