Proverbs 2
1 My son, if you accept what I say and value my instructions,
Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,
2 if you pay attention to wisdom and really try to understand;
ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,
3 if you cry out for insight and call loudly for help in understanding;
yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,
4 if you look for it as if it were silver and search for it as if it were hidden treasure;
uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,
5 then you will understand how to relate to the Lord and discover the truth about God.
khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.
6 The Lord is the source of wisdom; what he says provides knowledge that makes sense.
Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.
7 He gives good judgment to those who live right; he defends those who have good sense.
Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,
8 He supports those who act fairly and protects those who trust in him.
ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.
9 Then you will be able to recognize what is right and just and fair, in fact all that is good in the way you should live.
Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.
10 For wisdom will fill your mind, and knowledge will make you happy.
Lapho inhlakanipho izangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho;
11 Good decisions will keep you on track; thinking logically will keep you safe.
ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;
12 Doing this will save you from the ways of evil, from men who tell twisted lies,
ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;
13 who turn away from following what is right to walk down paths of darkness.
abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;
14 They happily do wrong; they love how twisted evil is.
abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;
15 They live crooked lives doing deceitful things.
abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;
16 Doing this will also save you from a woman who acts immorally, from a woman who like a prostitute tries to seduce you with flattering words.
ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;
17 Such a woman has left her husband she married when she was young, forgetting the promises she made before God.
otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;
18 What happens in her house leads to death; following her way leads to the grave.
ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.
19 No one who goes to her comes back; they don't ever find the way back to life again.
Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.
20 So you should follow the way of the good, and make sure you stay on the paths of those who do right.
Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.
21 For only people who live right will live in the land; only honest people will remain there.
Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;
22 But the wicked will be thrown out of the land; those who are untrustworthy will be pulled out by the roots.
kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.
