Proverbs 4
1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
Zwanini, bantwana, umlayo kayihlo, linanzelele ukuze lazi ukuqedisisa.
2 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
Ngoba ngilinika imfundiso enhle, lingawutshiyi umlayo wami.
3 For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
Ngoba bengiyindodana kababa, ngithambile, ngingedwa phambi kukamama.
4 When he taught me, and sayde vnto me, Let thine heart holde fast my woordes: keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue.
Wasengifundisa wathi kimi: Inhliziyo yakho kayibambelele emazwini ami; gcina imilayo yami, uphile.
5 Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
Zuza inhlakanipho, uzuze ukuqedisisa, ungakhohlwa; ungaphambuki emazwini omlomo wami.
6 Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.
Ungakutshiyi, njalo kuzakulondoloza; ukuthande, njalo kuzakulinda.
7 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
Okokuqala yinhlakanipho; zuza inhlakanipho; langenzuzo yakho yonke uzuze ukuqedisisa.
8 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
Kukhulise, njalo kuzakuphakamisa; kuzakunika udumo nxa ukugona.
9 She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.
Kuzanika ikhanda lakho umqhele womusa; kuzakulethela umqhele wodumo.
10 Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
Zwana, ndodana yami, wemukele amazwi ami, leminyaka yempilo izakuba minengi kuwe.
11 I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
Ngikufundisile endleleni yenhlakanipho; ngikwenze wanyathela emikhondweni yobuqotho.
12 Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
Ekuhambeni kwakho inyathelo lakho kaliyikufinyezwa, njalo nxa ugijima kawuyikukhubeka.
13 Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.
Bambelela ekulayweni, ungakuyekeli; kugcine, ngoba kuyimpilo yakho.
14 Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
Ungangeni emkhondweni wabakhohlakeleyo, ungahambi endleleni yababi.
15 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
Iyekele, ungedluli ngayo, phambuka kuyo, wedlule.
16 For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
Ngoba kabalali uba bengenzanga okubi; lobuthongo babo buyasuswa uba bengakhubekisanga muntu.
17 For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.
Ngoba badla isinkwa senkohlakalo, banathe iwayini lobudlwangudlwangu.
18 But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite day.
Kodwa indlela yabalungileyo injengokukhanya okukhanyayo, kuqhubeka kukhanya kuze kube semini enkulu.
19 The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
Indlela yababi injengomnyama; kabazi ukuthi bazakhutshwa yini.
20 My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
Ndodana yami, lalela amazwi ami, ubeke indlebe yakho ekukhulumeni kwami.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.
Kakungaphunyuki emehlweni akho; ukugcine phakathi kwenhliziyo yakho.
22 For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.
Ngoba kuyimpilo kwabakutholayo, lempilo enhle yenyama yabo yonke.
23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
Gcina inhliziyo yakho phezu kwakho konke okungagcinwa, ngoba kuvela kikho ukuphuma kwempilo.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
Susa kuwe ukuphambana komlomo, lokuphambeka kwendebe kususele khatshana lawe.
25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
Amehlo akho kawakhangele phambili, lenkophe zakho ziqonde phambi kwakho.
26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
Linganisa umkhondo wonyawo lwakho, ukuze zonke indlela zakho ziqine.
27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.
Ungaphambukeli ngakwesokunene kumbe ngakwesokhohlo; uphambule unyawo lwakho ebubini.
