Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well him that is before thee;
Nxa uhlalela ukudla lesiphathamandla, qaphelisa lokuqaphelisa okuphambi kwakho.
2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Ubeke ingqamu emphinjeni wakho uba uyisiminzi.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food.
Ungafisi izibondlo zaso, ngoba ziyikudla kwamanga.
4 Weary not thyself to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.
Ungatshikatshikeli ukunotha; pheza ekuqedisiseni kwakho.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? it is gone; for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
Uzandizisa yini amehlo akho kokungekho? Ngoba kuzazenzela lokuzenzela izimpiko njengokhozi oluphaphela emazulwini.
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties;
Ungadli ukudla kolelihlo elibi, ungafisi izibondlo zakhe.
7 For as one that hath reckoned within himself, so is he: 'Eat and drink', saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
Ngoba njengoba ecabangile emphefumulweni wakhe, unjalo. Uzakuthi: Dlana unathe; kodwa inhliziyo yakhe kayilawe.
8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Ucezu oludlileyo uzaluhlanza, wone amazwi akho amnandi.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Ungakhulumi endlebeni zoyisithutha, ngoba uzadelela inhlakanipho yamazwi akho.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless;
Ungatshedisi isikhonkwane esidala somngcele; ungangeni emasimini ezintandane;
11 For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with thee.
ngoba uMhlengi wazo ulamandla; yena uzamela udaba lwazo kuwe.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Beka inhliziyo yakho ekufundisweni, lezindlebe zakho emazwini olwazi.
13 Withhold not correction from the child; for though thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Ungagodleli umntwana isijeziso; nxa umtshaya ngoswazi kayikufa.
Wena uzamtshaya ngoswazi, ukhulule umphefumulo wakhe esihogweni. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;
Ndodana yami, uba inhliziyo yakho ihlakanipha, inhliziyo yami izathokoza, yebo eyami;
16 Yea, my reins will rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
lezinso zami zizajabula ekukhulumeni kwendebe zakho izinto eziqondileyo.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all the day;
Inhliziyo yakho kayingahawukeli izoni; kodwa bana ekwesabeni iNkosi lonke usuku.
18 For surely there is a future; and thy hope shall not be cut off.
Ngoba isibili kukhona umvuzo, lomlindelo wakho kawuyikuqunywa.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
Lalela wena, ndodana yami, uhlakaniphe, uqondise inhliziyo yakho endleleni.
20 Be not among winebibbers; among gluttonous eaters of flesh;
Ungabi phakathi kwabanathi bewayini, phakathi kwezihwaba zenyama.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
Ngoba isidakwa lesihwaba sizakuba ngumyanga, lokuwozela kugqokisa amadabudabu.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Lalela uyihlo owakuzalayo, ungamdeleli unyoko esemdala.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Thenga iqiniso, ungalithengisi; inhlakanipho, lemfundiso, lokuqedisisa.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
Uyise wolungileyo uzathaba lokuthaba; lozala ohlakaniphileyo uzathokoza ngaye.
25 Let thy father and thy mother be glad, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
Uyihlo lonyoko kabathokoze, lokuzeleyo kathabe.
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Ndodana yami, ngiphe inhliziyo yakho, lamehlo akho kawananzelele indlela zami.
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.
Ngoba iwule lingumgodi otshonayo, lowesifazana owemzini ungumthombo ongumcingo.
28 She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the faithless among men.
Laye ucathama njengomphangi, andise abangathembekanga phakathi kwabantu.
29 Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'? who hath contentions? who hath raving? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Ngubani olo: Maye? Ngubani olo: Wo? Ngubani olenkani? Ngubani olesililo? Ngubani olamanxeba ngeze? Ngubani olamehlo abomvu?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
Yilabo abalibala ewayinini, yilabo abazedinga iwayini elixutshanisiweyo.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it glideth down smoothly;
Ungakhangeli iwayini, lapho lizibonakalisa libomvu, nxa linika umbala walo enkomitshini, lihamba liqondile.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like a basilisk.
Ekucineni kwalo liluma njengenyoka, lilume njengebululu.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, and thy heart shall utter confused things.
Amehlo akho azabona abesifazana bemzini, lenhliziyo yakho ikhulume izinto eziphambeneyo.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Yebo, uzakuba njengolala enhliziyweni yolwandle, lanjengolala esihlokweni sensika yomkhumbi.
35 'They have struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'
Bangitshayile, kangizwanga buhlungu; bangidutshuzile, kangikunanzanga. Ngizavuka nini? Ngiphinde ngilidinge futhi.
