Proverbs 2

1 My son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you;

Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,

2 So that you incline your ear unto wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,

3 Yea, if you cry after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding;

yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,

4 If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;

uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,

5 Then shall you understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.

6 For the LORD gives wisdom: out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.

7 He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,

8 He keeps the paths of judgment, and perserves the way of his saints.

ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.

9 Then shall you understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.

10 When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto your soul;

Lapho inhlakanipho izangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho;

11 Discretion shall preserve you, understanding shall keep you:

ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;

12 To deliver you from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaks perverse things;

ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;

13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;

14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of the wicked;

abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;

15 Whose ways are crooked, and they perverse in their paths:

abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;

16 To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flatters with her words;

ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;

17 Which forsakes the guide of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God.

otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;

18 For her house inclines unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.

19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.

20 That you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.

21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;

22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.