Proverbs 2

1 [My] son, if you will receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with you;

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

2 your ear shall listen to wisdom; you shall also apply your heart to understanding, and shall apply it to the instruction of your son.

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

3 For it you shall call to wisdom, and utter your voice for understanding;

yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,

4 and if you shall seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for 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; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,

Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.

7 and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;

Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,

8 that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.

ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.

9 Then shall you understand righteousness, and judgment; and shall direct all your course aright.

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

10 For if wisdom shall come into your understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to your soul,

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

11 good counsel shall guard you, and holy understanding shall keep you;

ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;

12 to deliver you from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.

ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;

13 Alas [for those] who forsake right paths, to walk in ways of darkness;

abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;

14 who rejoice in evils, and delight in wicked perverseness;

abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;

15 whose paths are crooked, and their courses winding;

abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;

16 to remove you far from the straight way, and to estrange you from a righteous purpose. [My] son, let not evil counsel overtake you,

ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;

17 [of her] who has forsaken the instruction of her youth, and forgotten the covenant of God.

otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;

18 For she has fixed her house near death, and [guided] her wheels near Hades with the giants.

ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.

19 None that go by her shall return, neither shall they take hold of right paths, for they are not apprehended of the years of life.

Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.

20 For had they gone in good paths, they would have found the paths of righteousness easy.

Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.

21 For the upright shall dwell in the earth, and the holy shall be left behind in it.

Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;

22 The paths of the ungodly shall perish out of the earth, and transgressors shall be driven away from it.

kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.