Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel:
Izaga zikaSolomoni, indodana kaDavida, inkosi yakoIsrayeli;
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the sayings of understanding;
ukwazi inhlakanipho lokulaywa, ukuqedisisa amazwi okuqedisisa,
3 To accept the instruction of intelligence, righteousness, and justice, and equity;
ukwemukela ukulaya kwenhlakanipho, ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda;
4 To give to the simple prudence, to the youth knowledge and discretion.
ukunika abangelalwazi inhlakanipho, ijaha ulwazi lengqondo.
5 The wise will hear, and will increase [his] information; and the man of understanding will obtain wise counsels:
Ohlakaniphileyo uzakuzwa, andise ukufunda, loqedisisayo uzazuza izeluleko,
6 To understand a proverb, and a sage sentence; the words of the wise, and their riddles.
ukuqedisisa isaga lomzekeliso, amazwi abahlakaniphileyo, lamalibho abo.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: wisdom and instruction fools [alone] despise.
Ukwesaba iNkosi kuyikuqala kolwazi; izithutha ziyadelela inhlakanipho lokulaywa.
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and cast not off the teaching of thy mother;
Ndodana yami, zwana ukulaya kukayihlo, ungawudeli umlayo kanyoko;
9 For a wreath of grace are they unto thy head, and chains for thy throat.
ngoba kuzakuba ngumqhele womusa ekhanda lakho, lemigaxo entanyeni yakho.
10 My son, if sinners wish to entice thee, consent thou not.
Ndodana yami, uba izoni zikuhuga, ungavumi.
11 If they should say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us watch in concealment for the uselessly innocent;
Uba zisithi: Hamba lathi, siyecathamela igazi, sicatshele ongelacala kungelasizatho;
12 We will swallow them up like the grave alive; and the men of integrity, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
sibaginye bephila njengengcwaba, yebo, ngokupheleleyo, njengabehlela egodini. (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all [kinds of] precious wealth, we will fill our houses with booty;
Sizathola yonke impahla eligugu, sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango.
14 Thy lot must thou cast in our midst; one purse shall be for us all:
Phosela inkatho yakho phakathi kwethu; sonke sibe lesikhwama semali sinye.
15 My son, walk not thou on the way with them; withhold thy foot from their path;
Ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo endleleni; unqande unyawo lwakho emkhondweni wazo.
16 For their feet run after evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
Ngoba inyawo zazo zigijimela ebubini, ziphangisa ukuchitha igazi.
17 For uselessly is the net spread out before the eyes of every winged bird:
Isibili, imbule lendlalelwa ize phambi kwamehlo aloba yiyiphi inyoni.
18 While they lie in wait for their [own] blood; they watch in concealment for their [own] lives.
Lalaba bacathamela igazi labo, bacatshele imiphefumulo yabo.
19 So are the paths of every one that is greedy after [unlawful] gain; it taketh away the life of those that own it.
Zinjalo indlela zakhe wonke ozuza inzuzo ngokuphanga; ithatha impilo yabaniniyo.
20 Wisdom crieth loudly without; in the public places she uttereth her voice;
UkuHlakanipha kuyamemeza ngaphandle, kukhupha ilizwi lakho emidangeni.
21 At the corner of noisy streets she calleth, at the entrances of gates; in the city she sayeth her speeches:
Kuyamemeza endaweni eqakathekileyo yokuxokozela, ekungeneni kwamasango; emzini kutsho amazwi akho,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners take their delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
kusithi: Koze kube nini, lina elingelalwazi, lithanda ukungabi lalwazi, labaklolodayo bezifisela ukukloloda, leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi?
23 Turn back to my admonition: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Phendukelani ekukhuzeni kwami; khangelani, ngizathululela umoya wami kini, ngilazise amazwi ami.
24 Whereas I called, and ye refused; I stretched out my hand, and no man was attentive;
Ngoba ngibizile, kodwa lala; ngelulile isandla sami, kodwa kakho onanzayo;
25 And ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would not accept my admonition:
ladelela sonke iseluleko sami, kalivumanga ukukhuza kwami;
26 [Therefore] I also will truly laugh at your calamity; I will deride [you] when your terror cometh;
mina-ke ngizahleka ukuchitheka kwenu, ngiklolode ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu,
27 When your terror cometh like the tempest-cloud, and your calamity hasteneth like a whirlwind; when there come upon you distress and affliction.
ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu njengesiphepho, lokuchitheka kwenu kufika njengesivunguzane, lapho ubuhlungu losizi kulehlela.
28 Then will they call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me;
Khona bazangibiza, kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidingisisa, kodwa kabayikungithola.
29 For the reason that they hated knowledge, and the fear of the Lord they did not choose;
Ngenxa yokuthi babezonda ulwazi, bengakhethanga ukwesaba iNkosi.
30 [That] they would not attend to my counsel: [that] they rejected all my admonition.
Kabavumanga iseluleko sami, bedelela konke ukukhuza kwami.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and from their own counsels shall they be satisfied.
Ngakho bazakudla okwesithelo sendlela yabo, basuthiswe ngamacebo abo.
32 For the defection of the simple will slay them, and the prosperity of fools will cause them to be lost.
Ngoba ukuhlehla kwabangelalwazi kuzababulala, lokonwaba kweziphukuphuku kuzababhubhisa.
33 But he that hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from the dread of evil.
Kodwa ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile, onwabe ekwesabeni okubi.
