Proverbs 14
1 Every wise woman has built her house, And the foolish breaks it down with her hands.
Umfazi ohlakaniphileyo uyakha indlu yakhe, kodwa lowo oyisiwula uyayibhidliza ngezandla zakhe.
2 Whoever is walking in his uprightness is fearing YHWH, And the perverted is despising Him [in] his ways.
Lowo ohamba ngobuqotho uyamesaba uThixo, kodwa lowo ondlela zakhe zigobile uyameyisa.
3 A rod of pride [is] in the mouth of a fool, And the lips of the wise preserve them.
Inkulumo yesiwula isikhothisa ngoswazi emhlane, kodwa indebe zalowo ohlakaniphileyo ziyamvikela.
4 Without oxen a stall [is] clean, And great [is] the increase by the power of the ox.
Lapho okungelankabi khona isibaya siyize, kodwa amandla enkabi aletha isivuno esinengi.
5 A faithful witness does not lie, And a false witness breathes out lies.
Umfakazi oleqiniso kakhohlisi, kodwa umfakazi ongelaqiniso uhutsha amanga.
6 A scorner has sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge [is] easy to the intelligent.
Oweyisayo uyakudinga ukuhlakanipha kodwa kakutholi, kodwa ulwazi luyazizela koqondisisayo.
7 Go from before a foolish man, Or you have not known the lips of knowledge.
Suka emuntwini oyisiwula, ngoba awuyikuthola ulwazi ezindebeni zakhe.
8 The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way, And the folly of fools [is] deceit.
Ukuhlakanipha kwabaqondayo yikuthi bayacabanga ngalokho abakwenzayo, kodwa ubuthutha beziwula buyinkohliso.
9 Fools mock at a guilt-offering, And among the upright—a pleasing thing.
Iziwula zikwenza ubuthutha ukuphenduka ezonweni, kodwa abaqotho bafisa ukwenza uxolo.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not interfere with its joy.
Inhliziyo leyo laleyo iyakwazi ukudabuka kwayo, njalo kakho ongakwazi ukuthokoza kwayo.
11 The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourishes.
Indlu yomubi izadilizwa, kodwa ithente loqotho lizaphumelela.
12 There is a way—right before a man, And its latter end [are] ways of death.
Kukhona indlela ebonakala ilungile emuntwini, kodwa isiphetho sayo siyikufa.
13 Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy [is] affliction.
Ukuhleba kungabe kufihle ubuhlungu benhliziyo, lokuthokoza kucine sekulusizi.
14 The backslider in heart is filled from his ways, And a good man—from his fruits.
Abangelakho bazavuzwa ngokubafaneleyo, lomuntu olungileyo laye avuzwe ngokwakhe.
15 The simple gives credence to everything, And the prudent attends to his step.
Umuntu oyisithutha ukholwa loba yini, kodwa olengqondo uyakucabangisisa konke akwenzayo.
16 The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident.
Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo uyamesaba uThixo, axwaye okubi, kodwa isiwula siliphikankani kodwa sizizwa sivikelekile.
17 Whoever is short of temper does folly, And a man of wicked schemes is hated.
Umuntu olicaphucaphu wenza izinto zobuthutha, lomuntu oliqili uyazondwa.
18 The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned [with] knowledge.
Abangazi lutho ilifa labo yibuwula, kodwa abalengqondo betheswa umqhele wolwazi.
19 The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
Abantu ababi bazilahla phansi phambi kwabalungileyo, lezixhwali ziguqa emasangweni abalungileyo.
20 The poor is hated even of his neighbor, And those loving the rich [are] many.
Abayanga bahlanyukelwa langabomakhelwane babo, kodwa izinothi zilabangane abanengi.
21 Whoever is despising his neighbor sins, Whoever is favoring the humble, O his blessedness.
Lowo oweyisa umakhelwane wenza isono, kodwa ubusisiwe olomusa kwabaswelayo.
22 Do they who are devising evil not err? And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good,
Kabalahleki yini abaceba ububi? Kodwa abamisa ukwenza okuhle bafumana uthando lokuthembeka.
23 In all labor there is advantage, And a thing of the lips [is] only to want.
Ukusebenza nzima konke kuletha inzuzo, kodwa ukuqina ngomlomo kuthelela ubuyanga.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth, The folly of fools [is] folly.
Inotho yabahlakaniphileyo ingumqhele wabo, kodwa ubuphukuphuku beziwula buzala ubuthutha.
25 A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breathes out lies.
Umfakazi oleqiniso uyabakhulula abantu, kodwa umfakazi wamanga uyakhohlisa.
26 Strong confidence [is] in the fear of YHWH, And there is a refuge to His sons.
Lowo owesaba uThixo ulenqaba eqinileyo, uzakuba yisiphephelo senzalo yakhe.
27 The fear of YHWH [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.
Ukumesaba uThixo kungumthombo wokuphila, kuvikela umuntu emijibileni yokufa.
28 The honor of a king [is] in the multitude of a people, And the ruin of a prince in lack of people.
Ubunengi babantu elizweni kuludumo enkosini, kodwa nxa kungelabantu umbusi kasilutho.
29 Whoever is slow to anger [is] of great understanding, And whoever is short in temper is exalting folly.
Umuntu obekezelayo uyazwisisa kakhulu, kodwa ophanga ukuthukuthela uveza ubuthutha.
30 A healed heart [is] life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones [is] envy.
Ingqondo elokuthula iletha ukuphila emzimbeni, kodwa umhawu ubolisa amathambo.
31 An oppressor of the poor reproaches his Maker, And whoever is honoring Him Is favoring the needy.
Lowo oncindezela abayanga weyisa uMenzi wabo, kodwa olomusa kwabaswelayo udumisa uNkulunkulu.
32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, And the righteous [is] trustful in his death.
Nxa kufika ubunzima ababi bayadilika, kodwa abalungileyo balesiphephelo lasekufeni.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of the intelligent. And it is known in the midst of fools.
Ukuhlakanipha kuzinzile enhliziyweni yabaqedisisayo, kuyaziveza kanye lakwabayiziwula.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, And the righteousness of peoples [is] a sin-offering.
Ukulunga kuyasiphakamisa isizwe, kodwa isono silihlazo lakubaphi abantu.
35 The favor of a king [is] to a wise servant, And one causing shame is an object of his wrath!
Inkosi iyathokoza ngenceku ehlakaniphileyo, kodwa inceku ehlazisayo iyayithukuthelisa.
