Proverbs 23
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, Diligently consider that which [is] before you,
Nxa uhlala phansi usidla lombusi, nanzelela ukuthi kuyini okuphambi kwakho,
2 And you have put a knife to your throat, If you [are] a man of appetite.
ungazifaki ingqamu entanyeni nxa uhugwa yibuhwaba.
3 Have no desire to his delicacies, seeing it [is] lying food.
Ungahawukeli izibiliboco zakhe ngoba lokho kudla kuyakhohlisa.
4 Do not labor to make wealth, Cease from your own understanding, Do you cause your eyes to fly on it? Then it is not.
Ungazihlukuluzi uzigugise ngomsebenzi uzama inotho; hlakanipha wazi ukuzikhuza.
5 For wealth makes wings to itself, It flies to the heavens as an eagle.
Ungayibona manje inotho, masinyane isinyamalele, ngoba ngempela izamila impiko iphaphele emkhathini njengengqungqulu.
6 Do not eat the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his delicacies,
Ungakudli ukudla komuntu oncitshanayo, ungazihawukeli izibiliboco zakhe;
7 For as he has thought in his soul, so he [is]. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, And his heart [is] not with you.
ngoba yena uhlezi ebalisa ngendleko. Angathi kuwe, “Dlana unathe,” kodwa kungasuki enhliziyweni yakhe.
8 You vomit up your morsel you have eaten, And have marred your words that [are] sweet.
Uzakuhlanza okuncane lokho okudlileyo ube udlalise amazwi akho okubonga.
9 Do not speak in the ears of a fool, For he treads on the wisdom of your words.
Ungakhulumi lesithutha ngoba sizakweyisa inhlakanipho yamazwi akho.
10 Do not remove a border of ancient times, And do not enter into fields of the fatherless,
Ungasusi ilitshe lakudala elomngcele loba uzithathele amasimu ezintandane,
11 For their Redeemer [is] strong, He pleads their cause with you.
ngoba uMhlengi wazo ulamandla; uzakuba ngumeli wazo aphikisane lawe.
12 Bring your heart to instruction, And your ear to sayings of knowledge.
Nikela inhliziyo yakho ekufundisweni lezindlebe zakho emazwini olwazi.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a youth, When you strike him with a rod he does not die.
Ungayekeli ukumlaya umntwana; ukumtshaya ngoswazi akuyikumbulala.
Mjezise ngoswazi ukuze uphephise umphefumulo wakhe ekufeni. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if your heart has been wise, My heart rejoices, even mine,
Ndodana yami, aluba inhliziyo yakho ihlakaniphile, inhliziyo yami layo izathokoza;
16 And my reins exult when your lips speak uprightly.
ingaphakathi yami izajabula lapho izindebe zakho zikhuluma okulungileyo.
17 Do not let your heart be envious at sinners, But—in the fear of YHWH all the day.
Inhliziyo yakho mayingahawukeli izoni, kodwa hlala utshisekela ukwesaba uThixo.
18 For is there a posterity? Then your hope is not cut off.
Ngeqiniso lihle ikusasa lakho, lethemba lakho kaliyikucitshwa.
19 Hear, my son, and be wise, And make your heart blessed in the way,
Lalela, ndodana yami, uhlakaniphe, ubeke inhliziyo yakho endleleni elungileyo.
20 Do not become drunk with wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
Ungahlangani leziminzi zewayini labazitika ngenyama,
21 For the drunkard and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clothes with rags.
ngoba izidakwa lezihwaba ziba ngabayanga, ukuwozela kwazo kuzembese amadabudabu.
22 Listen to your father, who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she has become old.
Lalela uyihlo owakuletha emhlabeni, njalo ungeyisi unyoko nxa eseluphele.
23 Buy truth, and do not sell, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
Thenga iqiniso ungalithengisi; zuza ukuhlakanipha lokuzikhuza lokuzwisisa.
24 The father of the righteous rejoices greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoices in him.
Uyise womuntu olungileyo uyathokoza kakhulu; lowo olendodana ehlakaniphileyo uyathokoza ngayo.
25 Your father and your mother rejoice, Indeed, she bearing you is joyful.
Sengathi uyihlo lonyoko bangathokoza; sengathi lowo owakuzalayo angajabula!
26 Give, my son, your heart to me, And let your eyes watch my ways.
Ndodana yami, ngipha inhliziyo yakho, amehlo akho ahlale ezindleleni zami,
27 For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.
ngoba isifebe singumgodi otshonayo lomfazi olibele lendlela ungumthombo oyingozi.
28 She also, as catching prey, lies in wait, And she increases the treacherous among men.
Uyacathamela njengesigebenga, andise amadoda angathembekanga.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaint? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
Ngubani ohlaba umkhosi? Ngubani olosizi na? Ngubani otshingayo? Ngubani olensolo na? Ngubani omahluzuhluzu ngeze? Ngubani omehlo abomvu gebhu na?
30 Those lingering by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
Yilabo abalibala ngewayini, abahamba bedinga inzwisa yewayini elidibanisiweyo.
31 Do not see wine when it shows itself red, When it gives its color in the cup, It goes up and down through the upright.
Ungahugwa liwayini ulibona libomvu, nxa likhazimula enkomitshini, lapho lisehla kamnandi!
32 Its latter end—it bites as a serpent, And it stings as a viper.
Ekucineni liluma njengenyoka libe lobuhlungu obubulalayo njengenhlangwana.
33 Your eyes see strange women, And your heart speaks perverse things.
Amehlo akho azabona izinto ezingaqedakaliyo lengqondo yakho icabange izinto ezididayo.
34 And you have been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
Uzakuba njengomuntu ondendayo phakathi kolwandle, olele esiqongweni sensika yomkhumbi.
35 “They struck me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake—I seek it yet again!”
Uzakuthi, “Bangitshayile kodwa kangilimalanga! Bangibethile kodwa kakubuhlungu! Ngizavuka nini bo ngiyodinga obunye utshwala?”
