Proverbs 5
1 My son! Give attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding,
Ndodana yami, lalela inhlakanipho yami, beka indlebe yakho ekuqedisiseni kwami,
2 To observe thoughtfulness, And your lips keep knowledge.
ukuze uqaphele ingqondo, lendebe zakho zigcine ulwazi.
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And her mouth [is] smoother than oil,
Ngoba indebe zowesifazana wemzini zithonta uluju, lomlomo wakhe ubutshelezi kulamafutha.
4 And her latter end [is] bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a sword [with] mouths.
Kodwa ukucina kwakhe kuyababa njengomhlonyane, kubukhali njengenkemba esika nhlangothi mbili.
Inyawo zakhe zehlela ekufeni; izinyathelo zakhe zibambelela esihogweni. (Sheol h7585)
6 The path of life—lest you ponder, Her paths have moved—you do not know.
Hlezi ulinganise indlela yempilo, imikhondo yakhe iyazulazula, kananzeleli.
7 And now, you sons, listen to me, And do not turn from sayings of my mouth.
Ngakho-ke, bantwana, ngilalelani, lingaphambuki emazwini omlomo wami.
8 Keep your way far from off her, And do not come near to the opening of her house,
Dedisela indlela yakho khatshana laye, ungasondeli emnyango wendlu yakhe;
9 Lest you give your splendor to others, And your years to the fierce,
hlezi unikele udumo lwakho kwabanye, leminyaka yakho kolesihluku;
10 Lest strangers be filled [with] your power, And your labors in the house of a stranger,
hlezi abezizwe bazisuthise ngamandla akho, lemitshikatshika yakho ibe sendlini yowezizweni;
11 And you have howled in your latter end, In the consumption of your flesh and your food,
njalo ububule ekupheleni kwakho, lapho inyama yakho lomzimba wakho sekudliwe;
12 And have said, “How I have hated instruction, And my heart has despised reproof,
njalo uthi: Ngikuzonde njani ukulaywa, lenhliziyo yami yadelela ukukhuzwa!
13 And I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, And have not inclined my ear to my teachers.
Kangizwanga-ke ilizwi labafundisi bami; kangibekanga indlebe zami kwabangifundisayo!
14 As a little thing I have been all evil, In the midst of an assembly and a congregation.”
Ngaphosa ngaba ebubini bonke phakathi kwebandla lenhlangano.
15 Drink waters out of your own cistern, Even flowing ones out of your own well.
Natha amanzi emgodini wakho, lemifula ephuma phakathi komthombo wakho.
16 Let your fountains be scattered abroad, In broad places streams of waters.
Imithombo yakho ichitheke phandle, izifula zamanzi emidangeni.
17 Let them be to you for yourself, And not to strangers with you.
Kakube ngokwakho wedwa, kungabi ngokwabezizweni kanye lawe.
18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice because of the wife of your youth,
Umthombo wakho kawubusiswe; uthokoze ngomfazi wobutsha bakho;
19 A doe of loves, and a roe of grace! Let her loves satisfy you at all times, Magnify yourself in her love continually.
impala ethandekayo kakhulu, legogo elibukekayo; amabele akhe kawakusuthise sonke isikhathi, uzule othandweni lwakhe kokuphela.
20 And why do you magnify yourself, My son, with a stranger? And embrace the bosom of a strange woman?
Kungani-ke, ndodana yami, uzule kowesifazana wemzini, ugone isifuba sowemzini?
21 For the ways of each are before the eyes of YHWH, And He is pondering all his paths.
Ngoba indlela zomuntu ziphambi kwamehlo eNkosi; njalo iyalinganisa yonke imikhondo yakhe.
22 His own iniquities capture the wicked, And he is holden with the ropes of his sin.
Ezakhe iziphambeko zizabamba omubi, abanjwe zintambo zesono sakhe.
23 He dies without instruction, And magnifies himself in the abundance of his folly!
Yena uzakufa ngokungalaywa, lebukhulwini bobuthutha bakhe uzaduha.
