Proverbs 7
1 My son! Keep my sayings, And lay up my commands with you.
Ndodana yami, gcina amazwi ami, uzibekele imilayo yami.
2 Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of your eye.
Gcina imilayo yami, uphile, lomthetho wami njengenhlamvu yamehlo akho.
3 Bind them on your fingers, Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Ukubophele eminweni yakho, kubhale esibhebheni senhliziyo yakho.
4 Say to wisdom, “You [are] my sister.” And cry to understanding, “Relative!”
Uthi kunhlakanipho: Ungudadewethu; ubize ukuqedisisa ngokuthi yisihlobo sakho;
5 To preserve you from a strange woman, From a stranger who has made her sayings smooth.
ukuze kukugcine kumfazi wemzini, kowesifazana wemzini oyengayo ngamazwi akhe.
6 For at a window of my house, I have looked out through my casement,
Ngoba ewindini lendlu yami, ngeminxibo yewindi ngalunguza phandle,
7 And I see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
ngasengibona phakathi kwabangelalwazi, ngananzelela phakathi kwabatsha ijaha eliswele ingqondo,
8 Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he steps,
lisedlula esitaladeni eceleni kwengonsi yakhe, linyathela endleleni yendlu yakhe,
9 In the twilight—in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
kusihlwa, ngentambama yosuku, ebusuku obumnyama, lomnyama.
10 And behold, a woman to meet him—(A harlot’s dress, and watchful of heart,
Khangela-ke, owesifazana walihlangabeza, lesembatho sewule, elobuqili ngenhliziyo.
11 She [is] noisy, and stubborn, her feet do not rest in her house.
Lo wayelomsindo, eyisiqholo; inyawo zakhe kazihlali endlini yakhe.
12 Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And she lies in wait near every corner)—
Khathesi uphandle, abesesiba ezitaladeni, ecathama kuyo yonke ingonsi.
13 And she laid hold on him and kissed him, She has hardened her face and says to him,
Ngokunjalo walibamba, walanga, waqinisa ubuso bakhe, wathi kulo:
14 “Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, Today I have completed my vows.
Imihlatshelo yeminikelo yokuthula ikimi; lamuhla sengibhadele izifungo zami.
15 Therefore I have come forth to meet you, To earnestly seek your face, and I find you.
Ngakho-ke ngiphumile ukukuhlangabeza, ngidingisise ubuso bakho; ngikutholile.
16 I decked my bed [with] ornamental coverings, Carved works—cotton of Egypt.
Ngendlele umbheda wami ngezendlalo, ngamalembu acolekileyo kakhulu alemibalabala avela eGibhithe.
17 I sprinkled my bed [with] myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Ngifafazile umbheda wami ngemure, izinhlaba, lekinamoni.
18 Come, we are filled [with] love until the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.
Woza, sizidakise ngothando kuze kuse, sizithokozise ngothando olukhulu.
19 For the man is not in his house, He has gone on a long journey.
Ngoba indoda kayikho endlini yayo, ihambile uhambo khatshana.
20 He has taken a bag of money in his hand, At the day of the new moon he comes to his house.”
Ithethe isaka lemali esandleni sayo; ngosuku lwenyanga egcweleyo izakuza endlini yayo.
21 She turns him aside with the abundance of her speech, She forces him with the flattery of her lips.
Walihuga ngobunengi bemfundiso yakhe, walivumisa ngenkulumo zakhe ezincengayo.
22 He is going after her straight away, he comes as an ox to the slaughter, And as a chain to the discipline of a fool,
Lahle lamlandela njengenkabi isiya ekuhlatshweni, lanjengesiphukuphuku sisiya ekujezisweni esongweni lenqagala;
23 Until an arrow splits his liver, As a bird has hurried to a snare, And has not known that it [is] for its life.
uze umtshoko uhlabe isibindi salo, njengenyoni iphangisela esifwini, ingazi ukuthi simelene lempilo yayo.
24 And now, you sons, listen to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
Khathesi-ke, bantwana, ngizweni, lilalele amazwi omlomo wami.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
Inhliziyo yakho kayingaphambukeli endleleni zakhe; ungaduhi emikhondweni yakhe.
26 For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
Ngoba ubawisele phansi abanengi abalimeleyo, labo bonke ababuleweyo bakhe banengi.
