Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider well what is before thee;
Nxa uhlalela ukudla lesiphathamandla, qaphelisa lokuqaphelisa okuphambi kwakho.
2 For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man given to appetite!
Ubeke ingqamu emphinjeni wakho uba uyisiminzi.
3 Long not for his dainties. For they are deceitful meat.
Ungafisi izibondlo zaso, ngoba ziyikudla kwamanga.
4 Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
Ungatshikatshikeli ukunotha; pheza ekuqedisiseni kwakho.
5 Wilt thou let thine eyes fly toward them? They are gone! For riches truly make to themselves wings; They fly away like the eagle toward heaven.
Uzandizisa yini amehlo akho kokungekho? Ngoba kuzazenzela lokuzenzela izimpiko njengokhozi oluphaphela emazulwini.
6 Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for his dainties;
Ungadli ukudla kolelihlo elibi, ungafisi izibondlo zakhe.
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
Ngoba njengoba ecabangile emphefumulweni wakhe, unjalo. Uzakuthi: Dlana unathe; kodwa inhliziyo yakhe kayilawe.
8 The morsel, which thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit up; And thou wilt have thrown away thy sweet words.
Ucezu oludlileyo uzaluhlanza, wone amazwi akho amnandi.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Ungakhulumi endlebeni zoyisithutha, ngoba uzadelela inhlakanipho yamazwi akho.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark, And enter not into the fields of the fatherless!
Ungatshedisi isikhonkwane esidala somngcele; ungangeni emasimini ezintandane;
11 For their avenger is mighty; He will maintain their cause against thee.
ngoba uMhlengi wazo ulamandla; yena uzamela udaba lwazo kuwe.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Beka inhliziyo yakho ekufundisweni, lezindlebe zakho emazwini olwazi.
13 Withhold not correction from a child; If thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Ungagodleli umntwana isijeziso; nxa umtshaya ngoswazi kayikufa.
Wena uzamtshaya ngoswazi, ukhulule umphefumulo wakhe esihogweni. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even mine;
Ndodana yami, uba inhliziyo yakho ihlakanipha, inhliziyo yami izathokoza, yebo eyami;
16 Yea, my reins shall exult, When thy lips speak right things.
lezinso zami zizajabula ekukhulumeni kwendebe zakho izinto eziqondileyo.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, But continue thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long;
Inhliziyo yakho kayingahawukeli izoni; kodwa bana ekwesabeni iNkosi lonke usuku.
18 For surely there shall be a reward, And thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Ngoba isibili kukhona umvuzo, lomlindelo wakho kawuyikuqunywa.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise; And let thy heart go forward in the way!
Lalela wena, ndodana yami, uhlakaniphe, uqondise inhliziyo yakho endleleni.
20 Be not thou among winebibbers, And riotous eaters of flesh;
Ungabi phakathi kwabanathi bewayini, phakathi kwezihwaba zenyama.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
Ngoba isidakwa lesihwaba sizakuba ngumyanga, lokuwozela kugqokisa amadabudabu.
22 Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
Lalela uyihlo owakuzalayo, ungamdeleli unyoko esemdala.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding.
Thenga iqiniso, ungalithengisi; inhlakanipho, lemfundiso, lokuqedisisa.
24 The father of a righteous man shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
Uyise wolungileyo uzathaba lokuthaba; lozala ohlakaniphileyo uzathokoza ngaye.
25 Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that bore thee rejoice!
Uyihlo lonyoko kabathokoze, lokuzeleyo kathabe.
26 My son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways!
Ndodana yami, ngiphe inhliziyo yakho, lamehlo akho kawananzelele indlela zami.
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch; Yea, a strange woman is a narrow pit.
Ngoba iwule lingumgodi otshonayo, lowesifazana owemzini ungumthombo ongumcingo.
28 Like a robber she lieth in wait, And increaseth the treacherous among men.
Laye ucathama njengomphangi, andise abangathembekanga phakathi kwabantu.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness of eyes?
Ngubani olo: Maye? Ngubani olo: Wo? Ngubani olenkani? Ngubani olesililo? Ngubani olamanxeba ngeze? Ngubani olamehlo abomvu?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; They that go in to seek mixed wine.
Yilabo abalibala ewayinini, yilabo abazedinga iwayini elixutshanisiweyo.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly.
Ungakhangeli iwayini, lapho lizibonakalisa libomvu, nxa linika umbala walo enkomitshini, lihamba liqondile.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
Ekucineni kwalo liluma njengenyoka, lilume njengebululu.
33 Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will utter perverse things.
Amehlo akho azabona abesifazana bemzini, lenhliziyo yakho ikhulume izinto eziphambeneyo.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as one that lieth down in the midst of the sea, And as one that lieth down upon the top of a mast.
Yebo, uzakuba njengolala enhliziyweni yolwandle, lanjengolala esihlokweni sensika yomkhumbi.
35 They have stricken me [[shalt thou say]], —I suffered no pain! They have beaten me, —I felt it not! When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Bangitshayile, kangizwanga buhlungu; bangidutshuzile, kangikunanzanga. Ngizavuka nini? Ngiphinde ngilidinge futhi.
