< Proverbs 2 >

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and lay up my commandments with thee;
Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,
3 Yea, if thou cry after discernment, and lift up thy voice for understanding;
yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,
4 If thou seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;
uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.
6 For the LORD giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding:
Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright, [he is] a shield to them that walk in integrity;
Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,
8 That he may guard the paths of judgment, and preserve the way of his saints.
ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment, and equity, [yea], every good path.
Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.
10 For wisdom shall enter into thine heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;
Lapho inhlakanipho izangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho;
11 Discretion shall watch over thee, understanding shall keep thee:
ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;
12 To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the men that speak froward things;
ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;
13 Who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;
14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of evil;
abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;
15 Who are crooked in their ways, and perverse in their paths:
abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;
17 Which forsaketh the friend of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God:
otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;
18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead:
ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.
19 None that go unto her return again, neither do they attain unto the paths of life:
Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and they that deal treacherously shall be rooted out of it.
kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.

< Proverbs 2 >