< Proverbs 6 >
1 My son, if thou have become surety for thy neighbour, —have struck for a stranger thy hands,
Ndodana yami, uba uyisibambiso somakhelwane wakho, watshayela owezizwe isandla sakho,
2 Thou hast been snared by the sayings of thy mouth, —thou hast been caught by the sayings of thy mouth.
uthiywe ngamazwi omlomo wakho, ubanjwe ngamazwi omlomo wakho.
3 Do this then, my son, and deliver thyself, When thou hast come into the hand of thy neighbour, Go, haste thee, and urge thy neighbour;
Yenza lokhu khathesi, ndodana yami, uzophule, lokhu usesandleni sikamakhelwane wakho; hamba, uzithobe, umncengisise umakhelwane wakho.
4 Do not give sleep to thine eyes, or slumber to thine eyelashes;
Unganiki amehlo akho ubuthongo, lokuwozela enkopheni zakho.
5 Deliver thyself, as a gazelle out of the hand, and as a bird, out of the hand of the fowler.
Uzophule njengomziki esandleni somzingeli, lanjengenyoni esandleni somthiyi wenyoni.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard, observe her ways, and be wise;
Yana ebunyonyweni, vila, ubone indlela zabo, uhlakaniphe.
7 Which, having no harvest, scribe, or ruler,
Obuthi, bungelamkhokheli, induna, lombusi,
8 Prepareth, in the summer, her food, hath collected, in the harvest, her sustenance.
bulungisa isinkwa sabo ehlobo, bubuthe ukudla kwabo esivunweni.
9 How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie? how long ere thou rise from thy sleep?
Koze kube nini, vila, ulele? Uzavuka nini ebuthongweni bakho?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest: —
Ubuthongo obuncinyane, ukuwozela okuncinyane, ukusonga izandla okuncinyane ukuthi ulale,
11 So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
besebusiza ubuyanga bakho njengesihambi, lenswelo yakho njengomuntu olesihlangu.
12 An abandoned man, a man of iniquity, [is he] who—goeth on in perversity of mouth;
Umuntu kaBheliyali, umuntu okhohlakeleyo, ohamba lomlomo ophambeneyo,
13 Winketh with his eyes, speaketh with his foot, pointeth with his fingers;
afice amehlo akhe, akhulume ngenyawo zakhe, afundise ngeminwe yakhe,
14 [Hath] perverse things in his heart, deviseth mischief on every occasion, strifes, he sendeth forth.
ukuphambuka kusenhliziyweni yakhe, uceba okubi ngesikhathi sonke, ephosela ingxabano.
15 For this cause, suddenly cometh his doom, in a moment, shall he be torn in pieces and there be no mending.
Ngenxa yalokhu ingozi yakhe izafika masinyane, ahle ephuke, kuze kungabi leselapho.
16 These six things, doth Yahweh hate, yea, seven, are the abomination of his soul: —
Lezizinto eziyisithupha iNkosi iyazizonda; yebo, eziyisikhombisa ziyizinengiso emphefumulweni wakhe:
17 Eyes that are lofty, a tongue that is false, and hands shedding innocent blood;
Amehlo aphakemeyo, ulimi oluqamba amanga, lezandla ezichitha igazi elingelacala,
18 A heart contriving iniquitous devices, feet hasting to run into mischief;
inhliziyo eceba amacebo amabi, inyawo eziphangisa ukugijimela ububi,
19 One that uttereth lies—a false witness, and one sending forth strifes between brethren.
umfakazi wamanga ophafuza izinkohliso, lophosela ingxabano phakathi kwabazalwane.
20 Observe thou, my son, the commandment of thy father, and do not decline from the instruction of thy mother:
Ndodana yami, gcina umlayo kayihlo, ungakudeli ukufundisa kukanyoko.
21 Bind them upon thy heart continually, fasten them upon thy neck;
Kubophele enhliziyweni yakho njalo, kubophele entanyeni yakho.
22 When thou walkest abroad, it shall guide thee, when thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee, when thou wakest, it shall speak to thee:
Ekuhambeni kwakho kuzakukhokhela, ekulaleni kwakho kukulondoloze, lekuvukeni kwakho khona kukhulume lawe.
23 For, a lamp, is the commandment, and, the instruction, a light, and, the way of life, are the reproofs of correction:
Ngoba umlayo uyisibane, lokufundisa kuyikukhanya, lokukhuza kokulaya kuyindlela yempilo,
24 To keep thee from the wicked woman, from the flattery of the tongue of her that is a stranger.
ukuze kukugcine emfazini omubi, emazwini ayengayo olimi lowesifazana wemzini.
25 Do not covet her beauty, in thy heart, neither let her take thee, by her eyelashes;
Ungaloyisi ubuhle bakhe enhliziyweni yakho; angakuthathi ngenkophe zakhe.
26 Because, for the sake of an impure woman, [a man may be brought] even to a cake of bread, —and, a man’s wife, for a precious soul, may hunt!
Ngoba ngenxa yomfazi oyisiphingi ungafika ecezwini lwesinkwa, lomfazi womuntu uzingela umphefumulo oligugu.
27 Can a man snatch up fire in his bosom, and, his clothes, not be burned?
Kambe, umuntu angaphatha umlilo esifubeni sakhe, lezigqoko zakhe zingatshi?
28 Or can a man walk upon hot coals, and, his feet, not be burned?
Umuntu angahamba phezu kwamalahle avuthayo, lenyawo zakhe zingatshi yini?
29 So, he that goeth in unto his neighbour’s wife, no man shall be guiltless who toucheth her!
Unjalo ongena kumkamakhelwane wakhe; wonke omthintayo kayikuba msulwa.
30 Men despise not a thief, when he stealeth, to satisfy his appetite, because he is famished;
Kabalideleli isela, nxa liseba ukuthi ligcwalise umphefumulo walo, ngoba lilambile.
31 Yet, if found, he must pay back sevenfold, All the substance of his house, must he give:
Uba litholwa, lihlawula kuphindwe kasikhombisa, linika yonke impahla yendlu yalo.
32 He that committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh sense, A destroyer of his own life, is he that doeth it;
Ofeba lowesifazana uswela ingqondo; owenza lokhu nguye ochitha umphefumulo wakhe.
33 Smiting and shame, shall he find, and, his reproach, shall not be wiped out;
Uzathola ukutshaywa lesigcono, lehlazo lakhe kaliyikwesulwa.
34 For, jealousy, is the rage of a man, nor will he spare, in the day of avenging;
Ngoba ubukhwele bululaka lomuntu; ngakho kayikuba lasihawu ngosuku lwempindiselo.
35 He will not look, at any ransom, neither will he consent, though thou increase the bribe.
Kayikunanza loba yiyiphi inhlawulo, kayikuvuma lanxa usandisa isipho.