Proverbs 20
1 Drinking a lot of wine or [other] strong drinks causes people to start fighting; it is foolish to become drunk/intoxicated.
Iwayini liyisideleli; okunathwayo okulamandla kulomsindo; njalo wonke oduha kukho kahlakaniphanga.
2 Being afraid of a king when he is angry is like [SIM] being afraid of a lion when it growls/roars; if you cause the king to become angry, he may execute you.
Ukwesabeka kwenkosi kunjengokubhonga kwebhongo lesilwane; oyithukuthelisayo wona umphefumulo wakhe.
3 [People] respect those who stay away from disputes/arguments; foolish people [love to] quarrel.
Kuludumo emuntwini ukuyekela inkani; kodwa sonke isiwula siyaziveza.
4 [If] a lazy man does not plow [his fields at the right/proper time], he will look for [crops] at harvest [time], but there will be nothing there.
Ngenxa yobusika ivila kaliyikulima; ngakho lizaphanza esivunweni, kodwa kungabi lalutho.
5 [Just] as it is difficult to bring up water from a deep well, it is difficult to know what people are thinking, but someone who has good sense/insight will be able to find out what people are thinking.
Iseluleko enhliziyweni yomuntu sinjengamanzi azikileyo, kodwa umuntu oqedisisayo uzasikha.
6 Many people proclaim that they can be trusted [to do what they say that they will do], but it is very difficult to find [RHQ] someone who can really be trusted.
Inengi labantu limemezela, lowo lalowo ukulunga kwakhe, kodwa ngubani ongathola umuntu othembekileyo?
7 If parents conduct their lives as they should, [God] blesses their children (OR, their children are very happy/fortunate).
Olungileyo uhamba ngobuqotho bakhe; babusisiwe abantwana bakhe emva kwakhe.
8 A king who sits on his throne to judge people can [easily] [MTY] find out what things that people have done are good and what things are evil.
Inkosi ehlezi esihlalweni sesahlulelo ihlakaza bonke ububi ngamehlo ayo.
9 There is no one [RHQ] who can truthfully say, “I do not know of any wrong things that I have done; I have (gotten rid of all my sinful behavior/quit doing what is sinful).”
Ngubani ongathi: Ngihlanzile inhliziyo yami, ngihlambulukile esonweni sami?
10 Yahweh detests people who use weights that are not right and measures that are not correct.
Amatshe ezilinganiso ezehlukeneyo, ama-efa ehlukeneyo, kuyisinengiso eNkosini, yebo kokubili.
11 Even children show by what they do whether they are good or not; they show whether (what they do/their behavior) is honest and right [or not].
Lomntwana uyazazisa ngezenzo zakhe, loba umsebenzi wakhe uhlanzekile kumbe loba uqotho.
12 Two of the things that Yahweh has created [for us] are ears to hear things and eyes to see things.
Indlebe ezwayo lelihlo elibonayo, iNkosi yakwenza, yebo kokubili.
13 If you want to sleep [all the time], you will become poor; if you stay awake [and work], you will have plenty of food.
Ungathandi ubuthongo, hlezi ube ngumyanga; vula amehlo akho, usuthe isinkwa.
14 People [look at things that they are about] to buy, [and in order to get it for a lower price sometimes they] say, “(It is no good/It is poor quality),” but [after they buy it], they go and boast [about having bought it for a cheap price].
Kubi, kubi, kutsho umthengi; kodwa esehambile abesezincoma.
15 Gold and precious stones are [valuable], but wise words [MTY] are more valuable.
Kulegolide, lobunengi bamatshe aligugu, kodwa indebe zolwazi zingumceciso oligugu.
16 If you foolishly promise to a stranger that you will pay what he owes if he is unable to pay it [DOU], [you deserve to] have someone take your coat from you.
Thatha isembatho sakhe oyisibambiso sowemzini, umbambe abe yisibambiso sabezizwe.
17 People [may] think that food that they acquire by doing what is dishonest will taste very good, but later [they will not enjoy what they have done any more than they would enjoy] eating gravel/sand.
Isinkwa samanga simnandi emuntwini, kodwa emva kwalokho umlomo wakhe uzagcwaliswa ngokhethe.
18 When people give you good advice, [if you do what they suggest], your plans will succeed; so be sure to get good advice from wise people before you start fighting a war.
Imicabango uyimisa ngeseluleko; ngakho yenza impi ngamaqhinga amahle.
19 Those who go around telling gossip are [always] telling secrets to [others]; so stay away from people who foolishly talk [too much].
Ohambahamba enyeya wembula imfihlakalo; ngakho ungahlangani lokhohlisa ngendebe zakhe.
20 If someone curses his father or his mother, his life will be ended, [just] like a lamp is extinguished.
Othuka uyise loba unina, isibane sakhe sizacitshwa ebumnyameni obumnyama.
21 If you very quickly take the property that your parents promise will be yours after they die, you will not receive any good/blessing from it.
Ilifa lingaphangisiswa ekuqaleni, kodwa ukucina kwalo kakuyikubusiswa.
22 Do not say, “I will do evil to those who do evil to me;” wait for Yahweh [to do something about it], and he will (help you/[do what is right]).
Ungathi: Ngizaphindisela okubi; lindela iNkosi, njalo izakusindisa.
23 Yahweh detests [those who use] dishonest scales and weights that are not accurate/correct.
Amatshe ezilinganiso ezehlukeneyo ayisinengiso eNkosini, lesikali esikhohlisayo kasilunganga.
24 Yahweh is the one who has decided what will happen to us, so (how can we (understand/know) what will happen before it happens?/we humans certainly cannot (understand/know) what will happen before it happens.) [RHQ]
Izinyathelo zomuntu zivela eNkosini; pho, umuntu angaqedisisa njani indlela yakhe?
25 You should think carefully before you solemnly promise to dedicate something to God, because later you might be sorry you have promised to do it.
Kungumjibila emuntwini ukuginya okungcwele, lokuhlolisisa emva kwezifungo.
26 Wise kings find out [MET] which people have done what is wrong, and they punish them very severely [IDM].
Inkosi ehlakaniphileyo ihlakaza ababi, ibuyisela ivili phezu kwabo.
27 Our consciences are [like] lamps that Yahweh [has given to us to enable us to know what we are thinking] [MET]; they reveal what is hidden deep in our (minds/inner beings).
Umphefumulo womuntu uyisibane seNkosi, sihlolisisa wonke amakamelo esisu.
28 Kings will continue to rule as long as they faithfully love their people and are loyal to them and as long as they rule righteously/fairly.
Umusa leqiniso kuyayigcina inkosi, isekela isihlalo sayo sobukhosi ngokulunga.
29 We honor/admire young people because they are strong, but we respect [MTY] old people more because they are wise.
Udumo lwejaha lungamandla alo, lobukhosi babadala yizimvu zekhanda.
30 When we are beaten or whipped, it [can] cause us to quit doing what is evil in our lives; when someone wounds us [by punishing us], it [can] cause our behavior to become good.
Imivimvinya yenxeba ihlanza ububi, ngokunjalo izidutshuzo zamakamelo esisu.
