Proverbs 24
1 Do not envy evil people; do not desire to associate with them,
Ungabi lamhawu ngabantu ababi, ungaloyisi ukuba labo.
2 because they are [constantly] thinking about acting violently, and whenever they speak [MTY], they talk about (causing trouble/hurting someone).
Ngoba inhliziyo yabo iceba udlakela, lezindebe zabo zikhuluma uhlupho.
3 People make good houses (OR, families) by doing what is wise, and they make their houses (OR, families) strong by [heeding] good advice.
Ngenhlakanipho indlu iyakhiwa, langokuqedisisa iqiniswe.
4 By using good sense, [they are able to buy] valuable and beautiful things and put them in the rooms of their houses.
Langolwazi amakamelo agcwaliswa ngempahla zonke eziligugu lezimnandi.
5 Being wise is better than being strong/powerful; those who know [many things can accomplish more] than those who are [very] strong.
Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ulamandla, lomuntu ololwazi uqinisa amandla.
6 Leaders can fight battles if they have wise advisors, and they win those battles if they have many good advisors.
Ngoba ngezeluleko ezihlakaniphileyo ungalawula impi yakho, lokukhululwa kusebunengini babeluleki.
7 Foolish people cannot understand wise sayings/talk; at public meetings they are not [able to] say anything [that is useful].
Inhlakanipho enkulu iphakeme esiwuleni; esangweni kasivuli umlomo waso.
8 Those who are [always] planning to do evil things will be called troublemakers.
Oceba ukwenza okubi, bazambiza ngokuthi ngumnikazi wamacebo amabi.
9 It is sinful to plan to do foolish things, and people hate those who make fun of [everything that is good].
Umcabango wobuwula yisono, lesideleli siyisinengiso emuntwini.
10 If you [act as though] you are helpless when you have troubles, you are [truly very] weak.
Uba uzitshengisa uxega ngosuku lokuhlupheka, amandla akho mancinyane.
11 [If it is unjustly decided] that someone must be executed, [try hard to] rescue them [DOU].
Bophule abasiwa ekufeni, labatatalikela ekubulaweni, kungathi ungabanqanda.
12 If you say, “I did not know anything about it, [so (it is not my concern/I did not try to help him)],” remember that God knows what we have done, and he knows what we were thinking [IDM, RHQ], and he will certainly [RHQ] repay us as we deserve for what we have done or for not doing what we should have done.
Uba usithi: Khangela besingakwazi lokhu; ohlola izinhliziyo yena kayikukunanzelela yini? Olondoloza umphefumulo wakho yena kakwazi yini? ngitsho ubuyisela emuntwini njengokomsebenzi wakhe?
13 My child/son, eat honey, because it is good [for you]; the honey that drips from honeycombs tastes [very] sweet.
Dlana uluju, ndodana yami, ngoba lulungile, lohlanga loluju lumnandi elwangeni lwakho.
14 Similarly, being wise is good for your soul; if you become wise, you will be [happy in] the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do [LIT].
Lunjalo ulwazi lwenhlakanipho emphefumulweni wakho; uba uluthola, kuzakuba lomvuzo, lethemba lakho kaliyikuqunywa.
15 Do not be like wicked people who [hide and] wait to break into the houses of righteous/good [people] and rob/steal things.
Wena okhohlakeleyo, ungacathameli umuzi wolungileyo; ungachithi indawo yakhe yokuphumula.
16 [Even if] good people fall down seven/many times, they [always] stand/get up again, but when a disaster happens to wicked [people], it ruins/destroys them.
Ngoba olungileyo uzakuwa kasikhombisa, avuke futhi; kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazakhubeka ebubini.
17 Do not be happy when something bad happens to one of your enemies; do not rejoice when he stumbles and falls,
Ungathokozi ngokuwa kwesitha sakho, lekukhubekeni kwaso inhliziyo yakho kayingajabuli;
18 because Yahweh will know what you are thinking, and he will not like it, and [as a result] he will not punish that enemy of yours.
hlezi iNkosi ikubone, kube kubi emehlweni ayo, iphendule ulaka lwayo ilususe kuso.
19 Do not become angry/upset about those who do what is evil, and do not [SYN] envy them,
Ungazikhathazi ngenxa yabenzi bobubi, ungabi lamhawu ngabakhohlakeleyo;
20 because [nothing good] will happen to wicked people; they are [like] a lamp that will soon be extinguished [MET].
ngoba omubi kayikuba lomvuzo; isibane sabakhohlakeleyo sizacitshwa.
21 My child/son, revere Yahweh and [also] honor the king, and do not associate with people who want to rebel against either of them,
Ndodana yami, yesaba uJehova lenkosi; ungahlanganyeli labaguquguqukayo;
22 because those people will suddenly experience disasters; and no one knows [RHQ] what great disasters that God or the king can cause to happen to them.
ngoba incithakalo yabo izavuka masinyane; njalo ngubani owazi ukuchitheka kwabo bobabili?
23 Here are more things that wise [people] have said: It is wrong for judges to decide matters unfairly [IDM].
Lala ngawabahlakaniphileyo. Ukunaka ubuso kusahlulelo kakulunganga.
24 If they say to people who are guilty, “You (are innocent/have not done something that is wrong),” [even] people in other nations will curse and despise them,
Othi kokhohlakeleyo: Wena ulungile; abantu bazamqalekisa, izizwe zizamthukuthelela.
25 but if judges say that guilty people must be punished, things will go well for those judges, and (they will receive blessings/God will bless them).
Kodwa kulabo abamkhuzayo kuzakuba lentokozo, lesibusiso esihle sizabehlela.
26 Those who answer others honestly show that they are truly their friends [IDM].
Ophendula ngamazwi aqondileyo uzakwanga indebe.
27 First, do the work [that needs to be done] outside [your house], and prepare your fields, [and then plant things], and after you finish doing that, build your house.
Lungisa umsebenzi wakho ngaphandle, uzilungiselele wona ensimini, emva kwalokho wakhe indlu yakho.
28 [In the courtroom] do not testify against someone when you have no reason to do that, and do not [try to] deceive [people] by what you say [MTY].
Ungabi ngumfakazi umelene lomakhelwane wakho kungelasizatho, kumbe ukhohlise ngendebe zakho.
29 Do not say, “I will do to him what he did to me; I will pay him back for [the bad things that] he did to me.”
Ungathi: Njengokwenza kwakhe kimi ngizakwenza njalo kuye; ngizaphindisela emuntwini njengokomsebenzi wakhe.
30 One day I walked by the vineyards of a lazy man, a man who did not have good sense.
Ngedlula ensimini yevila, lesivinini somuntu oswele ingqondo;
31 I was surprised to see that the fields were full of all kinds of thorny bushes, and the stone wall [around the garden] had (collapsed/fallen down).
khangela-ke, konke kwakumile ameva, imbabazane yayisibekele ubuso bakho, lomthangala wakho wamatshe udilikile.
32 When I saw that, I thought about it, and I learned this:
Mina-ke ngakukhangela, ngakubeka enhliziyweni yami; ngakubona, ngemukela imfundiso.
33 [If you spend a lot of time] sleeping and napping and folding your hands while you rest,
Ubuthongo obuncinyane, ukuwozela okuncinyane, ukusonga izandla okuncinyane ukuthi kulalwe,
34 [soon] you will become poor; [it will be as though] [PRS, SIM] a bandit who had a weapon in his hand [attacked you and stole all that you had].
besebusiza ubuyanga bakho njengesihambi, lenswelo zakho njengomuntu ohlomileyo.
