Proverbs 27
1 Do not boast about [what you will do] tomorrow, because you do not know what will happen [PRS] on any day.
Ungazincomi ngosuku lwakusasa, ngoba kawazi ukuthi usuku luzazalani.
2 Do not praise yourself [MTY, PRS]; allow others to praise you. If someone else praises you, that is okay.
Owemzini kakudumise, njalo hatshi umlomo wakho; owezizwe, njalo hatshi indebe zakho.
3 [It causes pain to our bodies to carry heavy] stones or [a pail full of] sand, but doing something stupid/foolish [can cause] great [pain to other people’s spirits.]
Ilitshe linzima, letshebetshebe liyasinda, kodwa ulaka lwesithutha lunzima kulakho kokubili.
4 It is cruel to be angry [with others], and our being angry sometimes destroys [others], but being jealous of someone is [RHQ] often more cruel than that.
Ulaka lulolunya, lentukuthelo iyisikhukhula; kodwa ngubani ongema phambi komona?
5 It is better to correct someone openly than to show that you l don’t love that person [by not correcting him].
Kungcono ukukhuzwa ngokusobala kulothando lwensitha.
6 If a friend criticizes you, [he is a good friend and] you can trust him; but if one of your enemies kisses you, he is [probably wanting to] deceive you.
Amanxeba omngane athembekile, kodwa ukwanga kwesitha kuyakhohlisa.
7 When someone’s stomach is full, he does not want to eat honey; but when someone is [very] hungry, he thinks that [even] bitter things taste sweet.
Umphefumulo osuthiyo unyathelela phansi uhlanga loluju, kodwa kumphefumulo olambileyo konke okubabayo kumnandi.
8 Anyone who wanders [far] from his home/family is like [SIM] a bird that is far from its nest.
Njengenyoni eduha isuka esidlekeni sayo unjalo umuntu oduha esuka endaweni yakhe.
9 [Putting olive] oil and perfume on a person’s skin causes him to feel good, but having a friend [who gives] good advice [is even better].
Amafutha lempepha kuthokozisa inhliziyo; kunjalo ubumnandi bomngane womuntu ngenxa yeseluleko somphefumulo.
10 Do not neglect your friends or your parents’ friends; and at a time when you are experiencing a disaster, do not go to a relative [who lives far away to request his help]; someone who lives near you can help you more than relatives who live far away.
Ungadeli umngane wakho lomngane kayihlo; njalo ungangeni endlini yomfowenu ngosuku lwencithakalo yakho; kungcono umakhelwane oseduze kulomfowenu okhatshana.
11 My child/son, cause me to be happy by becoming wise, in order that I will [know how to] reply to those who would criticize me [about your behavior].
Hlakanipha, ndodana yami, uthokozise inhliziyo yami, ukuze ngibe lempendulo kongisolayo.
12 Those who have good sense will realize that there is something dangerous ahead, and they will hide; those who do not have good sense [just] keep going, and later they will suffer because of [doing] that.
Okhaliphileyo uyabona ububi acatshe, kodwa abangelalwazi bayaqhubeka bajeziswe.
13 [You deserve to] have your property taken from you if you [foolishly] promise to a stranger (OR, a strange woman) that you will pay what she owes if she is unable to pay it [DOU].
Thatha isigqoko soyisibambiso ngenxa yowemzini, umthathele isibambiso ngenxa yowesifazana wezizwe.
14 If you rise early in the morning and call out a greeting to your neighbor [while he is still sleeping], he will consider it to be a curse, [not a blessing].
Obusisa umngane wakhe ngelizwi elikhulu evuka ekuseni kakhulu, kuzathiwa yisiqalekiso kuye.
15 [Having] a wife that is [constantly] nagging is as [bad as listening] to rain continually dripping on a rainy day.
Ukuchophelela ngosuku lwezulu eliqhubekayo lowesifazana oxabanayo kuyafanana.
16 [Trying] to restrain/stop her [from doing that] is as [difficult] [SIM] [as trying] to stop the wind or [trying] to hold oil in your hand.
Omfihlayo ufihla umoya, lamagcobo ahlangana lesandla sakhe sokunene.
17 [We can use one] iron tool to sharpen [another] iron [tool]; similarly [SIM], [when one person shares] what he is thinking, it can help other people [to think more clearly].
Insimbi ilolwa ngensimbi; ngokunjalo umuntu ulola ubuso bomngane wakhe.
18 Those who take care of fig trees will have figs to eat; [similarly], servants who protect their master will be honored [by him].
Olondoloza isihlahla somkhiwa uzakudla isithelo saso; lolinda inkosi yakhe uzadunyiswa.
19 [When a person looks] in the water, he sees his own face; similarly [SIM], [when we look at] a person’s behavior, we know what he is thinking.
Njengemanzini ubuso busebusweni, ngokunjalo inhliziyo yomuntu isemuntwini.
20 [It is as though] the place where the dead people are is always wanting more people to [die and] come there; and humans [SYN] are always wanting to acquire more things, [too]. (Sheol h7585)
Isihogo lencithakalo kakusuthi, ngokunjalo amehlo omuntu kawasuthi. (Sheol h7585)
21 [Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and [SIM] people learn [what we are really like when they see how we react when people] praise us.
Imbiza yokucenga ngeyesiliva, lesithando ngesegolide; kunjalo umuntu ngokokudunyiswa kwakhe.
22 Even if you beat/crush a fool severely [like] [MET] you pulverize grain with a pestle, you [probably] will not be able to cause him to stop (being foolish/doing foolish things).
Lanxa ugiga isithutha ngomgigo engigeni phakathi kwengqoloyi, ubuthutha baso kabuyikusuka kuso.
23 Take good care of your flocks of sheep and herds of cattle,
Yazi lokwazi isimo sezimvu zakho, beka inhliziyo yakho kumihlambi yakho,
24 because the money [that you acquired from selling animals previously] will not (last/stay with you) forever; similarly [SIM], governments [MTY] certainly do not [RHQ] last forever.
ngoba inotho kayisiyaphakade; kumbe umqhele ube sesizukulwaneni lesizukulwana yini?
25 After you cut the hay [DOU] and [store it to feed the animals in the winter while] a new crop of hay is growing,
Utshani buyasuswa, lohlaza lubonakale, kubuthwe lemibhida yezintaba.
26 you will be able to [shear the sheep and] make clothes from the wool, and you will get money from selling [some of] the goats to buy [more] land,
Amawundlu angawezigqoko zakho, lezimpongo ziyintengo yesiqinti.
27 and you will get enough milk from the [other] goats for you and your family and your female servants.
Kuzakuba lochago lwezimbuzi olwanele ukudla kwakho lokudla kwendlu yakho lempilo yencekukazi zakho.
