Proverbs 2
1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,
2 make your ears pay attention to wisdom and incline your heart to understanding.
ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,
3 If you cry out for understanding and raise your voice for it,
yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,
4 if you seek it like you would seek silver and search for understanding as you would seek hidden treasures,
uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,
5 then you will understand the fear of Yahweh and you will find the knowledge of God.
khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.
6 For Yahweh gives wisdom, from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for those who please him, he is a shield for those who walk in integrity,
Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,
8 he guards the paths of justice and he will preserve the way of those who are faithful to him.
ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.
9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and equity, and every good path.
Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.
10 For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Lapho inhlakanipho izangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho;
11 Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you.
ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;
12 They will rescue you from the way of evil, from those who speak perverse things,
ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;
13 who abandon the right paths and walk in the ways of darkness.
abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;
14 They rejoice when they do evil and delight in the perversities of evil.
abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;
15 They follow crooked paths, and using deception they hide their tracks.
abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;
16 Wisdom and discretion will save you from an adulterous woman, from an immoral woman and her flattering words.
ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;
17 She forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.
otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;
18 For her house leads down to death and her tracks will lead you to those in the grave.
ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.
19 All who go in to her will not return again and they will not find the paths of life.
Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.
20 So you will walk in the way of good people and follow the paths of righteous people.
Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.
21 For those doing right will make a home in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.
Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the faithless will be cut off from it.
kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.
