Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what [is] before thee:
Nxa uhlalela ukudla lesiphathamandla, qaphelisa lokuqaphelisa okuphambi kwakho.
2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou [art] a man given to appetite.
Ubeke ingqamu emphinjeni wakho uba uyisiminzi.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they [are] deceitful food.
Ungafisi izibondlo zaso, ngoba ziyikudla kwamanga.
4 Labor not to be rich: cease from thy own wisdom.
Ungatshikatshikeli ukunotha; pheza ekuqedisiseni kwakho.
5 Wilt thou set thy eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make to themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle towards heaven.
Uzandizisa yini amehlo akho kokungekho? Ngoba kuzazenzela lokuzenzela izimpiko njengokhozi oluphaphela emazulwini.
6 Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties:
Ungadli ukudla kolelihlo elibi, ungafisi izibondlo zakhe.
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart [is] not with thee.
Ngoba njengoba ecabangile emphefumulweni wakhe, unjalo. Uzakuthi: Dlana unathe; kodwa inhliziyo yakhe kayilawe.
8 The morsel [which] thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Ucezu oludlileyo uzaluhlanza, wone amazwi akho amnandi.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Ungakhulumi endlebeni zoyisithutha, ngoba uzadelela inhlakanipho yamazwi akho.
10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
Ungatshedisi isikhonkwane esidala somngcele; ungangeni emasimini ezintandane;
11 For their redeemer [is] mighty; he will plead their cause with thee.
ngoba uMhlengi wazo ulamandla; yena uzamela udaba lwazo kuwe.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, and thy ears to the words of knowledge.
Beka inhliziyo yakho ekufundisweni, lezindlebe zakho emazwini olwazi.
13 Withhold not correction from the child: for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Ungagodleli umntwana isijeziso; nxa umtshaya ngoswazi kayikufa.
Wena uzamtshaya ngoswazi, ukhulule umphefumulo wakhe esihogweni. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
Ndodana yami, uba inhliziyo yakho ihlakanipha, inhliziyo yami izathokoza, yebo eyami;
16 Yes, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
lezinso zami zizajabula ekukhulumeni kwendebe zakho izinto eziqondileyo.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners: but [be thou] in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
Inhliziyo yakho kayingahawukeli izoni; kodwa bana ekwesabeni iNkosi lonke usuku.
18 For surely there is an end; and thy expectation shall not be cut off.
Ngoba isibili kukhona umvuzo, lomlindelo wakho kawuyikuqunywa.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.
Lalela wena, ndodana yami, uhlakaniphe, uqondise inhliziyo yakho endleleni.
20 Be not among wine-bibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Ungabi phakathi kwabanathi bewayini, phakathi kwezihwaba zenyama.
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe [a man] with rags.
Ngoba isidakwa lesihwaba sizakuba ngumyanga, lokuwozela kugqokisa amadabudabu.
22 Hearken to thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
Lalela uyihlo owakuzalayo, ungamdeleli unyoko esemdala.
23 Buy the truth, and sell [it] not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Thenga iqiniso, ungalithengisi; inhlakanipho, lemfundiso, lokuqedisisa.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise [child] shall have joy of him.
Uyise wolungileyo uzathaba lokuthaba; lozala ohlakaniphileyo uzathokoza ngaye.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.
Uyihlo lonyoko kabathokoze, lokuzeleyo kathabe.
26 My son, give me thy heart, and let thy eyes observe my ways.
Ndodana yami, ngiphe inhliziyo yakho, lamehlo akho kawananzelele indlela zami.
27 For a lewd woman [is] a deep ditch; and a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.
Ngoba iwule lingumgodi otshonayo, lowesifazana owemzini ungumthombo ongumcingo.
28 She also lieth in wait as [for] a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
Laye ucathama njengomphangi, andise abangathembekanga phakathi kwabantu.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Ngubani olo: Maye? Ngubani olo: Wo? Ngubani olenkani? Ngubani olesililo? Ngubani olamanxeba ngeze? Ngubani olamehlo abomvu?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Yilabo abalibala ewayinini, yilabo abazedinga iwayini elixutshanisiweyo.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
Ungakhangeli iwayini, lapho lizibonakalisa libomvu, nxa linika umbala walo enkomitshini, lihamba liqondile.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Ekucineni kwalo liluma njengenyoka, lilume njengebululu.
33 Thy eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter perverse things.
Amehlo akho azabona abesifazana bemzini, lenhliziyo yakho ikhulume izinto eziphambeneyo.
34 And thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Yebo, uzakuba njengolala enhliziyweni yolwandle, lanjengolala esihlokweni sensika yomkhumbi.
35 They have stricken me, [wilt thou say], [and] I was not sick; they have beaten me, [and] I felt [it] not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Bangitshayile, kangizwanga buhlungu; bangidutshuzile, kangikunanzanga. Ngizavuka nini? Ngiphinde ngilidinge futhi.
