Proverbs 2
1 My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you,
Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,
2 so as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;
ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,
3 yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;
yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,
4 if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures;
uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,
5 then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.
khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.
6 For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.
7 He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,
8 that he may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of his saints.
ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.
Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.
10 For wisdom will enter into your heart. 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 keep you,
ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;
12 to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things,
ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness,
abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;
14 who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil,
abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;
15 who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths,
abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;
16 to deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words,
ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;
17 who forsakes the friend 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, her paths to the departed spirits.
ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.
19 None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life.
Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.
20 Therefore walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.
21 For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.
Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.
kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.
