< Proverbs 2 >

1 My son, if thou dost accept my sayings, And my commands dost lay up with thee,
Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,
2 To cause thine ear to attend to wisdom, Thou inclinest thy heart to understanding,
ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,
3 For, if for intelligence thou callest, For understanding givest forth thy voice,
yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,
4 If thou dost seek her as silver, And as hid treasures searchest for her,
uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,
5 Then understandest thou fear of Jehovah, And knowledge of God thou findest.
khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.
6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom, From His mouth knowledge and understanding.
Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.
7 Even to lay up for the upright substance, A shield for those walking uprightly.
Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,
8 To keep the paths of judgment, And the way of His saints He preserveth.
ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.
9 Then understandest thou righteousness, And judgment, and uprightness — every good path.
Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.
10 For wisdom cometh into thy heart, And knowledge to thy soul is pleasant,
Lapho inhlakanipho izangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho;
11 Thoughtfulness doth watch over thee, Understanding doth keep thee,
ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;
12 To deliver thee from an evil way, From any speaking froward things,
ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;
13 Who are forsaking paths of uprightness, To walk in ways of darkness,
abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;
14 Who are rejoicing to do evil, They delight in frowardness of the wicked,
abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;
15 Whose paths [are] crooked, Yea, they are perverted in their ways.
abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, From the stranger who hath made smooth her sayings,
ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;
17 Who is forsaking the guide of her youth, And the covenant of her God hath forgotten.
otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;
18 For her house hath inclined unto death, And unto Rephaim her paths.
ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.
19 None going in unto her turn back, Nor do they reach the paths of life.
Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.
20 That thou dost go in the way of the good, And the paths of the righteous dost keep.
Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.
21 For the upright do inhabit the earth, And the perfect are left in it,
Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;
22 And the wicked from the earth are cut off, And treacherous dealers plucked out of it!
kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.

< Proverbs 2 >