Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,
Nxa uhlalela ukudla lesiphathamandla, qaphelisa lokuqaphelisa okuphambi kwakho.
2 And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.
Ubeke ingqamu emphinjeni wakho uba uyisiminzi.
3 Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.
Ungafisi izibondlo zaso, ngoba ziyikudla kwamanga.
4 Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.
Ungatshikatshikeli ukunotha; pheza ekuqedisiseni kwakho.
5 For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
Uzandizisa yini amehlo akho kokungekho? Ngoba kuzazenzela lokuzenzela izimpiko njengokhozi oluphaphela emazulwini.
6 Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,
Ungadli ukudla kolelihlo elibi, ungafisi izibondlo zakhe.
7 For as he hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart [is] not with thee.
Ngoba njengoba ecabangile emphefumulweni wakhe, unjalo. Uzakuthi: Dlana unathe; kodwa inhliziyo yakhe kayilawe.
8 Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.
Ucezu oludlileyo uzaluhlanza, wone amazwi akho amnandi.
9 In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.
Ungakhulumi endlebeni zoyisithutha, ngoba uzadelela inhlakanipho yamazwi akho.
10 Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,
Ungatshedisi isikhonkwane esidala somngcele; ungangeni emasimini ezintandane;
11 For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.
ngoba uMhlengi wazo ulamandla; yena uzamela udaba lwazo kuwe.
12 Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.
Beka inhliziyo yakho ekufundisweni, lezindlebe zakho emazwini olwazi.
13 Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.
Ungagodleli umntwana isijeziso; nxa umtshaya ngoswazi kayikufa.
Wena uzamtshaya ngoswazi, ukhulule umphefumulo wakhe esihogweni. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,
Ndodana yami, uba inhliziyo yakho ihlakanipha, inhliziyo yami izathokoza, yebo eyami;
16 And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.
lezinso zami zizajabula ekukhulumeni kwendebe zakho izinto eziqondileyo.
17 Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
Inhliziyo yakho kayingahawukeli izoni; kodwa bana ekwesabeni iNkosi lonke usuku.
18 For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.
Ngoba isibili kukhona umvuzo, lomlindelo wakho kawuyikuqunywa.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,
Lalela wena, ndodana yami, uhlakaniphe, uqondise inhliziyo yakho endleleni.
20 Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
Ungabi phakathi kwabanathi bewayini, phakathi kwezihwaba zenyama.
21 For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.
Ngoba isidakwa lesihwaba sizakuba ngumyanga, lokuwozela kugqokisa amadabudabu.
22 Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.
Lalela uyihlo owakuzalayo, ungamdeleli unyoko esemdala.
23 Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
Thenga iqiniso, ungalithengisi; inhlakanipho, lemfundiso, lokuqedisisa.
24 The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.
Uyise wolungileyo uzathaba lokuthaba; lozala ohlakaniphileyo uzathokoza ngaye.
25 Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.
Uyihlo lonyoko kabathokoze, lokuzeleyo kathabe.
26 Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.
Ndodana yami, ngiphe inhliziyo yakho, lamehlo akho kawananzelele indlela zami.
27 For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a strait pit.
Ngoba iwule lingumgodi otshonayo, lowesifazana owemzini ungumthombo ongumcingo.
28 She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.
Laye ucathama njengomphangi, andise abangathembekanga phakathi kwabantu.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? 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 Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
Yilabo abalibala ewayinini, yilabo abazedinga iwayini elixutshanisiweyo.
31 See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.
Ungakhangeli iwayini, lapho lizibonakalisa libomvu, nxa linika umbala walo enkomitshini, lihamba liqondile.
32 Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
Ekucineni kwalo liluma njengenyoka, lilume njengebululu.
33 Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.
Amehlo akho azabona abesifazana bemzini, lenhliziyo yakho ikhulume izinto eziphambeneyo.
34 And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
Yebo, uzakuba njengolala enhliziyweni yolwandle, lanjengolala esihlokweni sensika yomkhumbi.
35 'They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I seek it yet again!'
Bangitshayile, kangizwanga buhlungu; bangidutshuzile, kangikunanzanga. Ngizavuka nini? Ngiphinde ngilidinge futhi.
