Proverbs 6
1 My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand,
Ndodana yami, uba uyisibambiso somakhelwane wakho, watshayela owezizwe isandla sakho,
2 Hast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings of thy mouth,
uthiywe ngamazwi omlomo wakho, ubanjwe ngamazwi omlomo wakho.
3 Do this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend,
Yenza lokhu khathesi, ndodana yami, uzophule, lokhu usesandleni sikamakhelwane wakho; hamba, uzithobe, umncengisise umakhelwane wakho.
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids,
Unganiki amehlo akho ubuthongo, lokuwozela enkopheni zakho.
5 Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.
Uzophule njengomziki esandleni somzingeli, lanjengenyoni esandleni somthiyi wenyoni.
6 Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;
Yana ebunyonyweni, vila, ubone indlela zabo, uhlakaniphe.
7 Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,
Obuthi, bungelamkhokheli, induna, lombusi,
8 She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food.
bulungisa isinkwa sabo ehlobo, bubuthe ukudla kwabo esivunweni.
9 Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?
Koze kube nini, vila, ulele? Uzavuka nini ebuthongweni bakho?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,
Ubuthongo obuncinyane, ukuwozela okuncinyane, ukusonga izandla okuncinyane ukuthi ulale,
11 And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.
besebusiza ubuyanga bakho njengesihambi, lenswelo yakho njengomuntu olesihlangu.
12 A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking [with] perverseness of mouth,
Umuntu kaBheliyali, umuntu okhohlakeleyo, ohamba lomlomo ophambeneyo,
13 Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers,
afice amehlo akhe, akhulume ngenyawo zakhe, afundise ngeminwe yakhe,
14 Frowardness [is] in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.
ukuphambuka kusenhliziyweni yakhe, uceba okubi ngesikhathi sonke, ephosela ingxabano.
15 Therefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken — and no healing.
Ngenxa yalokhu ingozi yakhe izafika masinyane, ahle ephuke, kuze kungabi leselapho.
16 These six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven [are] abominations to His soul.
Lezizinto eziyisithupha iNkosi iyazizonda; yebo, eziyisikhombisa ziyizinengiso emphefumulweni wakhe:
17 Eyes high — tongues false — And hands shedding innocent blood —
Amehlo aphakemeyo, ulimi oluqamba amanga, lezandla ezichitha igazi elingelacala,
18 A heart devising thoughts of vanity — Feet hasting to run to evil —
inhliziyo eceba amacebo amabi, inyawo eziphangisa ukugijimela ububi,
19 A false witness [who] doth breathe out lies — And one sending forth contentions between brethren.
umfakazi wamanga ophafuza izinkohliso, lophosela ingxabano phakathi kwabazalwane.
20 Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.
Ndodana yami, gcina umlayo kayihlo, ungakudeli ukufundisa kukanyoko.
21 Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck.
Kubophele enhliziyweni yakho njalo, kubophele entanyeni yakho.
22 In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked — it talketh [with] thee.
Ekuhambeni kwakho kuzakukhokhela, ekulaleni kwakho kukulondoloze, lekuvukeni kwakho khona kukhulume lawe.
23 For a lamp [is] the command, And the law a light, And a way of life [are] reproofs of instruction,
Ngoba umlayo uyisibane, lokufundisa kuyikukhanya, lokukhuza kokulaya kuyindlela yempilo,
24 To preserve thee from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
ukuze kukugcine emfazini omubi, emazwini ayengayo olimi lowesifazana wemzini.
25 Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids.
Ungaloyisi ubuhle bakhe enhliziyweni yakho; angakuthathi ngenkophe zakhe.
26 For a harlot consumeth unto a cake of bread, And an adulteress the precious soul hunteth.
Ngoba ngenxa yomfazi oyisiphingi ungafika ecezwini lwesinkwa, lomfazi womuntu uzingela umphefumulo oligugu.
27 Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt?
Kambe, umuntu angaphatha umlilo esifubeni sakhe, lezigqoko zakhe zingatshi?
28 Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched?
Umuntu angahamba phezu kwamalahle avuthayo, lenyawo zakhe zingatshi yini?
29 So [is] he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.
Unjalo ongena kumkamakhelwane wakhe; wonke omthintayo kayikuba msulwa.
30 They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,
Kabalideleli isela, nxa liseba ukuthi ligcwalise umphefumulo walo, ngoba lilambile.
31 And being found he repayeth sevenfold, All the substance of his house he giveth.
Uba litholwa, lihlawula kuphindwe kasikhombisa, linika yonke impahla yendlu yalo.
32 He who committeth adultery [with] a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it.
Ofeba lowesifazana uswela ingqondo; owenza lokhu nguye ochitha umphefumulo wakhe.
33 A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away,
Uzathola ukutshaywa lesigcono, lehlazo lakhe kaliyikwesulwa.
34 For jealousy [is] the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance.
Ngoba ubukhwele bululaka lomuntu; ngakho kayikuba lasihawu ngosuku lwempindiselo.
35 He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!
Kayikunanza loba yiyiphi inhlawulo, kayikuvuma lanxa usandisa isipho.
