Izaga 1
1 Izaga zikaSolomoni indodana kaDavida, inkosi yako-Israyeli:
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 ukuba abantu bazuze ukuhlakanipha lokuzithiba; ukuba bazwisise amazwi okuqedisisa;
to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
3 ukuba bazuze impilo yokuzithiba lobuqotho, besenza okulungileyo, okufaneleyo lokuqondileyo;
to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness and judgment, and equity;
4 ukunika ulwazi kwabayizithutha, ulwazi lokukhetha okuqondileyo kwabatsha
to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 ukuthi ohlakaniphileyo alalele engeze ukufunda kwakhe, kuthi obonisisayo azuze izeluleko,
He that is wise will hear, and will increase learning; and the intelligent will gain wise counsels:
6 ukuba abantu bazwisise izaga lemizekeliso, izitsho lamalibho abahlakaniphileyo.
to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.
7 Ukwesaba uThixo kuyikuqala kwenhlakanipho, kodwa iziwula ziyakweyisa ukuqedisisa lokuzithiba.
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Lalela, ndodana yami, izeluleko zikayihlo njalo ungadeli imfundiso kanyoko.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
9 Kuzakuba ngumqhele omuhle ekhanda lakho lomgaxo wokucecisa intamo yakho.
for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 Ndodana yami, aluba izoni zikuhuga, ungaze wavuma.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not.
11 Nxa zisithi, “Woza sihambe; kasicathamele abantu sichithe igazi, kasicwathele omunye umuntu ongelacala;
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 sizazuza impahla ezinhle ezehlukeneyo sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango;
we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14 phathisana lathi ukuze sibelesikhwama sinye”
cast in thy lot among us; we will all have one purse:
15 ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo, ungalugxobi olwakho ezindleleni zazo;
— my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path;
16 ngoba ezabo inyawo zigijima ekoneni, bachitha igazi lula.
for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 Kakusizi ukuthiya ngembule lithe dandalazi emehlweni ezinyoni!
For in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything which hath wings.
18 Abantu laba bacathamela ukuchitheka kwelabo igazi; bajuma okwabo ukuphila.
And these lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 Sinjalo isiphetho salabo abadinga inzuzo ngobugebenga; kuyayichitha impilo yalabo abayitholayo.
So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain: it taketh away the life of its possessors.
20 Ukuhlakanipha kuyamemeza emgwaqweni, kuphakamisa ilizwi lakho ezinkundleni;
Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways;
21 kuyanqongoloza lezindleleni okuxokozela khona, kuyatshumayela emasangweni omuzi kuthi:
she calleth in the chief [place] of concourse, in the entry of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words:
22 “Koze kube nini lina zithutha lithanda ubuthutha benu na? Koze kube nini izideleli zikholisa ukudelela leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi na?
How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness, and scorners take pleasure in their scorning, and the foolish hate knowledge?
23 Lalelani ukukhuza kwami liphenduke! Ngizalivulela isifuba sami, ngilivezele imicabango yami.
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words.
24 Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi langifulathela ngilibiza, kwangabi khona onginanzayo ngiselula isandla sami,
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;
25 njengoba lala izeluleko zami njalo kalavuma ukukhuza kwami,
and ye have rejected all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 ngakho lami ngizahleka selihlupheka; ngizaliklolodela nxa lisehlelwa lusizi,
I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 nxa usizi lulehlela njengesiphepho; nxa incithakalo ilikhukhula njengesivunguzane, nxa usizi lezinhlupheko ziligabhela.
when your fear cometh as sudden destruction, and your calamity cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you:
28 Lapho-ke bazangibiza kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidinga bangangitholi.
— then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, and shall not find me.
29 Ngoba babeluzonda ulwazi kabaze bakhetha ukwesaba uThixo
Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah;
30 ngoba kabavumanga iseluleko sami, badelela ukukhuza kwami,
they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof:
31 bazakudla izithelo zokuhamba kwabo basuthiswe ngezithelo zamacebo abo.
therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 Phela ubuhlongandlebe bezithutha buzazibulala, lokungananzi kweziphukuphuku kuzazibhubhisa;
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall cause them to perish.
33 kodwa lowo ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile ekhululekile, engesabi lutho olungamlimaza.”
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from fear of evil.
