Izaga 1
1 Izaga zikaSolomoni indodana kaDavida, inkosi yako-Israyeli:
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 ukuba abantu bazuze ukuhlakanipha lokuzithiba; ukuba bazwisise amazwi okuqedisisa;
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 ukuba bazuze impilo yokuzithiba lobuqotho, besenza okulungileyo, okufaneleyo lokuqondileyo;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 ukunika ulwazi kwabayizithutha, ulwazi lokukhetha okuqondileyo kwabatsha
To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 ukuthi ohlakaniphileyo alalele engeze ukufunda kwakhe, kuthi obonisisayo azuze izeluleko,
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 ukuba abantu bazwisise izaga lemizekeliso, izitsho lamalibho abahlakaniphileyo.
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 Ukwesaba uThixo kuyikuqala kwenhlakanipho, kodwa iziwula ziyakweyisa ukuqedisisa lokuzithiba.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Lalela, ndodana yami, izeluleko zikayihlo njalo ungadeli imfundiso kanyoko.
My son, hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother:
9 Kuzakuba ngumqhele omuhle ekhanda lakho lomgaxo wokucecisa intamo yakho.
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto your head, and chains about your neck.
10 Ndodana yami, aluba izoni zikuhuga, ungaze wavuma.
My son, if sinners entice you, consent you 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 privately for the innocent without cause:
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; 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 your lot among us; let us all have one purse:
15 ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo, ungalugxobi olwakho ezindleleni zazo;
My son, walk not you in the way with them; refrain your foot from their path:
16 ngoba ezabo inyawo zigijima ekoneni, bachitha igazi lula.
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 Kakusizi ukuthiya ngembule lithe dandalazi emehlweni ezinyoni!
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
18 Abantu laba bacathamela ukuchitheka kwelabo igazi; bajuma okwabo ukuphila.
And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privately for their own lives.
19 Sinjalo isiphetho salabo abadinga inzuzo ngobugebenga; kuyayichitha impilo yalabo abayitholayo.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which takes away the life of the owners thereof.
20 Ukuhlakanipha kuyamemeza emgwaqweni, kuphakamisa ilizwi lakho ezinkundleni;
Wisdom cries without; she utters her voice in the streets:
21 kuyanqongoloza lezindleleni okuxokozela khona, kuyatshumayela emasangweni omuzi kuthi:
She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words, saying,
22 “Koze kube nini lina zithutha lithanda ubuthutha benu na? Koze kube nini izideleli zikholisa ukudelela leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi na?
How long, all of you simple ones, will all of you love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Lalelani ukukhuza kwami liphenduke! Ngizalivulela isifuba sami, ngilivezele imicabango yami.
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi langifulathela ngilibiza, kwangabi khona onginanzayo ngiselula isandla sami,
Because I have called, and all of you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 njengoba lala izeluleko zami njalo kalavuma ukukhuza kwami,
But all of you have set at nothing all my counsel, and refused my reproof:
26 ngakho lami ngizahleka selihlupheka; ngizaliklolodela nxa lisehlelwa lusizi,
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear comes;
27 nxa usizi lulehlela njengesiphepho; nxa incithakalo ilikhukhula njengesivunguzane, nxa usizi lezinhlupheko ziligabhela.
When your fear comes as desolation, and your destruction comes as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish comes upon you.
28 Lapho-ke bazangibiza kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidinga bangangitholi.
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 Ngoba babeluzonda ulwazi kabaze bakhetha ukwesaba uThixo
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
30 ngoba kabavumanga iseluleko sami, badelela ukukhuza kwami,
They refused 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 own 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 fools shall destroy them.
33 kodwa lowo ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile ekhululekile, engesabi lutho olungamlimaza.”
But whoso hearkens unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
