Izaga 1
1 Izaga zikaSolomoni indodana kaDavida, inkosi yako-Israyeli:
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel:
2 ukuba abantu bazuze ukuhlakanipha lokuzithiba; ukuba bazwisise amazwi okuqedisisa;
To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the sayings of understanding;
3 ukuba bazuze impilo yokuzithiba lobuqotho, besenza okulungileyo, okufaneleyo lokuqondileyo;
To accept the instruction of intelligence, righteousness, and justice, and equity;
4 ukunika ulwazi kwabayizithutha, ulwazi lokukhetha okuqondileyo kwabatsha
To give to the simple prudence, to the youth knowledge and discretion.
5 ukuthi ohlakaniphileyo alalele engeze ukufunda kwakhe, kuthi obonisisayo azuze izeluleko,
The wise will hear, and will increase [his] information; and the man of understanding will obtain wise counsels:
6 ukuba abantu bazwisise izaga lemizekeliso, izitsho lamalibho abahlakaniphileyo.
To understand a proverb, and a sage sentence; the words of the wise, and their riddles.
7 Ukwesaba uThixo kuyikuqala kwenhlakanipho, kodwa iziwula ziyakweyisa ukuqedisisa lokuzithiba.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: wisdom and instruction fools [alone] despise.
8 Lalela, ndodana yami, izeluleko zikayihlo njalo ungadeli imfundiso kanyoko.
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and cast not off the teaching of thy mother;
9 Kuzakuba ngumqhele omuhle ekhanda lakho lomgaxo wokucecisa intamo yakho.
For a wreath of grace are they unto thy head, and chains for thy throat.
10 Ndodana yami, aluba izoni zikuhuga, ungaze wavuma.
My son, if sinners wish to entice thee, consent thou not.
11 Nxa zisithi, “Woza sihambe; kasicathamele abantu sichithe igazi, kasicwathele omunye umuntu ongelacala;
If they should say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us watch in concealment for the uselessly innocent;
We will swallow them up like the grave alive; and the men of integrity, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 sizazuza impahla ezinhle ezehlukeneyo sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango;
We shall find all [kinds of] precious wealth, we will fill our houses with booty;
14 phathisana lathi ukuze sibelesikhwama sinye”
Thy lot must thou cast in our midst; one purse shall be for us all:
15 ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo, ungalugxobi olwakho ezindleleni zazo;
My son, walk not thou on the way with them; withhold thy foot from their path;
16 ngoba ezabo inyawo zigijima ekoneni, bachitha igazi lula.
For their feet run after evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 Kakusizi ukuthiya ngembule lithe dandalazi emehlweni ezinyoni!
For uselessly is the net spread out before the eyes of every winged bird:
18 Abantu laba bacathamela ukuchitheka kwelabo igazi; bajuma okwabo ukuphila.
While they lie in wait for their [own] blood; they watch in concealment 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 after [unlawful] gain; it taketh away the life of those that own it.
20 Ukuhlakanipha kuyamemeza emgwaqweni, kuphakamisa ilizwi lakho ezinkundleni;
Wisdom crieth loudly without; in the public places she uttereth her voice;
21 kuyanqongoloza lezindleleni okuxokozela khona, kuyatshumayela emasangweni omuzi kuthi:
At the corner of noisy streets she calleth, at the entrances of gates; in the city she sayeth her speeches:
22 “Koze kube nini lina zithutha lithanda ubuthutha benu na? Koze kube nini izideleli zikholisa ukudelela leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi na?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners take their delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Lalelani ukukhuza kwami liphenduke! Ngizalivulela isifuba sami, ngilivezele imicabango yami.
Turn back to my admonition: 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,
Whereas I called, and ye refused; I stretched out my hand, and no man was attentive;
25 njengoba lala izeluleko zami njalo kalavuma ukukhuza kwami,
And ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would not accept my admonition:
26 ngakho lami ngizahleka selihlupheka; ngizaliklolodela nxa lisehlelwa lusizi,
[Therefore] I also will truly laugh at your calamity; I will deride [you] when your terror cometh;
27 nxa usizi lulehlela njengesiphepho; nxa incithakalo ilikhukhula njengesivunguzane, nxa usizi lezinhlupheko ziligabhela.
When your terror cometh like the tempest-cloud, and your calamity hasteneth like a whirlwind; when there come upon you distress and affliction.
28 Lapho-ke bazangibiza kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidinga bangangitholi.
Then will they call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me;
29 Ngoba babeluzonda ulwazi kabaze bakhetha ukwesaba uThixo
For the reason that they hated knowledge, and the fear of the Lord they did not choose;
30 ngoba kabavumanga iseluleko sami, badelela ukukhuza kwami,
[That] they would not attend to my counsel: [that] they rejected all my admonition.
31 bazakudla izithelo zokuhamba kwabo basuthiswe ngezithelo zamacebo abo.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and from their own counsels shall they be satisfied.
32 Phela ubuhlongandlebe bezithutha buzazibulala, lokungananzi kweziphukuphuku kuzazibhubhisa;
For the defection of the simple will slay them, and the prosperity of fools will cause them to be lost.
33 kodwa lowo ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile ekhululekile, engesabi lutho olungamlimaza.”
But he that hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from the dread of evil.
