Izaga 11
1 UThixo uyazenyanya izilinganiso zokudlelezela, kodwa uthokoza ngezilinganiso eziqondileyo.
Yahweh detests [people who use] scales that do not weigh correctly; he is delighted with [those who use] correct weights on the scales.
2 Nxa kungena ukuzigqaja kungena lokweyisa, kodwa ukuzithoba kuhamba lenhlakanipho.
[People who are] proud will [eventually] be disgraced; it is wise to be humble.
3 Ubuqotho kwabaqondileyo buyabakhokhela, kodwa abangathembekanga babulawa yibumenemene babo.
[People who are] good are guided by [doing what is] honest; those who are not honest will be ruined because of the wrong things that they do.
4 Inotho kayisizi lutho ngosuku lweziphithiphithi kodwa ukulunga kuyaphephisa ekufeni.
[Your] money will not help [you] on the day that [God] judges [and punishes people]; but if you live righteously, you will live a long time.
5 Ukulunga kwabangelacala kuqondisa indlela yabo, kodwa ababi bawiswa yibubi babo.
When people are honest and good, that will (direct their paths/show them what is right for them to do); but wicked [people will] experience disasters because of the evil things that they do.
6 Ukulunga kwabaqondileyo kuyabakhulula, kodwa abangathembekanga bagwenxwa yizinkanuko zabo ezimbi.
[God] rescues/protects righteous [people] because they (are honest/do what is right), but those who (are treacherous/cannot be trusted) will be trapped because of their being greedy.
7 Umuntu omubi angafa ithemba lakhe liyaphela; konke abesithi uzakuzuza ngamandla akhe kuphelela ezeni.
When wicked [people] die, they cannot confidently expect to receive anything [that is good]; they expect that [their money] will help/save them, but it will not.
8 Umuntu olungileyo uyakhululwa enkathazweni, kusuke kuyewela komubi.
[Yahweh] rescues righteous [people] from their troubles/difficulties; instead, it is the wicked who will have troubles.
9 Ngomlomo wakhe umuntu ongakholwayo uyamchitha umakhelwane, kodwa ngolwazi abalungileyo bayaphepha.
Godless people can ruin others by what they say [MTY], but righteous [people will] be saved by [their (own] good sense/being wise).
10 Nxa kuphumelela abalungileyo umuzi uyathokoza; nxa kusifa omubi kuba lokujabula.
When things go well for righteous [people], [the people in] [MTY] their city are happy, and they shout joyfully when wicked [people] die.
11 Ngokubusiswa ngabalungileyo omubi ubalodumo, kodwa ngomlomo wezigangi uyachitheka.
When righteous [people request God to] bless a city, that city will become great, but cities are ruined by what wicked [people] say [MTY].
12 Umuntu ongelangqondo weyisa umakhelwane wakhe, kodwa umuntu ozwisisayo uthiba ulimi lwakhe.
It is foolish to despise others; those who (have good sense/are wise) do not say anything [to criticize others].
13 Onyeyayo wehluleka ukuvala isifuba sakhe, kodwa othembekileyo uyayigcina imfihlo.
Those who (spread gossip/tell bad things about others) will tell your secrets [to others], but if there is someone whom you can trust, you can trust him to not tell your secrets [to others].
14 Isizwe esingelabukhokheli obuqondileyo siyachitheka, kodwa ngobunengi babeluleki siyanqoba.
A nation will be destroyed/ruined if it does not have [leaders] who guide it [wisely]; but if there are many [good] advisors, the nation remains secure.
15 Lowo okhuphela omunye umuntu isibambiso uzahlupheka, kodwa owalayo ukupha isibambiso uvikelekile.
If you promise a stranger that you will pay his debt [if he cannot pay it himself], you will regret it. You will be safe if you refuse to guarantee that you will pay someone else’s debts.
16 Umfazi olomusa uyahlonitshwa, kodwa amadoda alesihluku azuza inotho kuphela.
[People] honor/respect women who are kind/gracious; ruthless/violent people may get a lot of money, [but that is all that they will get].
17 Umuntu olomusa uyazisiza, kodwa umuntu ololunya uyazilimaza.
Those who are kind benefit themselves [because others will be kind to them], but those who are cruel will hurt themselves [because others will be cruel to them].
18 Umuntu omubi uhola umvuzo wobuqili, kodwa lowo ohlanyela ukulunga uvuna umvuzo omuhle.
If wicked people earn a lot of money, that will deceive them [because they will not keep it for very long], but those who do what is right will surely be rewarded [by God forever].
19 Lowo omiyo ekulungeni uzuza ukuphila, kodwa oxotshana lobubi uya ekufeni.
Those who always do what is right will live [a long/happy life], but those who insist on doing what is wrong will not live [very long].
20 UThixo uyabazonda abantu abalenhliziyo embi, kodwa uyathokoza ngalabo abandlela zabo zilungile.
Yahweh hates those who are always thinking about doing evil things, but he is delighted with those who always do what is right.
21 Kodwa yazi lokhu, ababi bazajeziswa kodwa abalungileyo bazahlala bekhululekile.
It is certain that [Yahweh] will punish evil people and that righteous people will escape [from being punished].
22 Njengesongo legolide lifakwe emakhaleni engulube, unjalo umfazi omuhle kodwa ongelambeko.
[It is] ([unsuitable/not proper/disgusting]) for a beautiful woman not to know what is right to do, like [SIM] [it is unsuitable/disgusting] for a pig to have a gold ring in its snout/nose.
23 Izifiso zabalungileyo zizuza okuhle kodwa ithemba lababi liphelela osizini.
When the things that righteous people want happen, it brings good [to them and to others], but when the wicked get what they want, it causes everyone else to become angry.
24 Ophayo ngesihle uyazuza okunengi kulakuqala, lowo ogodlayo ungenelwa yibuyanga.
Some people give [their money] generously [to poor people], but they become richer [in spite of that], and some people hold tightly to their money, but they still become poor [in spite of that].
25 Lowo ophayo uzaphumelela; owonga abanye laye uzakongiwa.
Those who give generously [to others] will prosper; if you help others, [they/someone] will help you, too.
26 Abantu bayamqalekisa lowo ogodla amabele, kodwa izibusiso zingumqhele walowo ovuma ukuwathengisa.
People curse/despise someone who hoards his grain [and does not sell it], waiting to get a higher/bigger price for it, but they praise someone who sells it [when people need it, even when the price is not high].
27 Lowo odinga ukulunga uzuza umusa, kodwa okubi kwehlela lowo okudingayo.
If you sincerely want to [do what is] right, [people] will respect you, but if you are wanting to cause trouble, trouble is what you will get.
28 Othembele enothweni yakhe uzakuwa; kodwa olungileyo uzaphila njengehlamvu eliluhlaza.
Those who trust in their money will [disappear like the] withered [leaves that fall from the trees], but righteous [people] will keep going strong, like green leaves [in the summer].
29 Olethela abendlu yakhe uhlupho ilifa lakhe yize, lesihawu sizakuba yinceku yohlakaniphileyo.
Those who bring troubles to their families will inherit nothing [MET] [from them], and those who do foolish things [like that] will [some day] become the servants of wise [people].
30 Izithelo zolungileyo ziyisihlahla sokuphila, njalo lowo ozuza imiphefumulo uhlakaniphile.
Those who live righteously will live [for a long time], but [those who act] violently will destroy [their own] lives (OR, those who are wise will have many people come and live with them).
31 Nxa abalungileyo bezuza ukujeziswa emhlabeni pho kuzakuba njani kwabangakholwayo labayizoni!
[Sometimes] righteous [people] are rewarded [here] on the earth, but it is much more certain that very wicked people [DOU] [will be rewarded by being punished].
