Izaga 15
1 Impendulo ethobekileyo iyaludedisa ulaka, kodwa ilizwi elilukhuni livusa ulaka.
When people are angry with you, reply to them gently, and it will calm them; but if you reply harshly to them, it causes them to become more angry.
2 Ulimi lomuntu ohlakaniphileyo lukhulisa ulwazi, kodwa umlomo wesiwula uphihlika ubuphukuphuku.
When wise [people] speak [MTY], it causes those who hear what they say to want to know more; foolish people continually say [MTY] what is foolish.
3 Amehlo kaThixo asezindaweni zonke, alinde ababi labalungileyo.
Yahweh sees [MTY] [what is happening] everywhere; he observes what bad [people do] as well as what good [people do].
4 Ulimi oluletha ukuphola luyisihlahla sokuphila, kodwa ulimi olukhohlisayo luyawephula umoya.
Those who speak [MTY] kindly to people are [like] [MET] trees [whose fruit gives] life; speaking what is false causes people to (despair/feel very discouraged).
5 Isiwula siyakulahla ukulaya kukayise, kodwa owemukela ukuqondiswa uveza ukuhlakanipha.
Foolish children despise their parents when their parents correct/discipline them; wise children accept it.
6 Indlu yolungileyo igcwele inotho, kodwa inzuzo yababi ibehlisela uhlupho.
There are many valuable things in the houses of righteous [people]; the wealth of wicked [people] causes them to have troubles/difficulties.
7 Izindlela zabahlakaniphileyo ziyalwandisa ulwazi, kodwa kazenzi njalo inhliziyo zeziwula.
What wise [people] teach [MTY] causes others to know much more, [but] foolish people cannot teach others what is useful.
8 UThixo uyawenyanya umhlatshelo wababi, kodwa umkhuleko wabaqotho uyamthokozisa.
Yahweh detests the sacrifices that are offered by wicked [people]; what delights/pleases him very much are the prayers of righteous/good [people].
9 UThixo uyayenyanya indlela yababi, kodwa uyabathanda labo abalandela ukulunga.
Yahweh hates/detests the behavior of wicked [people], but he loves those who always do what is righteous/just/fair.
10 Ukujeziswa okubuhlungu kumlindele ophambuka endleleni; ozonda ukuqondiswa uzakufa.
Those who do what is wrong will be severely punished; those who do not want to be corrected will die.
Yahweh knows [what is happening in] the place where dead people [DOU] are, so he certainly knows [RHQ] what people are thinking. (Sheol h7585)
12 Isideleli siyakuzonda ukuqondiswa; kasibuzi kwabahlakaniphileyo.
Some people do not want to be corrected; they never go to wise [people to seek good advice from them].
13 Inhliziyo ethokozayo yenza ubuso buchelese, kodwa inhliziyo ebuhlungu yephula umoya.
When people are happy, they have smiles on their faces; but when they are sad, [by looking at their faces we can see that] they are sad.
14 Inhliziyo eqedisisayo idinga ulwazi, kodwa umlomo wesiwula wongiwa ngobuthutha.
Those who have good sense want to learn more; foolish people [MTY] are very satisfied with being foolish/ignorant.
15 Zonke insuku zabancindezelweyo zilukhuni, kodwa inhliziyo ethokozileyo ihlezi iminza.
Those who are oppressed constantly have difficulties, but those who (OR, if they) are happy, [it is as though] [MET] they are having a big feast every day.
16 Kungcono ukuba lokulutshwana umesaba uThixo kulokuba lenotho enengi ulenhlupho.
Being poor and revering Yahweh is better than being rich and having a lot of troubles.
17 Kungcono ukutsheba ngemibhida lapho okulothando khona, kulokudla inyama enonileyo okugcwele khona inzondo.
Eating meals with [people whom you] love and having only vegetables to eat is better than eating with [people who] hate [each other and] having lots of good meat [to eat].
18 Ololaka oluvuthayo ubanga ukuxabana, kodwa umuntu obekezelayo uqeda inkani.
Those who quickly become angry cause arguments/quarreling, but those who do not quickly become angry cause people to act peacefully.
19 Indlela yevila igcwele ameva, kodwa indlela yomuntu olungileyo ikhamisile.
Lazy people constantly [have difficulties] [MET]; [it is as though they are] walking through thorns; but those who are honest and hard-working [will have few difficulties; it is as though they are walking] on a level highway [MET].
20 Indodana ehlakaniphileyo iletha intokozo kuyise, kodwa indoda eyisiwula yeyisa unina.
Children who are wise cause their parents to be happy; it is foolish children who despise their parents.
21 Ubuthutha bujabulisa umuntu ongelangqondo, kodwa umuntu olokuzwisisa uhamba ngendlela eqondileyo.
Foolish people are happy to [continually] act foolishly; those who have good sense do what is right.
22 Amaqhinga ayehluleka nxa kungelazeluleko, kodwa ayaphumelela ngabeluleki abanengi.
If there is no one to give us good advice, we will not accomplish what we are planning to do; but when we have many [good] advisors, we will succeed.
23 Umuntu uyathokoza ngokupha impendulo eqondileyo yeka kuhle kangakanani ukuzwa ilizwi elifaneleyo!
People rejoice when they are able to reply well to what others have asked them; [truly], it is very delightful to be able to say the right thing at the right time.
Wise people walk on a road that leads up to a long life; they do not walk on a road that leads down to the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
25 UThixo uyayibhidliza indlu yomuntu oziphakamisayo, kodwa indawo yomfelokazi kayiyikuncitshiswa.
Yahweh tears down the houses of proud [people], but he protects the property of widows.
26 UThixo uyayizonda imicabango yababi, kodwa leyo eyabalungileyo iyamthabisa.
Yahweh detests what wicked [people] are thinking [about doing]; [but] when people say what is kind, he considers those words to be pure.
27 Indoda eyisihwaba iluhlupho kwabendlu yayo, kodwa lowo ozonda ukufunjathiswa uzaphila.
Those who try hard to get money by acting dishonestly cause trouble for their family; those who refuse to accept bribes will live [for a long time].
28 Olungileyo uyayihlolisisa impendulo engakaphenduli, kodwa umlomo womubi ukhihliza okubi.
Righteous/Good [people] think carefully before they answer [what others ask them]; wicked [people] very quickly say what is evil.
29 UThixo ukhatshana kwababi, kodwa uyezwa umkhuleko wabalungileyo.
Yahweh does not listen [MTY] to what wicked [people request him to do]; he listens to righteous [people] when they pray.
30 Ubuso obubobothekayo buletha intokozo enhliziyweni, lezindaba ezinhle ziqinisa umzimba.
If people have a smile on their faces, it makes them/others happy, and [when people hear] good news, it refreshes their spirits [MTY].
31 Lowo olalela ukukhuzwa okumphilisayo, uzahlala kuhle labahlakaniphileyo.
If people pay attention when [people] correct/warn them, they will become wise.
32 Lowo onganaki ukulaywa uyazeyisa yena ngokwakhe, kodwa onanza iziqondiso uzuza ukuzwisisa.
If people refuse to listen [when others try] to correct them, they are despising/hurting themselves; those who (pay attention/heed) when [others] warn them (become wiser/acquire good sense).
33 Ukumesaba uThixo kufundisa umuntu ukuhlakanipha, njalo ukuzithoba kwandulela udumo.
If you revere Yahweh, you will learn how to become wise, but [only] after you become humble will [people] honor you.
