Izaga 2
1 Ndodana yami, nxa usamukela amazwi ami ugcine imilayo yami ngaphakathi kwakho,
My son, if you will take my words to your heart, storing up my laws in your mind;
2 uvule indlebe yakho izwe ukuhlakanipha unikele inhliziyo yakho ukuthi izwisise,
So that your ear gives attention to wisdom, and your heart is turned to knowledge;
3 njalo nxa ucela ukuqedisisa ukhalela kakhulu ukuzwisisa,
Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge;
4 futhi ukudingisisa njengokudinga isiliva ukuphenye njengento eligugu efihliweyo,
If you are looking for her as for silver, and searching for her as for stored-up wealth;
5 lapho-ke uzakuzwisisa ukumesaba uThixo njalo uluzuze ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.
Then the fear of the Lord will be clear to you, and knowledge of God will be yours.
6 Ngoba uThixo uyapha ukuhlakanipha, emlonyeni wakhe kuphuma ulwazi lokuqedisisa.
For the Lord gives wisdom; out of his mouth come knowledge and reason:
7 Abaqotho ubapha ukunqoba, ulihawu lalabo abahamba bengasoleki,
He has salvation stored up for the upright, he is a breastplate to those in whom there is no evil;
8 ngoba uyayilinda indlela yabalungileyo avikele ukuhamba kwabathembekileyo bakhe.
He keeps watch on the ways which are right, and takes care of those who have the fear of him.
9 Yikho uzazwisisa lokho okulungileyo lokuqondileyo lokufaneleyo zonke izindlela ezinhle.
Then you will have knowledge of righteousness and right acting, and upright behaviour, even of every good way.
10 Ngoba ukuhlakanipha kuzangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho.
For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul;
11 Ukwazi ukukhetha kuzakuvikela, lokuzwisisa kuzakulinda.
Wise purposes will be watching over you, and knowledge will keep you;
12 Ukuhlakanipha kuzakusindisa ezindleleni zabantu ababi, abantu abamazwi abolileyo,
Giving you salvation from the evil man, from those whose words are false;
13 abatshiya izindlela eziqondileyo, bahambe ngezindlela ezilamathunzi,
Who give up the way of righteousness, to go by dark roads;
14 abathokoza ngokwenza okubi bajabule ngokungcola kokubi,
Who take pleasure in wrongdoing, and have joy in the evil designs of the sinner;
15 abandlela zabo zitshekile lokuhamba kwabo kakuqondakali.
Whose ways are not straight, and whose footsteps are turned to evil:
16 Kuzakukhulula njalo koyisiphingikazi, lasemfazini olamazwi akhohlisayo,
To take you out of the power of the strange woman, who says smooth words with her tongue;
17 osetshiye indoda yakhe yobutsha bakhe wadela isifungo asenza phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Who is false to the husband of her early years, and does not keep the agreement of her God in mind:
18 Ngoba indlu yakhe iholela ekufeni lezindlela zakhe zidonsela kwabafileyo.
For her house is on the way down to death; her footsteps go down to the shades:
19 Kakho ongena kuye obuyayo kumbe aphinde azuze izindlela zokuphila.
Those who go to her do not come back again; their feet do not keep in the ways of life:
20 Ngakho uzahamba ezindleleni zabantu abalungileyo walele emikhondweni yabaqondileyo.
So that you may go in the way of good men, and keep in the footsteps of the upright.
21 Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labangasolekiyo bazasala kulo;
For the upright will be living in the land, and the good will have it for their heritage.
22 kodwa izigangi zizasuswa elizweni, labangathembekanga bazakhutshwa kulo.
But sinners will be cut off from the land, and those whose acts are false will be uprooted.
