Izaga 2
1 Ndodana yami, nxa usamukela amazwi ami ugcine imilayo yami ngaphakathi kwakho,
My son, if you accept my sayings, And lay up my commands with you,
2 uvule indlebe yakho izwe ukuhlakanipha unikele inhliziyo yakho ukuthi izwisise,
To cause your ear to attend to wisdom, You incline your heart to understanding,
3 njalo nxa ucela ukuqedisisa ukhalela kakhulu ukuzwisisa,
For if you call for intelligence, [And] give forth your voice for intelligence,
4 futhi ukudingisisa njengokudinga isiliva ukuphenye njengento eligugu efihliweyo,
If you seek her as silver, And search for her as hid treasures,
5 lapho-ke uzakuzwisisa ukumesaba uThixo njalo uluzuze ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.
Then you understand the fear of YHWH, And you find the knowledge of God.
6 Ngoba uThixo uyapha ukuhlakanipha, emlonyeni wakhe kuphuma ulwazi lokuqedisisa.
For YHWH gives wisdom, Knowledge and understanding from His mouth.
7 Abaqotho ubapha ukunqoba, ulihawu lalabo abahamba bengasoleki,
Even to lay up substance for the upright, A shield for those walking uprightly.
8 ngoba uyayilinda indlela yabalungileyo avikele ukuhamba kwabathembekileyo bakhe.
To keep the paths of judgment, And He preserves the way of His saints.
9 Yikho uzazwisisa lokho okulungileyo lokuqondileyo lokufaneleyo zonke izindlela ezinhle.
Then you understand righteousness, And judgment, and uprightness—every good path.
10 Ngoba ukuhlakanipha kuzangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho.
For wisdom comes into your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Ukwazi ukukhetha kuzakuvikela, lokuzwisisa kuzakulinda.
Thoughtfulness watches over you, Understanding keeps you,
12 Ukuhlakanipha kuzakusindisa ezindleleni zabantu ababi, abantu abamazwi abolileyo,
To deliver you from an evil way, From any speaking contrary things,
13 abatshiya izindlela eziqondileyo, bahambe ngezindlela ezilamathunzi,
Who are forsaking paths of uprightness, To walk in ways of darkness,
14 abathokoza ngokwenza okubi bajabule ngokungcola kokubi,
Who are rejoicing to do evil, They delight in [the] contrariness of the wicked,
15 abandlela zabo zitshekile lokuhamba kwabo kakuqondakali.
Whose paths [are] crooked, Indeed, they are perverted in their ways.
16 Kuzakukhulula njalo koyisiphingikazi, lasemfazini olamazwi akhohlisayo,
To deliver you from the strange woman, From the stranger who has made her sayings smooth,
17 osetshiye indoda yakhe yobutsha bakhe wadela isifungo asenza phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
Who is forsaking the guide of her youth, And has forgotten the covenant of her God.
18 Ngoba indlu yakhe iholela ekufeni lezindlela zakhe zidonsela kwabafileyo.
For her house has inclined to death, And her paths to Rephaim.
19 Kakho ongena kuye obuyayo kumbe aphinde azuze izindlela zokuphila.
None going in to her return, Nor do they reach the paths of life.
20 Ngakho uzahamba ezindleleni zabantu abalungileyo walele emikhondweni yabaqondileyo.
That you go in the way of the good, And keep the paths of the righteous.
21 Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labangasolekiyo bazasala kulo;
For the upright inhabit the earth, And the perfect are left in it,
22 kodwa izigangi zizasuswa elizweni, labangathembekanga bazakhutshwa kulo.
And the wicked are cut off from the earth, And treacherous dealers plucked out of it!
