Izaga 2
1 Ndodana yami, nxa usamukela amazwi ami ugcine imilayo yami ngaphakathi kwakho,
My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you;
2 uvule indlebe yakho izwe ukuhlakanipha unikele inhliziyo yakho ukuthi izwisise,
So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;
3 njalo nxa ucela ukuqedisisa ukhalela kakhulu ukuzwisisa,
Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;
4 futhi ukudingisisa njengokudinga isiliva ukuphenye njengento eligugu efihliweyo,
If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:
5 lapho-ke uzakuzwisisa ukumesaba uThixo njalo uluzuze ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.
then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
6 Ngoba uThixo uyapha ukuhlakanipha, emlonyeni wakhe kuphuma ulwazi lokuqedisisa.
For the LORD gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
7 Abaqotho ubapha ukunqoba, ulihawu lalabo abahamba bengasoleki,
He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;
8 ngoba uyayilinda indlela yabalungileyo avikele ukuhamba kwabathembekileyo bakhe.
that he may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of his faithful ones.
9 Yikho uzazwisisa lokho okulungileyo lokuqondileyo lokufaneleyo zonke izindlela ezinhle.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.
10 Ngoba ukuhlakanipha kuzangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho.
For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Ukwazi ukukhetha kuzakuvikela, lokuzwisisa kuzakulinda.
Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,
12 Ukuhlakanipha kuzakusindisa ezindleleni zabantu ababi, abantu abamazwi abolileyo,
to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;
13 abatshiya izindlela eziqondileyo, bahambe ngezindlela ezilamathunzi,
who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 abathokoza ngokwenza okubi bajabule ngokungcola kokubi,
who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil;
15 abandlela zabo zitshekile lokuhamba kwabo kakuqondakali.
who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths:
16 Kuzakukhulula njalo koyisiphingikazi, lasemfazini olamazwi akhohlisayo,
To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;
17 osetshiye indoda yakhe yobutsha bakhe wadela isifungo asenza phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
who forsakes the friend of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God:
18 Ngoba indlu yakhe iholela ekufeni lezindlela zakhe zidonsela kwabafileyo.
for her house leads down to death, her paths to the dead.
19 Kakho ongena kuye obuyayo kumbe aphinde azuze izindlela zokuphila.
None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:
20 Ngakho uzahamba ezindleleni zabantu abalungileyo walele emikhondweni yabaqondileyo.
that you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labangasolekiyo bazasala kulo;
For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.
22 kodwa izigangi zizasuswa elizweni, labangathembekanga bazakhutshwa kulo.
But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be uprooted out of it.
