Izaga 24
1 Ungabahawukeli abantu abaxhwalileyo, ungafisi ubungane labo;
Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
2 ngoba ezingqondweni zabo bahlose udlakela, lezindebe zabo zikhuluma ngokuvusa umsindo.
for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
3 Indlu yakhiwa ngokuhlakanipha, imiswe ngokuzwisisa;
A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
4 amakamelo ayo agcwaliswe ngolwazi, agcwaliswe ngemiceciso yakude eligugu.
Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
5 Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ulamandla amakhulu, njalo umuntu ololwazi uyandisa amandla;
If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
6 ukuthi unqobe empini kufunakala izeluleko, lokunqoba kudinga abeluleki abanengi.
for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
7 Ukuhlakanipha kuphakeme kakhulu koyisiwula; enkundleni kalalutho angalukhuluma.
Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
8 Lowo oceba ububi uzakwaziwa njengomacebomabi.
Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
9 Amacebo obuwula ayisono, njalo abantu bayasizonda isideleli.
Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
10 Nxa uthikaza ngezikhathi zenhlupheko, mancinyane kanganani amandla akho!
If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
11 Bahlangule labo abaholelwa ekufeni; banqande labo abadayizela besiya ekubulaweni.
Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
12 Nxa usithi, “Angithi besingazi lutho ngalokhu,” kambe lowo ohlola inhliziyo kakuboni lokho na? Kakwazi lokho yini onguye olinda ukuphila kwakho na? Akayikuvuza ubani lobani ngakwenzileyo na?
If you say, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.
13 Dlana uluju ndodana yami, ngoba lulungile; uluju olujuluka ekhekhebeni lumnandi luyanambitheka.
My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
14 Yazi njalo ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kumnandi emphefumulweni wakho, aluba ukuzuza ikusasa lakho lilethemba elihle, njalo ithemba lakho aliyikudaniswa.
In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
15 Ungacathameli indlu yomuntu olungileyo njengesigebenga, ungawuhlaseli umuzi wakhe;
Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
16 ngoba loba angaze awe kasikhombisa umuntu olungileyo uyavuka futhi, kodwa ababi babhazalaliswa yizinhlupheko.
Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
17 Ungathatshiswa yikuwa kwesitha sakho; nxa sikhubeka ungavumeli inhliziyo yakho ithokoze,
Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
18 ngoba uThixo uzakubona lokho asole abesepholisa ulaka lwakhe kuso isitha.
otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
19 Ungazikhathazi ngenxa yabantu ababi loba ubahawukele abaxhwalileyo,
Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
20 ngoba umuntu omubi akalalo ithemba lakusasa, njalo isibane sezixhwali sizacinywa.
for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21 Yesaba uThixo lombusi, ndodana yami, ungangenelani labahlamuki,
My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
22 ngoba laba bobabili bazakwehlisa ulaka lubabhubhise, ngoba phela ngubani kambe okwaziyo ukubhubhisa abangakwehlisa?
for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
23 La ngamanye amazwi ezihlakaniphi: Ukwahlulela ngobandlululo kakulunganga:
These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
24 Loba ngubani othi kolecala, “Umsulwa,” abantu bonke bazamqalekisa lezizwe zonke zizamhlamukela.
Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
25 Kodwa kuzabalungela labo abamlahlayo olecala, lezibusiso ezinengi zizabehlela.
while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
26 Impendulo eqotho injengokwangiwa ezindebeni.
An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
27 Qeda umsebenzi wakho waphandle ulungise lamasimu akho; kuthi-ke usuqedile wakhe indlu yakho.
Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
28 Ungafakazi ngokubethela umakhelwane kungelamlandu, kumbe usebenzise izindebe zakho ukhohlisa.
Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
29 Ungabokuthi, “Ngizakwenza kuye njengoba enze kimi; ngizahlawulisa ngalokho angenze khona.”
Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”
30 Ngedlula ensimini yevilavoxo, ngedlula esivinini somuntu ongelangqondo;
I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
31 ameva ayesekhula indawo yonke, indawo yonke isithe phethu ukhula, lomduli wamatshe usudilikile.
It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
32 Ngakunanzelela konke engangikubona ngafunda isifundo kulokho engakubonayo:
As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
33 Ukulala okuncane, ukuwozela okuncane, ukugoqa izandla kancane uphumula,
You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
34 ubuyanga buzafika kuwe njengesela lokuswela njengesigebenga.
and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
