Izaga 24
1 Ungabahawukeli abantu abaxhwalileyo, ungafisi ubungane labo;
Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.
2 ngoba ezingqondweni zabo bahlose udlakela, lezindebe zabo zikhuluma ngokuvusa umsindo.
For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.
3 Indlu yakhiwa ngokuhlakanipha, imiswe ngokuzwisisa;
By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.
4 amakamelo ayo agcwaliswe ngolwazi, agcwaliswe ngemiceciso yakude eligugu.
And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ulamandla amakhulu, njalo umuntu ololwazi uyandisa amandla;
Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
6 ukuthi unqobe empini kufunakala izeluleko, lokunqoba kudinga abeluleki abanengi.
For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.
7 Ukuhlakanipha kuphakeme kakhulu koyisiwula; enkundleni kalalutho angalukhuluma.
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.
8 Lowo oceba ububi uzakwaziwa njengomacebomabi.
Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.
9 Amacebo obuwula ayisono, njalo abantu bayasizonda isideleli.
The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.
10 Nxa uthikaza ngezikhathi zenhlupheko, mancinyane kanganani amandla akho!
Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,
11 Bahlangule labo abaholelwa ekufeni; banqande labo abadayizela besiya ekubulaweni.
If [from] delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter — thou keepest back.
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?
When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.
13 Dlana uluju ndodana yami, ngoba lulungile; uluju olujuluka ekhekhebeni lumnandi luyanambitheka.
Eat my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb — sweet to thy palate.
14 Yazi njalo ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kumnandi emphefumulweni wakho, aluba ukuzuza ikusasa lakho lilethemba elihle, njalo ithemba lakho aliyikudaniswa.
So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.
15 Ungacathameli indlu yomuntu olungileyo njengesigebenga, ungawuhlaseli umuzi wakhe;
Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.
16 ngoba loba angaze awe kasikhombisa umuntu olungileyo uyavuka futhi, kodwa ababi babhazalaliswa yizinhlupheko.
For seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 Ungathatshiswa yikuwa kwesitha sakho; nxa sikhubeka ungavumeli inhliziyo yakho ithokoze,
In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,
18 ngoba uThixo uzakubona lokho asole abesepholisa ulaka lwakhe kuso isitha.
Lest Jehovah see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.
19 Ungazikhathazi ngenxa yabantu ababi loba ubahawukele abaxhwalileyo,
Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,
20 ngoba umuntu omubi akalalo ithemba lakusasa, njalo isibane sezixhwali sizacinywa.
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 Yesaba uThixo lombusi, ndodana yami, ungangenelani labahlamuki,
Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,
22 ngoba laba bobabili bazakwehlisa ulaka lubabhubhise, ngoba phela ngubani kambe okwaziyo ukubhubhisa abangakwehlisa?
For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!
23 La ngamanye amazwi ezihlakaniphi: Ukwahlulela ngobandlululo kakulunganga:
These also are for the wise: — To discern faces in judgment is not good.
24 Loba ngubani othi kolecala, “Umsulwa,” abantu bonke bazamqalekisa lezizwe zonke zizamhlamukela.
Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou [art] righteous,' Peoples execrate him — nations abhor him.
25 Kodwa kuzabalungela labo abamlahlayo olecala, lezibusiso ezinengi zizabehlela.
And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.
26 Impendulo eqotho injengokwangiwa ezindebeni.
Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.
27 Qeda umsebenzi wakho waphandle ulungise lamasimu akho; kuthi-ke usuqedile wakhe indlu yakho.
Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field — go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.
28 Ungafakazi ngokubethela umakhelwane kungelamlandu, kumbe usebenzise izindebe zakho ukhohlisa.
Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.
29 Ungabokuthi, “Ngizakwenza kuye njengoba enze kimi; ngizahlawulisa ngalokho angenze khona.”
Say not, 'As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.'
30 Ngedlula ensimini yevilavoxo, ngedlula esivinini somuntu ongelangqondo;
Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
31 ameva ayesekhula indawo yonke, indawo yonke isithe phethu ukhula, lomduli wamatshe usudilikile.
And lo, it hath gone up — all of it — thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.
32 Ngakunanzelela konke engangikubona ngafunda isifundo kulokho engakubonayo:
And I see — I — I do set my heart, I have seen — I have received instruction,
33 Ukulala okuncane, ukuwozela okuncane, ukugoqa izandla kancane uphumula,
A little sleep — a little slumber — A little folding of the hands to lie down.
34 ubuyanga buzafika kuwe njengesela lokuswela njengesigebenga.
And thy poverty hath come [as] a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!
