Izaga 25
1 Lezi ngezinye njalo izaga zikaSolomoni, ezabhalwa yizinceku zikaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda:
Here are more wise sayings/words that Solomon [wrote]. Some men who worked for Hezekiah, the king of Judah, copied them [from a scroll that Solomon had written].
2 Kuyinkazimulo kaNkulunkulu ukufihla indaba; ukuchwayisisa indaba ludumo lwababusi.
[We consider] God to be great because he (acts in mysterious ways/does things that we cannot understand); [we consider] kings to be great because they explain things.
3 Njengalokhu izulu liphakeme lomhlaba ujulile, kanjalo imicabango yamakhosi kayifinyelelwa.
[It is not possible for anyone to measure] how high the sky is or how deep the earth/ocean is; likewise [SIM], it is not possible for us to know [all] that kings are thinking.
4 Susa amakhafutha ahlangene lesiliva umkhandi athole ukulungisa isitsha sihle;
[If workers] burn out the impure bits that are in silver, a man who makes things from silver can make something beautiful from the silver.
5 susa abantu ababi phambi kwenkosi, isihlalo sayo sizaqiniswa ngokulunga.
[Similarly, if] wicked [advisors] are taken away from a king, his government will remain secure, because [the king will be able to] act justly.
6 Ungaziphakamisi phambi kwenkosi, ungaziphendleli indawo phakathi kwezikhulu;
When you stand in front of a king, do not try to (impress him/honor yourself) and do not (act like you are important/ask to sit where important people sit; )
7 kuba ngcono ukuthi yona ithi, “Woza uhlale ngapha,” kulokuthi yona ikwehlise phambi kwezikhulu. Lokho okubonileyo ngawakho amehlo
it is better if someone tells you to sit closer [to the king] than for [someone to tell you], while the king is listening, to sit further away in order that someone who is more important [may sit closer to the king].
8 ungaphangisi ukukubika emthethwandaba, ngoba uzathini nxa umakhelwane wakho esekuyangisa?
Do not quickly go to a court [to tell the judge about] something that you have seen, because another witness may later [say something that proves that you are wrong, and as a result] you will be disgraced/ashamed. If that happens, (what will you do?/you will not know what to do.) [RHQ]
9 Nxa ungaya edale lomakhelwane wakho ungahambi usuhlabela imfihlo yenu,
If you and someone else think differently about some matter, settle it between yourselves, and do not tell others any secret [that he has told you].
10 funa lowo okuzwayo akuyangise uhlale usungumuntu olebizo elibi.
If others find out that you have told secrets, you will be ashamed, and from that time on, (you will have a bad reputation/people will think badly about you).
11 Ilizwi elikhulunywe ngesikhathi esifaneleyo linjengama-aphula egolide ananyekwe emcepheni wesiliva.
Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
12 Njengecici legolide kumbe umceciso wegolide elicengiweyo kunjalo ukukhuza komuntu ohlakaniphileyo, kolalelayo.
When a wise person rebukes/warns someone [SYN] who is willing to listen, that is [as valuable as] [SIM] a gold ring or a gold chain.
13 Njengokuqanda kongqwaqwane ngesikhathi sokuvuna sinjalo isithunywa esithembekileyo kwabasithumileyo; sivuselela imiphefumulo yabaphathi baso.
A messenger who (is reliable/tells someone else exactly what he was told to say) refreshes [the spirits of] his bosses who sent him like [SIM] (snow/cold water) refreshes [the ground] at the time that [people] harvest crops.
14 Njengamayezi lomoya okungalethi izulu unjalo umuntu ozikhukhumeza ngamandla angelawo.
When someone promises to give a gift to us but never gives it, [that disappoints us] as much as [SIM] clouds and wind that come but do not bring any rain.
15 Ngokubekezela inkosi ingancengwa ize ivume, lolimi oluthambileyo lungalephula ithambo.
If someone keeps requesting a ruler long enough to do something, he will [often] agree to do it; similarly, by speaking [MTY] gently we can [often] convince [others that what we say is right] [IDM].
16 Nxa uthole inyosi, dlana okwaneleyo ungedlulisi amalawulo, uzazihlanza.
If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
17 Ungabi ngunsukuzonke endlini kamakhelwane wakho uzacina usumdaka abesekuzonda.
Do not go to your neighbor’s house very often [to talk with him]; if you go [very] often, he will get tired of listening to you and start to hate you.
18 Unjengesagila loba inkemba kumbe umtshoko obukhali umuntu ofakaza amanga ngomakhelwane wakhe.
To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 Njengezinyo elibuhlungu loba unyawo olwenyeleyo kunjalo ukweyama emuntwini ongathembekanga ngesikhathi sokuhlupheka.
Depending on unreliable people when you have troubles is [as bad] as [trying to eat when] you have a bad/hurting tooth or [trying to walk when] your foot is crippled.
20 Njengomuntu okhumula ibhatshi mhla kumakhaza, loba njengokuthela iviniga phakathi kwesoda unjalo ohlabelela izingoma emuntwini odabukileyo.
Singing to someone who is depressed [just causes him to feel worse]; it is like [SIM] taking off clothes on a very cold day or like putting vinegar on a wound.
21 Nxa isitha sakho silambile siphe ukudla sidle; nxa somile siphe amanzi sinathe.
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
22 Ngokwenza lokho, umokhela amalahle avuthayo ekhanda, njalo uThixo uzakubusisa.
doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
23 Njengomoya wasenyakatho uletha izulu, lunjalo ulimi olulobuqili luvusa ulaka.
When wind blows from the right direction, it will rain; [similarly] [SIM], if we gossip about others, that causes them to look at us very angrily.
24 Kungcono ukuhlala ekhulusini lophahla lwendlu kulokuhlala ndlu yinye lomfazi olomlomo.
It is better to live ([alone/by yourself]) in the corner of an attic/housetop than to live inside the house with a wife who is [always] nagging.
25 Njengamanzi aqandayo emuntwini okhatheleyo, zinjalo izindaba ezimnandi ezivela elizweni elikude.
Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
26 Njengesiziba esidungekileyo loba umthombo ongcolileyo unjalo umuntu olungileyo odedela umuntu omubi.
When a righteous/good person (gives in/yields) to wicked [people], that is [as bad] as [SIM] a spring that becomes muddied or a fountain that becomes polluted.
27 Kakukuhle ukudla inyosi wedlulise, njalo kakulasithunzi ukuzidingela ukudunyiswa.
It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
28 Njengedolobho eselidilikelwe ngumthangala walo unjalo umuntu ongazithintiyo.
People who (cannot control their tempers/quickly become very angry) [are unable to defend their behavior]; that is like [having] a city without a wall around it, [with the result that no one can defend it].
