Izaga 26
1 Njengongqwaqwane ehlobo loba izulu ebusika kanjalo udumo alusifanelanga isiwula.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Njengentaka ephaphazelayo loba inkonjane entwezayo, sinjalo isiqalekiso esingelasizatho kasinamatheli.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Isiswebhu ngesebhiza, amatomu ngakababhemi, loswazi ngolwemihlane yeziwula!
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Ungabophendula isiwula ngendlela yobuwula baso, funa ubenjengaso wena ngokwakho.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Phendula isiwula ngendlela yobuwula baso, sizabona kungathi sihlakaniphile.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Njengokuziquma inyawo zakho loba ukunatha itshefu, kunjalo ukuthumela umlayezo ngesiwula.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Njengemilenze eqhugezelayo eyomuntu oqhulayo sinjalo isaga emlonyeni wesiwula.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Njengokubophela ilitshe esavutheni kunjalo ukupha udumo koyisiwula.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Njengogatsha lwameva luphethwe yisidakwa sinjalo isaga emlonyeni wesiwula.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Njengomtshoko ociba loba ngubani odlulayo unjalo oqhatsha isiwula loba umuntu ozedlulelayo.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Njengenja ebuyela emahlanzweni ayo kanjalo isiwula siyabuphinda ubuthutha baso.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Uyambona yini umuntu ozibona engohlakaniphileyo? Kulethemba elingcono ngesiwula kulaye.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Ivilavoxo lithi, “Kulesilwane endleleni, kulesilwane emigwaqweni!”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Njengesivalo esitshibilika ngamabhanti aso kanjalo ivila liphenduka embhedeni walo.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Ivilavoxo litshonisa isandla salo emganwini; livilaphe ukusa isandla emlonyeni lidle.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Ivila lizibona lihlakaniphile kakhulu okwedlula abantu abayisikhombisa abangaphendula ngokuhlakanipha.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Njengomuntu odonsa inja ngendlebe unjalo umuntu othi edlula angenele ingxabano ingesiyakhe.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Njengohlanya luphosa izikhuni zomlilo kumbe imitshoko ebulalayo,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 injalo indoda ephoxa umakhelwane wayo ibisisithi, “Bengizidlalela nje!”
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Nxa kungaselankuni umlilo uyacima; nxa kungaselakunyeya ukuxabana kuyaphela.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Njengamalahle avuthayo loba njengenkuni emlilweni, unjalo umuntu othanda ingxabano ekuvuseni inkani.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Amazwi omuntu onyeyayo anjengezibiliboco; angena ekujuleni kwenhliziyo yomuntu.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Njengesiliva egcotshwe esitsheni sebumba sikhazimule kunjalo ukuthakazelela kwezindebe zenhliziyo elobubi.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Umuntu olenhliziyo embi uvala ngezindebe ezimnandi, kodwa enhliziyweni yakhe ufihle inkohliso.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Loba ukukhuluma kwakhe kumnandi, kodwa ungaze wamkholwa, ngoba inhliziyo yakhe igcwele izithuko eziyisikhombisa.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Inzondo yakhe angayivala ngobuqili, kodwa ububi bakhe buzavezwa obala ebantwini.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Umuntu angagebha umgodi, uzawela kuwo; umuntu angagiqa ilitshe, lizaphenduka ligiqikele phezu kwakhe.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Ulimi oluqamba amanga luyabazonda labo olubalimazayo, lomlomo okhohlisayo uletha incithakalo.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
