Izaga 30
1 Amazwi ka-Aguri indodana kaJakhe, amazwi ahlakaniphileyo: Umuntu lo wathi ku-Ithiyeli: “Ngikhathele, Oh Nkulunkulu, kodwa ngizophumelela.
The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, from Massa. The man says: I am full of weariness, O God, I am full of weariness; O God, I have come to an end:
2 Angilalwazi okudlula bonke abantu; angilakho ukuzwisisa komuntu.
For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:
3 Angikufundanga ukuhlakanipha njalo kangilalwazi ngaye oNgcwele.
I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Ngubani oseke waya ezulwini waphinda wehla na? Ngubani oseke wafumbatha umoya ngesandla sakhe na? Ngubani oseke wagoqela amanzi ngesigqoko sakhe na? Ngubani omise yonke imikhawulo yomhlaba na? Lingubani ibizo lakhe, lebizo lendodana yakhe? Ngitshela nxa usazi!
Who has gone up to heaven and come down? who has taken the winds in his hands, prisoning the waters in his robe? by whom have all the ends of the earth been fixed? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you are able to say?
5 Wonke amazwi kaNkulunkulu akalamposiso; uyisihlangu kulabo abacatsha kuye.
Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
6 Ungengezeleli emazwini akhe, funa akukhuze akwenze umqambimanga.
Make no addition to his words, or he will make clear your error, and you will be seen to be false.
7 Zimbili izinto engizicela kuwe, Oh Thixo; ungangincitshi zona ngingakafi:
I have made request to you for two things; do not keep them from me before my death:
8 Susa kimi inkohliso lamanga; ungangiphi ubuyanga loba inotho, kodwa ungiphe kuphela ukudla kwami kwansukuzonke.
Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:
9 Phela ngingaba lokunengi kakhulu ngikuphike wena ngithi, ‘Ungubani uThixo?’ loba ngibengumyanga ngintshontshe; ngalokho ngiliyangise ibizo likaNkulunkulu wami.
For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.
10 Ungahlebi inceku enkosini yayo, ngoba izakuqalekisa ungene enkathazweni.
Do not say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.
11 Bakhona abathuka oyise, abangababusisiyo onina;
There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.
12 labo abazibona belungile ikanti kabahlambululwanga emanyaleni abo;
There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.
13 labo abamehlo abo ahlezi egcwele ulaka, abakhangela ngokudelela;
There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!
14 labo omazinyo abo zinkemba, omihlathi yabo inanyathiselwe izingqamu ukuze baginye abayanga baphele emhlabeni, labaswelayo abaphakathi kwabantu.
There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, their strong teeth like knives, for the destruction of the poor from the earth, and of those who are in need from among men.
15 Umkhaza ulamadodakazi amabili; ayamemeza athi, ‘Siphe! Siphe!’ Zintathu izinto ezingasuthiyo, zine ezingakaze zithi, ‘Sekwanele!’:
The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough:
16 lingcwaba yisisu senyumba, lomhlabathi ongasuthiyo amanzi, lomlilo ongezukufa wathi, ‘Sekwanele!’ (Sheol h7585)
The underworld, and the woman without a child; the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which never says, Enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 Ilihlo elihleka uyise, elidelela ukulalela unina, lizakotsholwa ngamawabayi asesigodini, lizadliwa ngamanqe.
The eye which makes sport of a father, and sees no value in a mother when she is old will be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and be food for the young eagles.
18 Kukhona izinto ezintathu ezingimangalisayo kakhulu, ezine engingazizwisisiyo:
There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:
19 indlela yengqungqulu emkhathini, umzila wenyoka edwaleni, indlela yomkhumbi olwandle, lendlela yejaha lentombi.
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a snake on a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a girl.
20 Le yindlela yesiphingikazi: siyadla sesule umlomo waso besesisithi, ‘Angenzanga lutho olubi.’
This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.
21 Zintathu izinto ezizamazamisa umhlaba, zine ongeke uzithwale:
For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:
22 yinceku ebayinkosi, yisiwula esisuthiyo,
A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;
23 ngumfazi owendileyo ongathandwayo, lencekukazi ethathela inkosikazi indoda.
A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.
24 Kukhona emhlabeni izinto ezine ezincinyane, ikanti-ke zihlakaniphile kakhulu:
There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:
25 Ubunyonyo kabulamandla anganani, kodwa buyabuthelela ukudla kwabo ehlobo;
The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;
26 lezimbila ziyizidalwa ezilamandla angatsho lutho, kodwa zenza izikhundla zazo ezingoxweni zamadwala;
The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;
27 izintethe kazilankosi, kodwa zihamba ziludibi olwesabekayo;
The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;
28 umbankwa ungabanjwa ngesandla, kodwa ungena lasezigodlweni zamakhosi.
You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.
29 Kulezinto ezintathu ezihamba zinqekuza kamnandi, zine ezihamba zibeka kamnandi:
There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:
30 yisilwane, esilamandla esabekayo phakathi kwezilo, esingabalekeli lutho;
The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;
31 liqhude eliditshazelayo, yimpongo, njalo lenkosi nxa ihanqwe libutho layo.
The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.
32 Nxa ube yisithutha waziphakamisa, kumbe nxa wakhe amacebo okwenza okubi, vala umlomo wakho ngesandla sakho.
If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.
33 Ngoba njengokuphehla uchago kudala iphehla, lanjengoba ukugubha amakhala kubanga umungula, kunjalo ukuvusa ulaka kudala ingxabano.”
The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.
