Izaga 30
1 Amazwi ka-Aguri indodana kaJakhe, amazwi ahlakaniphileyo: Umuntu lo wathi ku-Ithiyeli: “Ngikhathele, Oh Nkulunkulu, kodwa ngizophumelela.
The words of Gatherer the son of Vomiter. The vision which the man spoke with whom God is, and who being strengthened by God, abiding with him, said:
2 Angilalwazi okudlula bonke abantu; angilakho ukuzwisisa komuntu.
I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
3 Angikufundanga ukuhlakanipha njalo kangilalwazi ngaye oNgcwele.
I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.
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 hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?
5 Wonke amazwi kaNkulunkulu akalamposiso; uyisihlangu kulabo abacatsha kuye.
Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
6 Ungengezeleli emazwini akhe, funa akukhuze akwenze umqambimanga.
Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:
7 Zimbili izinto engizicela kuwe, Oh Thixo; ungangincitshi zona ngingakafi:
Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.
8 Susa kimi inkohliso lamanga; ungangiphi ubuyanga loba inotho, kodwa ungiphe kuphela ukudla kwami kwansukuzonke.
Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:
9 Phela ngingaba lokunengi kakhulu ngikuphike wena ngithi, ‘Ungubani uThixo?’ loba ngibengumyanga ngintshontshe; ngalokho ngiliyangise ibizo likaNkulunkulu wami.
Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear the name of my God.
10 Ungahlebi inceku enkosini yayo, ngoba izakuqalekisa ungene enkathazweni.
Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
11 Bakhona abathuka oyise, abangababusisiyo onina;
There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12 labo abazibona belungile ikanti kabahlambululwanga emanyaleni abo;
A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13 labo abamehlo abo ahlezi egcwele ulaka, abakhangela ngokudelela;
A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
14 labo omazinyo abo zinkemba, omihlathi yabo inanyathiselwe izingqamu ukuze baginye abayanga baphele emhlabeni, labaswelayo abaphakathi kwabantu.
A generation, that for teeth hath swords, and grindeth with their jaw teeth, to devour the needy from off the earth, and the poor from among men.
15 Umkhaza ulamadodakazi amabili; ayamemeza athi, ‘Siphe! Siphe!’ Zintathu izinto ezingasuthiyo, zine ezingakaze zithi, ‘Sekwanele!’:
The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is enough.
16 lingcwaba yisisu senyumba, lomhlabathi ongasuthiyo amanzi, lomlilo ongezukufa wathi, ‘Sekwanele!’ (Sheol h7585)
Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 Ilihlo elihleka uyise, elidelela ukulalela unina, lizakotsholwa ngamawabayi asesigodini, lizadliwa ngamanqe.
The eye that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the labour of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles eat it.
18 Kukhona izinto ezintathu ezingimangalisayo kakhulu, ezine engingazizwisisiyo:
Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
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 serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man in youth.
20 Le yindlela yesiphingikazi: siyadla sesule umlomo waso besesisithi, ‘Angenzanga lutho olubi.’
Such is also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.
21 Zintathu izinto ezizamazamisa umhlaba, zine ongeke uzithwale:
By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:
22 yinceku ebayinkosi, yisiwula esisuthiyo,
By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
23 ngumfazi owendileyo ongathandwayo, lencekukazi ethathela inkosikazi indoda.
By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
24 Kukhona emhlabeni izinto ezine ezincinyane, ikanti-ke zihlakaniphile kakhulu:
There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
25 Ubunyonyo kabulamandla anganani, kodwa buyabuthelela ukudla kwabo ehlobo;
The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
26 lezimbila ziyizidalwa ezilamandla angatsho lutho, kodwa zenza izikhundla zazo ezingoxweni zamadwala;
The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
27 izintethe kazilankosi, kodwa zihamba ziludibi olwesabekayo;
The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.
28 umbankwa ungabanjwa ngesandla, kodwa ungena lasezigodlweni zamakhosi.
The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.
29 Kulezinto ezintathu ezihamba zinqekuza kamnandi, zine ezihamba zibeka kamnandi:
There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
30 yisilwane, esilamandla esabekayo phakathi kwezilo, esingabalekeli lutho;
A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
31 liqhude eliditshazelayo, yimpongo, njalo lenkosi nxa ihanqwe libutho layo.
A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.
32 Nxa ube yisithutha waziphakamisa, kumbe nxa wakhe amacebo okwenza okubi, vala umlomo wakho ngesandla sakho.
There is that hath appeared a fool after he was lifted up on high: for if he had understood, he would have laid his hand upon his mouth.
33 Ngoba njengokuphehla uchago kudala iphehla, lanjengoba ukugubha amakhala kubanga umungula, kunjalo ukuvusa ulaka kudala ingxabano.”
And he that strongly squeezeth the papa to bring out milk, straineth out butter: and he that violently bloweth his nose, bringeth out blood: and he that provoketh wrath bringeth forth strife.
