Izaga 30
1 Amazwi ka-Aguri indodana kaJakhe, amazwi ahlakaniphileyo: Umuntu lo wathi ku-Ithiyeli: “Ngikhathele, Oh Nkulunkulu, kodwa ngizophumelela.
The words of Agur, son of Jakeh, [even] the oracle, —The utterance of the man, for Ithiel, for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 Angilalwazi okudlula bonke abantu; angilakho ukuzwisisa komuntu.
Surely, more brutish, am, I, than any man, nor doth, the understanding of a son of earth, pertain to me;
3 Angikufundanga ukuhlakanipha njalo kangilalwazi ngaye oNgcwele.
Neither have I learned wisdom, nor, the knowledge of the Holy Ones, can I acquire.
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 the heavens and then descended? Who hath gathered the wind into his two hands? Who hath wrapped up the waters in a mantle? Who hath set up all the ends of the earth? What is his name and what the name of his son, when thou knowest?
5 Wonke amazwi kaNkulunkulu akalamposiso; uyisihlangu kulabo abacatsha kuye.
Every saying of God is refined, A shield, is, he, to them who seek refuge in him.
6 Ungengezeleli emazwini akhe, funa akukhuze akwenze umqambimanga.
Do not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou be found false.
7 Zimbili izinto engizicela kuwe, Oh Thixo; ungangincitshi zona ngingakafi:
Two things, have I asked of thee, withhold them not from me, ere yet I die:
8 Susa kimi inkohliso lamanga; ungangiphi ubuyanga loba inotho, kodwa ungiphe kuphela ukudla kwami kwansukuzonke.
Vanity and falsehood, remove far from me, Neither poverty nor riches, give me, Feed me with the food appointed me:
9 Phela ngingaba lokunengi kakhulu ngikuphike wena ngithi, ‘Ungubani uThixo?’ loba ngibengumyanga ngintshontshe; ngalokho ngiliyangise ibizo likaNkulunkulu wami.
Lest I be full, and deny, and say—Who is Yahweh? or lest I be impoverished and steal, and do violence to the Name of my God.
10 Ungahlebi inceku enkosini yayo, ngoba izakuqalekisa ungene enkathazweni.
Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he revile thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 Bakhona abathuka oyise, abangababusisiyo onina;
A generation! Its father, it revileth, and, its mother, it doth not bless.
12 labo abazibona belungile ikanti kabahlambululwanga emanyaleni abo;
A generation! Pure in its own eyes, yet, from its filth, hath it not been bathed,
13 labo abamehlo abo ahlezi egcwele ulaka, abakhangela ngokudelela;
A generation! How lofty are its eyes, and its eyelashes uplifted.
14 labo omazinyo abo zinkemba, omihlathi yabo inanyathiselwe izingqamu ukuze baginye abayanga baphele emhlabeni, labaswelayo abaphakathi kwabantu.
A generation! Swords, are its teeth, and, knives, its incisors, —to devour the humbled out of the earth, and the needy, from among men.
15 Umkhaza ulamadodakazi amabili; ayamemeza athi, ‘Siphe! Siphe!’ Zintathu izinto ezingasuthiyo, zine ezingakaze zithi, ‘Sekwanele!’:
The vampire, hath two daughters, Give! Give! Three, there are will not be satisfied, four, have not said, Enough!
16 lingcwaba yisisu senyumba, lomhlabathi ongasuthiyo amanzi, lomlilo ongezukufa wathi, ‘Sekwanele!’ (Sheol h7585)
Hades, and barrenness, —A land not satisfied with water, and fire, that saith not, Enough! (Sheol h7585)
17 Ilihlo elihleka uyise, elidelela ukulalela unina, lizakotsholwa ngamawabayi asesigodini, lizadliwa ngamanqe.
The eye that mocketh a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young of the eagle shall eat it.
18 Kukhona izinto ezintathu ezingimangalisayo kakhulu, ezine engingazizwisisiyo:
Three, things there are, too difficult for me, yea, four, which I do not understand:
19 indlela yengqungqulu emkhathini, umzila wenyoka edwaleni, indlela yomkhumbi olwandle, lendlela yejaha lentombi.
The way of an eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent on the rock, —the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.
20 Le yindlela yesiphingikazi: siyadla sesule umlomo waso besesisithi, ‘Angenzanga lutho olubi.’
So, is the way of a woman committing adultery, —she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no iniquity!
21 Zintathu izinto ezizamazamisa umhlaba, zine ongeke uzithwale:
Under three things, a land is stirred, yea, under four, she cannot bear up:
22 yinceku ebayinkosi, yisiwula esisuthiyo,
Under a servant, when he reigneth, and a base man, when he is surfeited with food;
23 ngumfazi owendileyo ongathandwayo, lencekukazi ethathela inkosikazi indoda.
Under a hateful woman, when she is married, and a handmaid when she driveth out her mistress.
24 Kukhona emhlabeni izinto ezine ezincinyane, ikanti-ke zihlakaniphile kakhulu:
Four, things there are, the small of the earth, —yet, they, are wiser than the wise:
25 Ubunyonyo kabulamandla anganani, kodwa buyabuthelela ukudla kwabo ehlobo;
The ants, a people, not strong, —yet prepare they, in summer, their food;
26 lezimbila ziyizidalwa ezilamandla angatsho lutho, kodwa zenza izikhundla zazo ezingoxweni zamadwala;
The conies, a people of, no power, yet set they, among the crags, their house;
27 izintethe kazilankosi, kodwa zihamba ziludibi olwesabekayo;
King, is there none, to, the locusts, —yet go forth in swarms, do they all;
28 umbankwa ungabanjwa ngesandla, kodwa ungena lasezigodlweni zamakhosi.
The lizard, with hands, reneweth its hold, —yet, the same, is in the palaces of the king.
29 Kulezinto ezintathu ezihamba zinqekuza kamnandi, zine ezihamba zibeka kamnandi:
Three, things there are which step along well, ye, four, which excel in going:
30 yisilwane, esilamandla esabekayo phakathi kwezilo, esingabalekeli lutho;
The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;
31 liqhude eliditshazelayo, yimpongo, njalo lenkosi nxa ihanqwe libutho layo.
The greyhound, or the he-goat, —and a king, having a band of soldiers with him.
32 Nxa ube yisithutha waziphakamisa, kumbe nxa wakhe amacebo okwenza okubi, vala umlomo wakho ngesandla sakho.
If thou hast acted basely by lifting thyself up, —if thou hast plotted evil, [put thy] hand to [thy] mouth!
33 Ngoba njengokuphehla uchago kudala iphehla, lanjengoba ukugubha amakhala kubanga umungula, kunjalo ukuvusa ulaka kudala ingxabano.”
Surely, the pressing of milk, bringeth forth curd, and, the pressing of the nose, bringeth forth blood, and, the pressing of wrath, bringeth forth strife.
