Izaga 30
1 Amazwi ka-Aguri indodana kaJakhe, amazwi ahlakaniphileyo: Umuntu lo wathi ku-Ithiyeli: “Ngikhathele, Oh Nkulunkulu, kodwa ngizophumelela.
These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 Angilalwazi okudlula bonke abantu; angilakho ukuzwisisa komuntu.
It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.
3 Angikufundanga ukuhlakanipha njalo kangilalwazi ngaye oNgcwele.
I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.
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!
[But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].
5 Wonke amazwi kaNkulunkulu akalamposiso; uyisihlangu kulabo abacatsha kuye.
Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.
6 Ungengezeleli emazwini akhe, funa akukhuze akwenze umqambimanga.
Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.
7 Zimbili izinto engizicela kuwe, Oh Thixo; ungangincitshi zona ngingakafi:
[God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them before I die:
8 Susa kimi inkohliso lamanga; ungangiphi ubuyanga loba inotho, kodwa ungiphe kuphela ukudla kwami kwansukuzonke.
Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;
9 Phela ngingaba lokunengi kakhulu ngikuphike wena ngithi, ‘Ungubani uThixo?’ loba ngibengumyanga ngintshontshe; ngalokho ngiliyangise ibizo likaNkulunkulu wami.
because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.
10 Ungahlebi inceku enkosini yayo, ngoba izakuqalekisa ungene enkathazweni.
Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.
11 Bakhona abathuka oyise, abangababusisiyo onina;
[I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.
12 labo abazibona belungile ikanti kabahlambululwanga emanyaleni abo;
Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.
13 labo abamehlo abo ahlezi egcwele ulaka, abakhangela ngokudelela;
Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.
14 labo omazinyo abo zinkemba, omihlathi yabo inanyathiselwe izingqamu ukuze baginye abayanga baphele emhlabeni, labaswelayo abaphakathi kwabantu.
Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.
15 Umkhaza ulamadodakazi amabili; ayamemeza athi, ‘Siphe! Siphe!’ Zintathu izinto ezingasuthiyo, zine ezingakaze zithi, ‘Sekwanele!’:
Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:
16 lingcwaba yisisu senyumba, lomhlabathi ongasuthiyo amanzi, lomlilo ongezukufa wathi, ‘Sekwanele!’ (Sheol h7585)
The place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (Sheol h7585)
17 Ilihlo elihleka uyise, elidelela ukulalela unina, lizakotsholwa ngamawabayi asesigodini, lizadliwa ngamanqe.
Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.
18 Kukhona izinto ezintathu ezingimangalisayo kakhulu, ezine engingazizwisisiyo:
There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:
19 indlela yengqungqulu emkhathini, umzila wenyoka edwaleni, indlela yomkhumbi olwandle, lendlela yejaha lentombi.
How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.
20 Le yindlela yesiphingikazi: siyadla sesule umlomo waso besesisithi, ‘Angenzanga lutho olubi.’
This is what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”
21 Zintathu izinto ezizamazamisa umhlaba, zine ongeke uzithwale:
There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:
22 yinceku ebayinkosi, yisiwula esisuthiyo,
[What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,
23 ngumfazi owendileyo ongathandwayo, lencekukazi ethathela inkosikazi indoda.
[what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.
24 Kukhona emhlabeni izinto ezine ezincinyane, ikanti-ke zihlakaniphile kakhulu:
[There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:
25 Ubunyonyo kabulamandla anganani, kodwa buyabuthelela ukudla kwabo ehlobo;
Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].
26 lezimbila ziyizidalwa ezilamandla angatsho lutho, kodwa zenza izikhundla zazo ezingoxweni zamadwala;
Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].
27 izintethe kazilankosi, kodwa zihamba ziludibi olwesabekayo;
Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.
28 umbankwa ungabanjwa ngesandla, kodwa ungena lasezigodlweni zamakhosi.
Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.
29 Kulezinto ezintathu ezihamba zinqekuza kamnandi, zine ezihamba zibeka kamnandi:
[There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:
30 yisilwane, esilamandla esabekayo phakathi kwezilo, esingabalekeli lutho;
Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;
31 liqhude eliditshazelayo, yimpongo, njalo lenkosi nxa ihanqwe libutho layo.
male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.
32 Nxa ube yisithutha waziphakamisa, kumbe nxa wakhe amacebo okwenza okubi, vala umlomo wakho ngesandla sakho.
If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!
33 Ngoba njengokuphehla uchago kudala iphehla, lanjengoba ukugubha amakhala kubanga umungula, kunjalo ukuvusa ulaka kudala ingxabano.”
If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.
