Izaga 30
1 Amazwi ka-Aguri indodana kaJakhe, amazwi ahlakaniphileyo: Umuntu lo wathi ku-Ithiyeli: “Ngikhathele, Oh Nkulunkulu, kodwa ngizophumelela.
Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: — I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.
2 Angilalwazi okudlula bonke abantu; angilakho ukuzwisisa komuntu.
For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.
3 Angikufundanga ukuhlakanipha njalo kangilalwazi ngaye oNgcwele.
Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.
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 went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His name? and what His son's name? Surely thou knowest!
5 Wonke amazwi kaNkulunkulu akalamposiso; uyisihlangu kulabo abacatsha kuye.
Every saying of God [is] tried, A shield He [is] to those trusting in Him.
6 Ungengezeleli emazwini akhe, funa akukhuze akwenze umqambimanga.
Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.
7 Zimbili izinto engizicela kuwe, Oh Thixo; ungangincitshi zona ngingakafi:
Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.
8 Susa kimi inkohliso lamanga; ungangiphi ubuyanga loba inotho, kodwa ungiphe kuphela ukudla kwami kwansukuzonke.
Vanity and a lying word put far from me, Poverty or wealth give not to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,
9 Phela ngingaba lokunengi kakhulu ngikuphike wena ngithi, ‘Ungubani uThixo?’ loba ngibengumyanga ngintshontshe; ngalokho ngiliyangise ibizo likaNkulunkulu wami.
Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, 'Who [is] Jehovah?' And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.
10 Ungahlebi inceku enkosini yayo, ngoba izakuqalekisa ungene enkathazweni.
Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 Bakhona abathuka oyise, abangababusisiyo onina;
A generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, And their mother doth not bless.
12 labo abazibona belungile ikanti kabahlambululwanga emanyaleni abo;
A generation — pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.
13 labo abamehlo abo ahlezi egcwele ulaka, abakhangela ngokudelela;
A generation — how high are their eyes, Yea, their eyelids are lifted up.
14 labo omazinyo abo zinkemba, omihlathi yabo inanyathiselwe izingqamu ukuze baginye abayanga baphele emhlabeni, labaswelayo abaphakathi kwabantu.
A generation — swords [are] their teeth, And knives — their jaw-teeth, To consume the poor from earth, And the needy from [among] men.
15 Umkhaza ulamadodakazi amabili; ayamemeza athi, ‘Siphe! Siphe!’ Zintathu izinto ezingasuthiyo, zine ezingakaze zithi, ‘Sekwanele!’:
To the leech [are] two daughters, 'Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said 'Sufficiency;'
16 lingcwaba yisisu senyumba, lomhlabathi ongasuthiyo amanzi, lomlilo ongezukufa wathi, ‘Sekwanele!’ (Sheol h7585)
Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth — it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire — it hath not said, 'Sufficiency,' (Sheol h7585)
17 Ilihlo elihleka uyise, elidelela ukulalela unina, lizakotsholwa ngamawabayi asesigodini, lizadliwa ngamanqe.
An eye that mocketh at a father, And despiseth to obey a mother, Dig it out do ravens of the valley, And eat it do young eagles.
18 Kukhona izinto ezintathu ezingimangalisayo kakhulu, ezine engingazizwisisiyo:
Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:
19 indlela yengqungqulu emkhathini, umzila wenyoka edwaleni, indlela yomkhumbi olwandle, lendlela yejaha lentombi.
The way of the eagle in the heavens, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the heart of the sea, And the way of a man in youth.
20 Le yindlela yesiphingikazi: siyadla sesule umlomo waso besesisithi, ‘Angenzanga lutho olubi.’
So — the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, 'I have not done iniquity.'
21 Zintathu izinto ezizamazamisa umhlaba, zine ongeke uzithwale:
For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four — it is not able to bear:
22 yinceku ebayinkosi, yisiwula esisuthiyo,
For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
23 ngumfazi owendileyo ongathandwayo, lencekukazi ethathela inkosikazi indoda.
For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.
24 Kukhona emhlabeni izinto ezine ezincinyane, ikanti-ke zihlakaniphile kakhulu:
Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:
25 Ubunyonyo kabulamandla anganani, kodwa buyabuthelela ukudla kwabo ehlobo;
The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,
26 lezimbila ziyizidalwa ezilamandla angatsho lutho, kodwa zenza izikhundla zazo ezingoxweni zamadwala;
Conies [are] a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,
27 izintethe kazilankosi, kodwa zihamba ziludibi olwesabekayo;
A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out — each one shouting,
28 umbankwa ungabanjwa ngesandla, kodwa ungena lasezigodlweni zamakhosi.
A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
29 Kulezinto ezintathu ezihamba zinqekuza kamnandi, zine ezihamba zibeka kamnandi:
Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:
30 yisilwane, esilamandla esabekayo phakathi kwezilo, esingabalekeli lutho;
An old lion — mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,
31 liqhude eliditshazelayo, yimpongo, njalo lenkosi nxa ihanqwe libutho layo.
A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king — no rising up with him.
32 Nxa ube yisithutha waziphakamisa, kumbe nxa wakhe amacebo okwenza okubi, vala umlomo wakho ngesandla sakho.
If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil — hand to mouth!
33 Ngoba njengokuphehla uchago kudala iphehla, lanjengoba ukugubha amakhala kubanga umungula, kunjalo ukuvusa ulaka kudala ingxabano.”
For the churning of milk bringeth out butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth out blood, And the forcing of anger bringeth out strife!
