Izaga 6
1 Ndodana yami, nxa wenzele umakhelwane wakho isibambiso, nxa libambene izandla ukuba uzamhlawulela imilandu yakhe,
My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand,
2 aluba usuzihilele ngalokho okutshiloyo, wazibambisa ngamazwi omlomo wakho,
Hast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings of thy mouth,
3 lapho-ke yenza lokhu, ndodana yami, ukuzikhulula, njengoba usuwele ezandleni zakhe umakhelwane wakho: Hamba ufike uzehlise; mncengancenge umakhelwane wakho!
Do this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend,
4 Ungabuvumeli ubuthongo emehlweni akho, ungavumeli ukuwozela enkopheni zakho.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids,
5 Zikhulule njengempala ezandleni zomzingeli, njengenyoni esifini somthiyi.
Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.
6 Khangela ubunyonyo, wena vila; hlolisisa ukwenza kwabo uhlakaniphe!
Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;
7 Kabulamphathi, kabula mkhangeli loba umbusi,
Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,
8 kodwa buyaqoqa umphako wabo ehlobo bubuthe ukudla kwabo nxa kuvunwa.
She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food.
9 Uzalala khonapho kuze kube nini, vila ndini? Uzavuka nini ebuthongweni bakho?
Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?
10 Ukulala okuncane, ukuwozela okuncane, ukugoqa izandla kancane uphumula,
A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,
11 ubuyanga buzafika kuwe njengesela lokuswela njengesigebenga.
And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.
12 Isigangi lesixhwali esihamba sikhuluma amanyala,
A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking [with] perverseness of mouth,
13 esiqhweba ngelihlo sitshengise ngezinyawo zaso njalo sitshengise ngeminwe yaso,
Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers,
14 esiceba ububi ngenkohliso enhliziyweni yaso sithanda ukuvusa inkani kokuphela.
Frowardness [is] in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.
15 Ngakho lowo uzawelwa yingozi ngokuphazima; uzabhidlizwa ngokuphangisa kungasekho okungenziwa.
Therefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken — and no healing.
16 Ziyisithupha izinto uThixo azizondayo, eziyisikhombisa eziyisinengiso kuye:
These six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven [are] abominations to His soul.
17 amehlo atshengisa ukudelela, ulimi oluqamba amanga, izandla ezichitha igazi elingelacala,
Eyes high — tongues false — And hands shedding innocent blood —
18 inhliziyo egaya izibozi, inyawo eziphangisa ukuya ebubini,
A heart devising thoughts of vanity — Feet hasting to run to evil —
19 umfakazi wamanga, okhuluma inkohliso lomuntu oletha ukuxabana kubazalwane.
A false witness [who] doth breathe out lies — And one sending forth contentions between brethren.
20 Ndodana yami, gcina imilayo kayihlo ungadeli imfundiso kanyoko.
Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.
21 Kubophele enhliziyweni yakho nini lanini; kugqize entanyeni yakho.
Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck.
22 Nxa uhamba, lezizinto zizakukhokhela; lanxa ulele zizakulinda; uthi uvuka zikukhulumise.
In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked — it talketh [with] thee.
23 Ngoba imilayo le iyisibane, imfundiso le iyikukhanya, leziqondiso zokuzithiba ziyindlela yokuphila,
For a lamp [is] the command, And the law a light, And a way of life [are] reproofs of instruction,
24 zikuvikela kowesifazane ongaziphathanga, laselimini olumnandi lomfazi ongelambeko.
To preserve thee from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Ungasuki umfise ngenhliziyo yakho ngenxa yobuhle bakhe kumbe akuhuge ngamehlo akhe.
Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids.
26 Ngoba isifebe siyakululazisa ufane lesinkwa, kodwa umfazi womuntu uyayibhidliza impilo yakho uqobo.
For a harlot consumeth unto a cake of bread, And an adulteress the precious soul hunteth.
27 Kambe umuntu angokhela umlilo emathangazini akhe na zingaze zatsha izigqoko zakhe?
Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt?
28 Kambe umuntu angahamba phezu kwamalahle inyawo zakhe zingaze zatsha na?
Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched?
29 Kunjalo kulowo olala lomfazi wenye indoda; kakho omthintayo ongayikujeziswa.
So [is] he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.
30 Abantu kabalithuki isela nxa lintshontsha ngoba lifuqwa liphango.
They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,
31 Kodwa lingabanjwa lihlawuliswa kasikhombisa, lanxa inhlawulo ilithathela yonke impahla yendlu yalo.
And being found he repayeth sevenfold, All the substance of his house he giveth.
32 Kodwa indoda efebayo kayilangqondo; lowo okwenzayo lokho uyazibulala yena ngokwakhe.
He who committeth adultery [with] a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it.
33 Izidutshulo lehlazo kuyisabelo sakhe, ukuyangeka kwakhe kakusoze kwafa kwaphela.
A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away,
34 Ngoba ubukhwele bendoda yalowomfazi buyiqubula ulaka, ingabe isaba lozwelo lapho isiphindisela.
For jealousy [is] the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance.
35 Kayizukuvuma inhlawulo; kayiyikwamukela isivalamlomo loba singakanani.
He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!
