Izaga 1
1 Izaga zikaSolomoni indodana kaDavida, inkosi yako-Israyeli:
The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.
2 ukuba abantu bazuze ukuhlakanipha lokuzithiba; ukuba bazwisise amazwi okuqedisisa;
To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:
3 ukuba bazuze impilo yokuzithiba lobuqotho, besenza okulungileyo, okufaneleyo lokuqondileyo;
To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:
4 ukunika ulwazi kwabayizithutha, ulwazi lokukhetha okuqondileyo kwabatsha
To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:
5 ukuthi ohlakaniphileyo alalele engeze ukufunda kwakhe, kuthi obonisisayo azuze izeluleko,
(The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided: )
6 ukuba abantu bazwisise izaga lemizekeliso, izitsho lamalibho abahlakaniphileyo.
To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.
7 Ukwesaba uThixo kuyikuqala kwenhlakanipho, kodwa iziwula ziyakweyisa ukuqedisisa lokuzithiba.
The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.
8 Lalela, ndodana yami, izeluleko zikayihlo njalo ungadeli imfundiso kanyoko.
My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother:
9 Kuzakuba ngumqhele omuhle ekhanda lakho lomgaxo wokucecisa intamo yakho.
For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck.
10 Ndodana yami, aluba izoni zikuhuga, ungaze wavuma.
My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them.
11 Nxa zisithi, “Woza sihambe; kasicathamele abantu sichithe igazi, kasicwathele omunye umuntu ongelacala;
If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause;
Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; (Sheol h7585)
13 sizazuza impahla ezinhle ezehlukeneyo sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango;
Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth;
14 phathisana lathi ukuze sibelesikhwama sinye”
Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag:
15 ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo, ungalugxobi olwakho ezindleleni zazo;
My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways:
16 ngoba ezabo inyawo zigijima ekoneni, bachitha igazi lula.
For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life.
17 Kakusizi ukuthiya ngembule lithe dandalazi emehlweni ezinyoni!
Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:
18 Abantu laba bacathamela ukuchitheka kwelabo igazi; bajuma okwabo ukuphila.
And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves.
19 Sinjalo isiphetho salabo abadinga inzuzo ngobugebenga; kuyayichitha impilo yalabo abayitholayo.
Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.
20 Ukuhlakanipha kuyamemeza emgwaqweni, kuphakamisa ilizwi lakho ezinkundleni;
Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
21 kuyanqongoloza lezindleleni okuxokozela khona, kuyatshumayela emasangweni omuzi kuthi:
Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town:
22 “Koze kube nini lina zithutha lithanda ubuthutha benu na? Koze kube nini izideleli zikholisa ukudelela leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi na?
How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge?
23 Lalelani ukukhuza kwami liphenduke! Ngizalivulela isifuba sami, ngilivezele imicabango yami.
Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
24 Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi langifulathela ngilibiza, kwangabi khona onginanzayo ngiselula isandla sami,
Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand;
25 njengoba lala izeluleko zami njalo kalavuma ukukhuza kwami,
You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words:
26 ngakho lami ngizahleka selihlupheka; ngizaliklolodela nxa lisehlelwa lusizi,
So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear;
27 nxa usizi lulehlela njengesiphepho; nxa incithakalo ilikhukhula njengesivunguzane, nxa usizi lezinhlupheko ziligabhela.
When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you.
28 Lapho-ke bazangibiza kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidinga bangangitholi.
Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
29 Ngoba babeluzonda ulwazi kabaze bakhetha ukwesaba uThixo
For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord:
30 ngoba kabavumanga iseluleko sami, badelela ukukhuza kwami,
They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them.
31 bazakudla izithelo zokuhamba kwabo basuthiswe ngezithelo zamacebo abo.
So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full.
32 Phela ubuhlongandlebe bezithutha buzazibulala, lokungananzi kweziphukuphuku kuzazibhubhisa;
For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction.
33 kodwa lowo ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile ekhululekile, engesabi lutho olungamlimaza.”
But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil.
