Izaga 1
1 Izaga zikaSolomoni indodana kaDavida, inkosi yako-Israyeli:
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 ukuba abantu bazuze ukuhlakanipha lokuzithiba; ukuba bazwisise amazwi okuqedisisa;
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 ukuba bazuze impilo yokuzithiba lobuqotho, besenza okulungileyo, okufaneleyo lokuqondileyo;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 ukunika ulwazi kwabayizithutha, ulwazi lokukhetha okuqondileyo kwabatsha
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 ukuthi ohlakaniphileyo alalele engeze ukufunda kwakhe, kuthi obonisisayo azuze izeluleko,
A wise [man] will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 ukuba abantu bazwisise izaga lemizekeliso, izitsho lamalibho abahlakaniphileyo.
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; 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 beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Lalela, ndodana yami, izeluleko zikayihlo njalo ungadeli imfundiso kanyoko.
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 Kuzakuba ngumqhele omuhle ekhanda lakho lomgaxo wokucecisa intamo yakho.
For they [shall be] an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 Ndodana yami, aluba izoni zikuhuga, ungaze wavuma.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
11 Nxa zisithi, “Woza sihambe; kasicathamele abantu sichithe igazi, kasicwathele omunye umuntu ongelacala;
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: (Sheol h7585)
13 sizazuza impahla ezinhle ezehlukeneyo sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango;
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14 phathisana lathi ukuze sibelesikhwama sinye”
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
15 ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo, ungalugxobi olwakho ezindleleni zazo;
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
16 ngoba ezabo inyawo zigijima ekoneni, bachitha igazi lula.
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 Kakusizi ukuthiya ngembule lithe dandalazi emehlweni ezinyoni!
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
18 Abantu laba bacathamela ukuchitheka kwelabo igazi; bajuma okwabo ukuphila.
And they lay wait for their [own] blood; they lurk privily for their [own] lives.
19 Sinjalo isiphetho salabo abadinga inzuzo ngobugebenga; kuyayichitha impilo yalabo abayitholayo.
So [are] the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; [which] taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
20 Ukuhlakanipha kuyamemeza emgwaqweni, kuphakamisa ilizwi lakho ezinkundleni;
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 kuyanqongoloza lezindleleni okuxokozela khona, kuyatshumayela emasangweni omuzi kuthi:
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, [saying],
22 “Koze kube nini lina zithutha lithanda ubuthutha benu na? Koze kube nini izideleli zikholisa ukudelela leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi na?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Lalelani ukukhuza kwami liphenduke! Ngizalivulela isifuba sami, ngilivezele imicabango yami.
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi langifulathela ngilibiza, kwangabi khona onginanzayo ngiselula isandla sami,
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 njengoba lala izeluleko zami njalo kalavuma ukukhuza kwami,
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 ngakho lami ngizahleka selihlupheka; ngizaliklolodela nxa lisehlelwa lusizi,
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 nxa usizi lulehlela njengesiphepho; nxa incithakalo ilikhukhula njengesivunguzane, nxa usizi lezinhlupheko ziligabhela.
When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Lapho-ke bazangibiza kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidinga bangangitholi.
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 Ngoba babeluzonda ulwazi kabaze bakhetha ukwesaba uThixo
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
30 ngoba kabavumanga iseluleko sami, badelela ukukhuza kwami,
They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 bazakudla izithelo zokuhamba kwabo basuthiswe ngezithelo zamacebo abo.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 Phela ubuhlongandlebe bezithutha buzazibulala, lokungananzi kweziphukuphuku kuzazibhubhisa;
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 kodwa lowo ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile ekhululekile, engesabi lutho olungamlimaza.”
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
