Izaga 1
1 Izaga zikaSolomoni, indodana kaDavida, inkosi yakoIsrayeli;
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 ukwazi inhlakanipho lokulaywa, ukuqedisisa amazwi okuqedisisa,
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 ukwemukela ukulaya kwenhlakanipho, ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda;
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 ukunika abangelalwazi inhlakanipho, ijaha ulwazi lengqondo.
For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion.
5 Ohlakaniphileyo uzakuzwa, andise ukufunda, loqedisisayo uzazuza izeluleko,
(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)
6 ukuqedisisa isaga lomzekeliso, amazwi abahlakaniphileyo, lamalibho abo.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 Ukwesaba iNkosi kuyikuqala kolwazi; izithutha ziyadelela inhlakanipho lokulaywa.
Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
8 Ndodana yami, zwana ukulaya kukayihlo, ungawudeli umlayo kanyoko;
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
9 ngoba kuzakuba ngumqhele womusa ekhanda lakho, lemigaxo entanyeni yakho.
For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 Ndodana yami, uba izoni zikuhuga, ungavumi.
My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.
11 Uba zisithi: Hamba lathi, siyecathamela igazi, sicatshele ongelacala kungelasizatho;
If they say, 'Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
We swallow them as Sheol — alive, And whole — as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 Sizathola yonke impahla eligugu, sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango.
Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Phosela inkatho yakho phakathi kwethu; sonke sibe lesikhwama semali sinye.
Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.'
15 Ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo endleleni; unqande unyawo lwakho emkhondweni wazo.
My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
16 Ngoba inyawo zazo zigijimela ebubini, ziphangisa ukuchitha igazi.
For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.
17 Isibili, imbule lendlalelwa ize phambi kwamehlo aloba yiyiphi inyoni.
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 Lalaba bacathamela igazi labo, bacatshele imiphefumulo yabo.
And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.
19 Zinjalo indlela zakhe wonke ozuza inzuzo ngokuphanga; ithatha impilo yabaniniyo.
So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 UkuHlakanipha kuyamemeza ngaphandle, kukhupha ilizwi lakho emidangeni.
Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
21 Kuyamemeza endaweni eqakathekileyo yokuxokozela, ekungeneni kwamasango; emzini kutsho amazwi akho,
At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
22 kusithi: Koze kube nini, lina elingelalwazi, lithanda ukungabi lalwazi, labaklolodayo bezifisela ukukloloda, leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi?
'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?
23 Phendukelani ekukhuzeni kwami; khangelani, ngizathululela umoya wami kini, ngilazise amazwi ami.
Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.
24 Ngoba ngibizile, kodwa lala; ngelulile isandla sami, kodwa kakho onanzayo;
Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 ladelela sonke iseluleko sami, kalivumanga ukukhuza kwami;
And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
26 mina-ke ngizahleka ukuchitheka kwenu, ngiklolode ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu,
I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,
27 ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu njengesiphepho, lokuchitheka kwenu kufika njengesivunguzane, lapho ubuhlungu losizi kulehlela.
When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
28 Khona bazangibiza, kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidingisisa, kodwa kabayikungithola.
Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
29 Ngenxa yokuthi babezonda ulwazi, bengakhethanga ukwesaba iNkosi.
Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
30 Kabavumanga iseluleko sami, bedelela konke ukukhuza kwami.
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 Ngakho bazakudla okwesithelo sendlela yabo, basuthiswe ngamacebo abo.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.
32 Ngoba ukuhlehla kwabangelalwazi kuzababulala, lokonwaba kweziphukuphuku kuzababhubhisa.
For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
33 Kodwa ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile, onwabe ekwesabeni okubi.
And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
