Izaga 11
1 Isikali esikhohlisayo siyisinengiso eNkosini, kodwa ilitshe lokulinganisa elipheleleyo liyintokozo yayo.
Yahweh detests [people who use] scales that do not weigh correctly; he is delighted with [those who use] correct weights on the scales.
2 Nxa kufika ukuzigqaja, kufika lehlazo; kodwa kwabathobekileyo kukhona inhlakanipho.
[People who are] proud will [eventually] be disgraced; it is wise to be humble.
3 Ubuqotho babaqotho buzabaqondisa, kodwa ukuphambeka kwabaphambekayo kuzababhubhisa.
[People who are] good are guided by [doing what is] honest; those who are not honest will be ruined because of the wrong things that they do.
4 Inotho kayisizi ngosuku lolaka, kodwa ukulunga kophula ekufeni.
[Your] money will not help [you] on the day that [God] judges [and punishes people]; but if you live righteously, you will live a long time.
5 Ukulunga kwabaqotho kuzaqondisa indlela yakhe, kodwa okhohlakeleyo uzakuwa ngenkohlakalo yakhe.
When people are honest and good, that will (direct their paths/show them what is right for them to do); but wicked [people will] experience disasters because of the evil things that they do.
6 Ukulunga kwabaqotho kuzabophula, kodwa abaphambukayo bazathunjwa zinkanuko zabo.
[God] rescues/protects righteous [people] because they (are honest/do what is right), but those who (are treacherous/cannot be trusted) will be trapped because of their being greedy.
7 Nxa umuntu okhohlakeleyo esifa, ithemba lakhe lizabhubha, lethemba lolamandla liyabhubha.
When wicked [people] die, they cannot confidently expect to receive anything [that is good]; they expect that [their money] will help/save them, but it will not.
8 Olungileyo ukhululwa ekuhluphekeni, kodwa omubi ungena endaweni yakhe.
[Yahweh] rescues righteous [people] from their troubles/difficulties; instead, it is the wicked who will have troubles.
9 Ngomlomo umzenzisi uchitha umakhelwane wakhe, kodwa ngolwazi abalungileyo bayakhululwa.
Godless people can ruin others by what they say [MTY], but righteous [people will] be saved by [their (own] good sense/being wise).
10 Ngempumelelo yabalungileyo umuzi uyathokoza; lekubhubheni kwabakhohlakeleyo kulenjabulo.
When things go well for righteous [people], [the people in] [MTY] their city are happy, and they shout joyfully when wicked [people] die.
11 Ngesibusiso sabaqotho umuzi uyaphakanyiswa, kodwa ngomlomo wabakhohlakeleyo uyachitheka.
When righteous [people request God to] bless a city, that city will become great, but cities are ruined by what wicked [people] say [MTY].
12 Oswela ingqondo udelela umakhelwane, kodwa umuntu oqedisisayo uyazithulela.
It is foolish to despise others; those who (have good sense/are wise) do not say anything [to criticize others].
13 Ohamba enyeya wembula imfihlakalo, kodwa othembekileyo ngomoya ufihla udaba.
Those who (spread gossip/tell bad things about others) will tell your secrets [to others], but if there is someone whom you can trust, you can trust him to not tell your secrets [to others].
14 Lapho kungekho izeluleko abantu bayawa; kodwa ukukhululwa kusebunengini babeluleki.
A nation will be destroyed/ruined if it does not have [leaders] who guide it [wisely]; but if there are many [good] advisors, the nation remains secure.
15 Oba yisibambiso sowezizwe uzahlupheka ngokubi; kodwa ozonda ukutshaya izandla uvikelekile.
If you promise a stranger that you will pay his debt [if he cannot pay it himself], you will regret it. You will be safe if you refuse to guarantee that you will pay someone else’s debts.
16 Owesifazana olomusa ubamba udumo, labalamandla babamba inotho.
[People] honor/respect women who are kind/gracious; ruthless/violent people may get a lot of money, [but that is all that they will get].
17 Umuntu olomusa wenzela umphefumulo wakhe okuhle, kodwa olesihluku ukhathaza inyama yakhe.
Those who are kind benefit themselves [because others will be kind to them], but those who are cruel will hurt themselves [because others will be cruel to them].
18 Okhohlakeleyo wenza umsebenzi wenkohliso, kodwa ohlanyela ukulunga ulomvuzo weqiniso.
If wicked people earn a lot of money, that will deceive them [because they will not keep it for very long], but those who do what is right will surely be rewarded [by God forever].
19 Njengoba ukulunga kungokwempilo, kunjalo ozingela okubi kungokokufa kwakhe.
Those who always do what is right will live [a long/happy life], but those who insist on doing what is wrong will not live [very long].
20 Abaphambeneyo ngenhliziyo bayisinengiso eNkosini, kodwa abaqotho ngendlela bayintokozo yayo.
Yahweh hates those who are always thinking about doing evil things, but he is delighted with those who always do what is right.
21 Isandla esandleni omubi kayikuyekelwa ukujeziswa, kodwa inzalo yabalungileyo izaphepha.
It is certain that [Yahweh] will punish evil people and that righteous people will escape [from being punished].
22 Ulisongo legolide empumulweni yengulube owesifazana obukekayo ophambuka engqondweni.
[It is] ([unsuitable/not proper/disgusting]) for a beautiful woman not to know what is right to do, like [SIM] [it is unsuitable/disgusting] for a pig to have a gold ring in its snout/nose.
23 Isifiso sabalungileyo singokuhle kuphela; ithemba labakhohlakeleyo lulaka.
When the things that righteous people want happen, it brings good [to them and to others], but when the wicked get what they want, it causes everyone else to become angry.
24 Kukhona ohlakazayo, kube kanti okunengi kuyengezwa; logodla okwedlula okufaneleyo, kodwa kungokokuswela.
Some people give [their money] generously [to poor people], but they become richer [in spite of that], and some people hold tightly to their money, but they still become poor [in spite of that].
25 Umphefumulo obusisayo uzakhuluphaliswa, lothelelayo uzathelelwa laye.
Those who give generously [to others] will prosper; if you help others, [they/someone] will help you, too.
26 Ogodla amabele, abantu bazamqalekisa; kodwa isibusiso sizakuba phezu kwekhanda lothengisayo.
People curse/despise someone who hoards his grain [and does not sell it], waiting to get a higher/bigger price for it, but they praise someone who sells it [when people need it, even when the price is not high].
27 Odingisisa okuhle, udinga umusa; kodwa odinga okubi, kuzakuza kuye.
If you sincerely want to [do what is] right, [people] will respect you, but if you are wanting to cause trouble, trouble is what you will get.
28 Othemba inotho yakhe yena uzakuwa, kodwa abalungileyo bazahluma njengamahlamvu.
Those who trust in their money will [disappear like the] withered [leaves that fall from the trees], but righteous [people] will keep going strong, like green leaves [in the summer].
29 Oletha inkathazo emzini wakhe uzakudla ilifa lomoya, lesithutha sizakuba yinceku yohlakaniphileyo ngenhliziyo.
Those who bring troubles to their families will inherit nothing [MET] [from them], and those who do foolish things [like that] will [some day] become the servants of wise [people].
30 Isithelo solungileyo siyisihlahla sempilo, lozuza imiphefumulo uhlakaniphile.
Those who live righteously will live [for a long time], but [those who act] violently will destroy [their own] lives (OR, those who are wise will have many people come and live with them).
31 Khangela, olungileyo uzavuzwa emhlabeni; kakhulu kangakanani omubi lesoni!
[Sometimes] righteous [people] are rewarded [here] on the earth, but it is much more certain that very wicked people [DOU] [will be rewarded by being punished].
