Izaga 12
1 Othanda ukulaywa uthanda ulwazi; kodwa ozonda ukukhuzwa uyisithutha.
Those who want to know [what is right to do] want to be (disciplined/corrected) when they do what is wrong; it is foolish to not want to be (corrected/told that what you did is wrong).
2 Olungileyo uzuza umusa eNkosini, kodwa umuntu wamacebo amabi iyamlahla.
Yahweh is pleased with good people, but he condemns those who plan to harm [others].
3 Umuntu kayikumiswa yibubi, kodwa impande yabalungileyo kayiyikunyikinywa.
People do not become secure/safe by doing what is wicked; righteous [people] will be very safe and secure [LIT] like [MET] a tree that has deep roots.
4 Umfazi okhuthalela okulungileyo ungumqhele wendoda yakhe, kodwa oyangisayo unjengokubola emathanjeni ayo.
A good wife is one who causes her husband to be greatly honored, but a wife who does things that cause her husband to be ashamed [will destroy him] like [SIM] cancer [destroys] his bones.
5 Imicabango yabalungileyo ilungile; izeluleko zababi ziyinkohliso.
What righteous [people] want to do is [to treat people] fairly; what wicked [people] want to do is to deceive people.
6 Amazwi abakhohlakeleyo ngawokucathamela igazi, kodwa umlomo wabaqotho uzabophula.
What wicked [people] say is like a trap [MET] that kills [MTY] people [who pass by], but what righteous [people] say [MTY] rescues those whom [wicked people threaten to harm].
7 Abakhohlakeleyo bayachithwa, bangabe besaba khona; kodwa indlu yabalungileyo izakuma.
Wicked [people] will die [before they become old and we will see] them no more, but righteous people will live [for many years] and have many descendants.
8 Umuntu uzadunyiswa ngokwenhlakanipho yakhe, kodwa ophambeke ngenhliziyo uzakuba ngowokudelelwa.
[People will] praise those who have good sense, but [people will] despise those (who are always thinking about doing evil things/whose thinking is twisted).
9 Odelelekayo elesisebenzi ungcono kulozihloniphayo aswele ukudla.
It is better to be a humble/ordinary person who has only one servant than to think that you are very important while you have nothing to eat.
10 Olungileyo unanzelela impilo yesifuyo sakhe, kodwa izihawu zabakhohlakeleyo ziyilunya.
Righteous people take care of their domestic animals, but wicked people act cruelly [toward their animals].
11 Olima insimu yakhe uzasutha ngokudla, kodwa ozingela izinto eziyize uswela ingqondo.
Farmers who work hard in their fields will [produce good crops] that will give them plenty to eat, but those who waste their time working on worthless projects are foolish.
12 Okhohlakeleyo ufisa impango yababi, kodwa impande yabalungileyo iyahluma.
Wicked [people] desire to take away what [other] evil people have, but [Yahweh] enables righteous/godly [people] to be steadfast and productive [MET].
13 Ekuphambekeni kwendebe kulomjibila womubi, kodwa olungileyo uzaphuma enkathazweni.
Evil people are trapped by the evil things that they say [MTY], but righteous [people] escape from trouble.
14 Umuntu uzasutha ngokulungileyo ngesithelo somlomo, lomvuzo wezandla zomuntu uzabuyiselwa kuye.
People are rewarded for [the good things] that they say [to others], and people are [also] rewarded for the good work that they do [MTY].
15 Indlela yesithutha ilungile emehlweni aso, kodwa olalela iseluleko uhlakaniphile.
Foolish people [always] think that what they are doing is right; wise people heed [other people when they give them good] advice.
16 Isithutha, intukuthelo yaso yaziwa ngosuku; kodwa ohlakaniphileyo ufihla ihlazo.
Foolish people quickly become angry when someone does something that they don’t like; but those who have good sense ignore it when others insult them.
17 Ophefumula iqiniso wazisa ukulunga, kodwa umfakazi wamanga inkohliso.
[In the courtroom], honest people say what is true, but untruthful/dishonest people tell [nothing but] lies.
18 Kukhona ophahluka njengokuhlaba kwenkemba, kodwa ulimi lwezihlakaniphi luyikusilisa.
What some people say [hurts people badly], as much as [SIM] a sword can; but what wise [people] say (heals [others’ souls]/comforts others).
19 Indebe yeqiniso izamiswa phakade, kodwa ulimi lwamanga lungolomzuzu nje.
When people tell [MTY] lies, others soon realize that what they said is not true [IDM]; but when people say what is true, others will remember that forever.
20 Inkohliso isenhliziyweni yabaceba okubi, kodwa abeluleki bokuthula balentokozo.
Those who plan to do what is evil are always wanting to deceive [others], but things will go well for those who plan [to do] good things.
21 Lokukodwa okubi kakuyikubehlela abalungileyo, kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bagcwele ububi.
Bad things [usually] [HYP] do not happen to righteous [people], but wicked [people] always have troubles.
22 Indebe zamanga ziyisinengiso eNkosini, kodwa abenza iqiniso bayintokozo yayo.
Yahweh detests those [MTY] who tell lies, but he is delighted with those who faithfully do what they promise that they will do.
23 Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ufihla ulwazi, kodwa inhliziyo yezithutha imemezela ubuthutha.
Those with good sense do not reveal [all] that they know; foolish people show [clearly] by what they say that they (are ignorant/have not learned much).
24 Isandla sabakhutheleyo sizabusa, kodwa amavila azakuba yizibhalwa.
Those [SYN] who work hard become rulers [of others]; those who are lazy become slaves [of others.]
25 Ukukhathazeka enhliziyweni yomuntu kuyayithobisa, kodwa ilizwi elihle liyayithokozisa.
When people are anxious/worried, they become depressed/dejected, but when others speak kindly to them, it causes them to be cheerful again.
26 Olungileyo ungumholi kamakhelwane wakhe, kodwa indlela yabakhohlakeleyo iyabaduhisa.
Godly/Righteous people try to [give good advice to] their friends (OR, try to make friends with others), but the manner in which wicked [people] live misleads their friends.
27 Olivila kayikosa inyamazana yakhe ayizingeleyo, kodwa impahla yomuntu okhutheleyo iligugu.
Lazy people do not even [cook the meat of] the animals that they catch/kill, but those who work hard will acquire (OR, are like) a valuable treasure.
28 Endleleni yokulunga kulempilo, lendleleni yomkhondo kakulakufa.
Those who (live righteously/continually do what is right) are [walking] on the road to a long life; (it is not a road to death/they will not die when they are still young).
