Izaga 14
1 Wonke owesifazana ohlakaniphileyo uyayakha indlu yakhe, kodwa oyisithutha uyayidiliza ngezandla zakhe.
Wise women [PRS] hold their families together [by the wise things that they do], but foolish women ruin their families by the foolish things that they do.
2 Ohamba ngobuqotho bakhe wesaba iNkosi, kodwa ophambene ngendlela zakhe uyayidelela.
By [continually] behaving/acting righteously, [people show that they] greatly revere Yahweh; those who (walk on crooked paths/always deceive others) [show that they] despise him.
3 Emlonyeni wesithutha kulentonga yokuzigqaja, kodwa indebe zabahlakaniphileyo ziyabagcina.
Foolish people will be punished [MTY] for what they say, but wise [people] will be protected by what they say [MTY].
4 Lapho okungekho izinkabi khona umkolo uhlanzekile, kodwa kulesivuno esinengi ngamandla enkabi.
If [a man has] no oxen [to plow his field], he does not [need to put] grain [in their feedbox], but if [he has] oxen, they will enable [him to produce] an abundant crop.
5 Umfakazi othembekileyo kaqambi amanga, kodwa umfakazi wamanga uphafuza amanga.
Witnesses who are reliable [always] say what (is true/really happened), but witnesses who are not reliable constantly tell lies [about what happened].
6 Odelelayo udinga inhlakanipho, kodwa kayikho; kodwa ulwazi lulula koqedisisayo.
Those who make fun [of being wise] will never become wise, but those who understand [what is right] learn things easily.
7 Suka phambi komuntu oyisithutha, nxa ungayikunanzelela kuye indebe zolwazi.
Stay away from foolish people, because they will not be able to teach you anything [useful].
8 Inhlakanipho yokhaliphileyo yikuqedisisa indlela yakhe, kodwa ubuthutha bezithutha buyinkohliso.
Those who have good sense are wise, so they know what they should do [and what they should not do]; foolish people do not know what is right to do, but because they think that they do, they are deceiving themselves.
9 Izithutha ziyakloloda ngesono, kodwa phakathi kwabaqotho kulomusa.
Foolish people make fun of their committing sins; but God is pleased with those who do what is right.
10 Inhliziyo iyazi ukubaba kwayo ngokwayo, lowemzini kahlanganyeli lentokozo yayo.
If you are very sad or if you are joyful, only you know what you are experiencing; no one else [can] know what you are feeling.
11 Indlu yabakhohlakeleyo izachithwa, kodwa ithente labaqotho lizahluma.
Houses built by wicked [people] will be destroyed, but houses built by good/righteous [people] will last for a long time.
12 Kukhona indlela ebonakala ilungile emuntwini, kodwa ukuphela kwayo zindlela zokufa.
There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that [some] people [falsely] think are right, but (walking on those roads/continually doing those things) causes [those people] to die.
13 Lekuhlekeni inhliziyo isebuhlungwini, lokuphela kwaleyontokozo lusizi.
[Sometimes] when people laugh, they are [really] sad, and when they stop laughing, they are still sad.
14 Ohlehlela nyovane ngenhliziyo uzasutha ngezindlela zakhe, kodwa umuntu olungileyo uzasutha ngaye ngokwakhe.
Those who stubbornly continue to do what is wrong will get what they deserve, and those who continually do what is good will [also] get what they deserve.
15 Ongelalwazi ukholwa lonke ilizwi, kodwa olengqondo unanzelela ukuhamba kwakhe.
Foolish people believe everything [that people tell them]; those who have good sense think carefully about what will be the result of their actions.
16 Ohlakaniphileyo uyesaba, asuke ebubini, kodwa isithutha siyathukuthela, silitshapha.
Wise people are careful and avoid [doing things that will give them] trouble; foolish people are careless and act (too quickly/without thinking).
17 Ophangisa ukuthukuthela wenza ubuthutha, lomuntu wamacebo amabi uzazondwa.
Those who quickly become angry [IDM] do foolish things; [people] hate those who plan to do wicked things (OR, those who have good sense remain calm/patient).
18 Abangelalwazi badla ilifa lobuthutha, kodwa abakhaliphileyo bazathwala umqhele wolwazi.
Foolish people get what they deserve for doing foolish things; those with good sense are rewarded [MET] by being able to learn a lot.
19 Ababi bakhothama phambi kwabalungileyo, labakhohlakeleyo emasangweni abalungileyo.
[Some day] evil [people] will bow down in front of righteous [people to show that they respect them]; they [will humbly stand] at the gates of [the houses of] righteous [people and request their help].
20 Umyanga uzondwa langumakhelwane wakhe, kodwa abathanda onothileyo banengi.
[No one likes] poor [people]; even their friends/neighbors do not like them; rich [people] have many friends, but [only while the rich people still have money].
21 Odelela umakhelwane wakhe uyona, kodwa olomusa kubayanga ubusisiwe.
It is sinful to despise your [poor] neighbors; [God] is pleased with those who do kind things for the poor.
22 Kabaduhi yini abaceba okubi? Kodwa umusa leqiniso ngokwalabo abaceba okuhle.
Those who plan to do things that are evil/wrong are walking on the wrong road; people faithfully love, respect and are loyal to those who plan to do what is good.
23 Kumtshikatshika wonke kulenzuzo, kodwa inkulumo yendebe ibanga inswelo kuphela.
If you work hard, you will (accomplish something good/get a good income), but if all you do is to talk [and not work], you will remain poor.
24 Umqhele wabahlakaniphileyo uyinotho yabo; ubuthutha bezithutha buyibuthutha.
One of the rewards [MET] of being wise is to become rich; the reward of acting foolishly is to become more foolish.
25 Umfakazi oqinisileyo uyophula imiphefumulo, kodwa ophafuza amanga ungumkhohlisi.
By saying [in court] what is true, you [can] save the life [of the one who is being falsely accused]; if you tell lies, you are abandoning someone who needs your help [to defend him].
26 Ekuyesabeni iNkosi kulethemba eliqinileyo, labantwana bakhe bazakuba lesiphephelo.
Those who revere Yahweh are confident [that he will protect them], and their family will [also] be protected.
27 Ukuyesaba iNkosi kungumthombo wempilo, ukusuka emijibileni yokufa.
Having an awesome respect for Yahweh is [like] [MET] [having] a fountain that gives life; it will help you to escape when something dangerous is threatening to kill you [MET].
28 Lusebunengini babantu udumo lwenkosi, kodwa kusekuswelekeni kwabantu ukuchitheka kombusi.
If a king rules over many people, many people will [be able to] honor him; if he has only a few people in his kingdom, he will have very little [HYP] power.
29 Ophuza ukuthukuthela ulokuqedisisa okukhulu, kodwa ophangisa ukuzonda ukhulisa ubuthutha.
Those who do not quickly become angry are very wise; by quickly becoming angry, people show that they are foolish.
30 Inhliziyo ephilileyo iyimpilo yenyama, kodwa umhawu uyikubola kwamathambo.
Having a mind that is peaceful results in having a healthy body; having a mind that is [often] in turmoil is [like] [MET] cancer in [a person’s] bones.
31 Ocindezela umyanga uthuka uMenzi wakhe, kodwa olomusa koswelayo uyamdumisa.
Those who oppress poor people are insulting God, the one who made those poor people, but acting kindly toward them is respecting God.
32 Okhohlakeleyo uwiswa ebubini bakhe, kodwa olungileyo ulethemba ekufeni kwakhe.
Wicked [people] ruin themselves by the evil things that they do, but righteous/good [people] are kept safe/protected even when they die (OR, because of their continually doing what is right).
33 Inhlakanipho ihlala enhliziyweni yoqedisisayo, kodwa okuphakathi kwezithutha kuyaziwa.
Those who have good sense always think what is wise; foolish people do not know anything about being wise.
34 Ukulunga kuphakamisa isizwe, kodwa isono silihlazo ebantwini.
[When] the people of a nation [continually act] righteously, it causes that nation to be great; [continually doing what is] evil causes a nation to be disgraced.
35 Umusa wenkosi usencekwini ehlakaniphileyo, kodwa intukuthelo yayo izakuba kwethela ihlazo.
Kings are pleased with officials who do their work competently/skillfully, but they punish [MTY] those who [do their work in a manner that] causes the kings to be disgraced.
