Izaga 17
1 Ucezu olomileyo lokuthula kanye lalo lungcono kulendlu egcwele imihlatshelo lengxabano.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 Inceku ehlakaniphileyo izabusa phezu kwendodana eyangisayo, yehlukanise ilifa phakathi kwezelamani.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 Imbiza yokuncibilikisa ngeyesiliva, lesithando ngesegolide, kodwa iNkosi ihlola izinhliziyo.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 Umenzi wobubi ulalela indebe ekhohlakeleyo; umqambimanga ubeka indlebe olimini oluchithayo.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 Oklolodela umyanga uthuka uMenzi wakhe; othokoza encithakalweni kayikuba msulwa.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Abantwana babantwana bangumqhele wabadala, lodumo lwabantwana ngoyise.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Indebe elobungcwethi kayisifanelanga isithutha; kakhulu kangakanani indebe yamanga isiphathamandla.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Isipho siyilitshe eliligugu emehlweni abaniniso; loba ngaphi esiphendukela khona sizaphumelela.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 Osibekela isiphambeko udinga uthando, kodwa ophindaphinda udaba wehlukanisa umngane oseduze.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 Ukukhuza kuyajula koqedisisayo kulokutshaya isithutha ngokulikhulu.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Omubi udinga ububi kuphela, kodwa isithunywa esilesihluku sizathunyelwa kuye.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Kakuthi ibhere elifelwe yimidlwane lihlangane lomuntu, kodwa hatshi isithutha ebuthutheni baso.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 Ophindisela okubi esikhundleni sokuhle, ububi kabuyikusuka endlini yakhe.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Ukuqala kwenkani kunjengokuvulela amanzi; ngakho yekela ingxabano ingakazivezi.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 Olungisisa omubi lolahla olungileyo bayisinengiso eNkosini, ngitsho bobabili.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 Kungani kulemali yokuthenga inhlakanipho esandleni sesithutha, lokhu singelangqondo?
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 Umngane uyathanda ngaso sonke isikhathi, lomzalwane uzalelwa inhlupheko.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Umuntu oswela ingqondo uyabambana ngezandla ukuba yisibambiso phambi kukamakhelwane wakhe.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 Othanda isiphambeko uthanda inkani; ophakamisa umnyango wakhe udinga ukubhujiswa.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 Olenhliziyo ephambeneyo katholi okuhle, lophambene ngolimi uwela ebubini.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 Ozala isithutha, sizakuba lusizi kuye; loyise wesithutha kathokozi.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Inhliziyo ethokozayo yenza kuhle njengomuthi, kodwa umoya owephukileyo womisa amathambo.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Omubi uthatha isipho esifubeni ukuphambula izindlela zesahlulelo.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Inhlakanipho iphambi koqedisisayo, kodwa amehlo esithutha asekucineni komhlaba.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 Indodana eyisiwula ilusizi kuyise, iyikubaba kowayizalayo.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Ukuhlawulisa olungileyo lakho kakulunganga, lokutshaya iziphathamandla ngenxa yobuqotho.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Owazi ulwazi ugodla amazwi akhe; umuntu oqedisisayo ulomoya opholileyo.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 Isithutha esithuleyo laso sithiwa sihlakaniphile; ovala indebe zakhe uthiwa uyaqedisisa.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
