Izaga 2

1 Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,

[My] son, if thou wilt receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with thee;

2 ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,

thine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son.

3 yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,

For it thou shalt call to wisdom, and utter thy voice for understanding;

4 uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,

and if thou shalt seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;

5 khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.

then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

6 Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.

For the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,

7 Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,

and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;

8 ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.

that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.

9 Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.

Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment; and shalt direct all thy course aright.

10 Lapho inhlakanipho izangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho;

For if wisdom shall come into thine understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to thy soul,

11 ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;

good counsel shall guard thee, and holy understanding shall keep thee;

12 ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;

to deliver thee from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.

13 abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;

Alas [for those] who forsake right paths, to walk in ways of darkness;

14 abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;

who rejoice in evils, and delight in wicked perverseness;

15 abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;

whose paths are crooked, and their courses winding;

16 ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;

to remove thee far from the straight way, and to estrange thee from a righteous purpose. [My] son, let not evil counsel overtake thee,

17 otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;

[of her] who has forsaken the instruction of her youth, and forgotten the covenant of God.

18 ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.

For she has fixed her house near death, and [guided] her wheels near Hades with the giants.

19 Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.

None that go by her shall return, neither shall they take hold of right paths, for they are not apprehended of the years of life.

20 Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.

For had they gone in good paths, they would have found the paths of righteousness easy.

21 Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;

For the upright shall dwell in the earth, and the holy shall be left behind in it.

22 kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.

The paths of the ungodly shall perish out of the earth, and transgressors shall be driven away from it.