Izaga 2

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

My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,

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

so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] thou apply thy heart to understanding;

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

yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;

4 uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,

if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:

5 khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.

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

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

For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.

7 Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,

He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [he] is a shield to them that walk in integrity;

8 ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.

guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.

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

Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.

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

When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,

11 ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;

discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:

12 ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;

To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things;

13 abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;

[from those] who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

14 abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;

who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of evil;

15 abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;

whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:

16 ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;

To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;

17 otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;

who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God;

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

— for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead;

19 Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.

none that go unto her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

20 Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.

— that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, and keep the paths of the righteous.

21 Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;

For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it;

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

but the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.