Izaga 2

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

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and lay up my commandments with thee;

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

So that thou make thine ear attend unto wisdom, and thy heart incline to discernment;

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

Yea, if thou call for understanding, and lift up thy voice for discernment;

4 uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,

If thou seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid 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 giveth wisdom, out of His mouth cometh knowledge and discernment;

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.

That He may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of His godly ones.

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

Then shalt thou understand righteousness and justice, and equity, yea, every good path.

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

For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;

11 ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;

Discretion shall watch over thee, discernment shall guard thee;

12 ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;

To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the men that speak froward things;

13 abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;

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;

Who are crooked in their ways, and perverse in their paths;

16 ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;

To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words;

17 otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;

That forsaketh the lord of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

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

For her house sinketh down unto death, and her paths unto the shades;

19 Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.

None that go unto her return, neither do they attain unto the paths of life;

20 Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.

That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, 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 whole-hearted 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 faithless shall be plucked up out of it.