Izaga 2

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

My son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you;

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

So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

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

Yes, if you cry after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding;

4 uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;

5 khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.

Then shall you 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: out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

7 Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,

He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

8 ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.

He keeps the paths of judgment, and preserves the way of his saints.

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

Then shall you understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yes, every good path.

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

When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul;

11 ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;

Discretion shall preserve you, understanding shall keep you:

12 ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;

To deliver you from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaks fraudulent 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 the wicked;

15 abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;

Whose ways are crooked, and they fraudulent in their paths:

16 ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;

To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flatters with her words;

17 otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;

Which forsakes the guide of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God.

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

For her house inclines to death, and her paths to the dead.

19 Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.

None that go to her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

20 Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.

That you may 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 perfect shall remain in it.

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

But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.