Izaga 2
1 Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,
My son, if you accept my sayings, And lay up my commands with you,
2 ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,
To cause your ear to attend to wisdom, You incline your heart to understanding,
3 yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,
For if you call for intelligence, [And] give forth your voice for intelligence,
4 uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,
If you seek her as silver, And search for her as hid treasures,
5 khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.
Then you understand the fear of YHWH, And you find the knowledge of God.
6 Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.
For YHWH gives wisdom, Knowledge and understanding from His mouth.
7 Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,
Even to lay up substance for the upright, A shield for those walking uprightly.
8 ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.
To keep the paths of judgment, And He preserves the way of His saints.
9 Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.
Then you understand righteousness, And judgment, and uprightness—every good path.
10 Lapho inhlakanipho izangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho;
For wisdom comes into your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;
Thoughtfulness watches over you, Understanding keeps you,
12 ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;
To deliver you from an evil way, From any speaking contrary things,
13 abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;
Who are forsaking paths of uprightness, To walk in ways of darkness,
14 abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;
Who are rejoicing to do evil, They delight in [the] contrariness of the wicked,
15 abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;
Whose paths [are] crooked, Indeed, they are perverted in their ways.
16 ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;
To deliver you from the strange woman, From the stranger who has made her sayings smooth,
17 otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;
Who is forsaking the guide of her youth, And has forgotten the covenant of her God.
18 ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.
For her house has inclined to death, And her paths to Rephaim.
19 Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.
None going in to her return, Nor do they reach the paths of life.
20 Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.
That you go in the way of the good, And keep the paths of the righteous.
21 Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;
For the upright inhabit the earth, And the perfect are left in it,
22 kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.
And the wicked are cut off from the earth, And treacherous dealers plucked out of it!
