< Izaga 2 >

1 Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,
So that thou incline thy ear to wisdom, [and] apply thy heart to understanding;
3 yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,
Yes, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest 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 understanding.
7 Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: [he is] a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
8 ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
9 Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; [and] every good path.
10 Lapho inhlakanipho izangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho;
When wisdom entereth into thy heart, and knowledge is pleasant to thy soul;
11 ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;
Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
12 ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;
To deliver thee from the way of the evil [man], from the man that speaketh 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 the wicked;
15 abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;
Whose ways [are] crooked, and [they] froward in their paths:
16 ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;
To deliver thee from the strange woman, [even] 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 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 do they take hold of 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 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.

< Izaga 2 >