Izaga 23
1 Nxa uhlalela ukudla lesiphathamandla, qaphelisa lokuqaphelisa okuphambi kwakho.
When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;
2 Ubeke ingqamu emphinjeni wakho uba uyisiminzi.
And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.
3 Ungafisi izibondlo zaso, ngoba ziyikudla kwamanga.
Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.
4 Ungatshikatshikeli ukunotha; pheza ekuqedisiseni kwakho.
Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.
5 Uzandizisa yini amehlo akho kokungekho? Ngoba kuzazenzela lokuzenzela izimpiko njengokhozi oluphaphela emazulwini.
Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.
6 Ungadli ukudla kolelihlo elibi, ungafisi izibondlo zakhe.
Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:
7 Ngoba njengoba ecabangile emphefumulweni wakhe, unjalo. Uzakuthi: Dlana unathe; kodwa inhliziyo yakhe kayilawe.
For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.
8 Ucezu oludlileyo uzaluhlanza, wone amazwi akho amnandi.
The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.
9 Ungakhulumi endlebeni zoyisithutha, ngoba uzadelela inhlakanipho yamazwi akho.
Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.
10 Ungatshedisi isikhonkwane esidala somngcele; ungangeni emasimini ezintandane;
Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;
11 ngoba uMhlengi wazo ulamandla; yena uzamela udaba lwazo kuwe.
For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.
12 Beka inhliziyo yakho ekufundisweni, lezindlebe zakho emazwini olwazi.
Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Ungagodleli umntwana isijeziso; nxa umtshaya ngoswazi kayikufa.
Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.
Give him blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
15 Ndodana yami, uba inhliziyo yakho ihlakanipha, inhliziyo yami izathokoza, yebo eyami;
My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;
16 lezinso zami zizajabula ekukhulumeni kwendebe zakho izinto eziqondileyo.
And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.
17 Inhliziyo yakho kayingahawukeli izoni; kodwa bana ekwesabeni iNkosi lonke usuku.
Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;
18 Ngoba isibili kukhona umvuzo, lomlindelo wakho kawuyikuqunywa.
For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Lalela wena, ndodana yami, uhlakaniphe, uqondise inhliziyo yakho endleleni.
Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.
20 Ungabi phakathi kwabanathi bewayini, phakathi kwezihwaba zenyama.
Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:
21 Ngoba isidakwa lesihwaba sizakuba ngumyanga, lokuwozela kugqokisa amadabudabu.
For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.
22 Lalela uyihlo owakuzalayo, ungamdeleli unyoko esemdala.
Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.
23 Thenga iqiniso, ungalithengisi; inhlakanipho, lemfundiso, lokuqedisisa.
Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.
24 Uyise wolungileyo uzathaba lokuthaba; lozala ohlakaniphileyo uzathokoza ngaye.
The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.
25 Uyihlo lonyoko kabathokoze, lokuzeleyo kathabe.
Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.
26 Ndodana yami, ngiphe inhliziyo yakho, lamehlo akho kawananzelele indlela zami.
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.
27 Ngoba iwule lingumgodi otshonayo, lowesifazana owemzini ungumthombo ongumcingo.
For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.
28 Laye ucathama njengomphangi, andise abangathembekanga phakathi kwabantu.
Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.
29 Ngubani olo: Maye? Ngubani olo: Wo? Ngubani olenkani? Ngubani olesililo? Ngubani olamanxeba ngeze? Ngubani olamehlo abomvu?
Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?
30 Yilabo abalibala ewayinini, yilabo abazedinga iwayini elixutshanisiweyo.
Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.
31 Ungakhangeli iwayini, lapho lizibonakalisa libomvu, nxa linika umbala walo enkomitshini, lihamba liqondile.
Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:
32 Ekucineni kwalo liluma njengenyoka, lilume njengebululu.
In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.
33 Amehlo akho azabona abesifazana bemzini, lenhliziyo yakho ikhulume izinto eziphambeneyo.
Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.
34 Yebo, uzakuba njengolala enhliziyweni yolwandle, lanjengolala esihlokweni sensika yomkhumbi.
Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.
35 Bangitshayile, kangizwanga buhlungu; bangidutshuzile, kangikunanzanga. Ngizavuka nini? Ngiphinde ngilidinge futhi.
They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.
