Izaga 23
1 Nxa uhlalela ukudla lesiphathamandla, qaphelisa lokuqaphelisa okuphambi kwakho.
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider well who is before thee;
2 Ubeke ingqamu emphinjeni wakho uba uyisiminzi.
and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Ungafisi izibondlo zaso, ngoba ziyikudla kwamanga.
Be not desirous of his dainties; for they are deceitful food.
4 Ungatshikatshikeli ukunotha; pheza ekuqedisiseni kwakho.
Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from thine own intelligence:
5 Uzandizisa yini amehlo akho kokungekho? Ngoba kuzazenzela lokuzenzela izimpiko njengokhozi oluphaphela emazulwini.
wilt thou set thine eyes upon it, it is gone; for indeed it maketh itself wings and it flieth away as an eagle towards the heavens.
6 Ungadli ukudla kolelihlo elibi, ungafisi izibondlo zakhe.
Eat thou not the food of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties.
7 Ngoba njengoba ecabangile emphefumulweni wakhe, unjalo. Uzakuthi: Dlana unathe; kodwa inhliziyo yakhe kayilawe.
For as he thinketh in his soul, so is he. Eat and drink! will he say unto thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Ucezu oludlileyo uzaluhlanza, wone amazwi akho amnandi.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou vomit up, and thou wilt have wasted thy sweet words.
9 Ungakhulumi endlebeni zoyisithutha, ngoba uzadelela inhlakanipho yamazwi akho.
Speak not in the ears of a foolish [man], for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Ungatshedisi isikhonkwane esidala somngcele; ungangeni emasimini ezintandane;
Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11 ngoba uMhlengi wazo ulamandla; yena uzamela udaba lwazo kuwe.
for their redeemer is mighty; he will plead their cause against thee.
12 Beka inhliziyo yakho ekufundisweni, lezindlebe zakho emazwini olwazi.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Ungagodleli umntwana isijeziso; nxa umtshaya ngoswazi kayikufa.
Withhold not correction from the child; for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die:
thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 Ndodana yami, uba inhliziyo yakho ihlakanipha, inhliziyo yami izathokoza, yebo eyami;
My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine;
16 lezinso zami zizajabula ekukhulumeni kwendebe zakho izinto eziqondileyo.
and my reins shall exult, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Inhliziyo yakho kayingahawukeli izoni; kodwa bana ekwesabeni iNkosi lonke usuku.
Let not thy heart envy sinners, but [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day;
18 Ngoba isibili kukhona umvuzo, lomlindelo wakho kawuyikuqunywa.
for surely there is a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Lalela wena, ndodana yami, uhlakaniphe, uqondise inhliziyo yakho endleleni.
Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct thy heart in the way.
20 Ungabi phakathi kwabanathi bewayini, phakathi kwezihwaba zenyama.
Be not among winebibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh.
21 Ngoba isidakwa lesihwaba sizakuba ngumyanga, lokuwozela kugqokisa amadabudabu.
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth with rags.
22 Lalela uyihlo owakuzalayo, ungamdeleli unyoko esemdala.
Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Thenga iqiniso, ungalithengisi; inhlakanipho, lemfundiso, lokuqedisisa.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and intelligence.
24 Uyise wolungileyo uzathaba lokuthaba; lozala ohlakaniphileyo uzathokoza ngaye.
The father of a righteous [man] shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise [son] shall have joy of him:
25 Uyihlo lonyoko kabathokoze, lokuzeleyo kathabe.
let thy father and thy mother have joy, and let her that bore thee rejoice.
26 Ndodana yami, ngiphe inhliziyo yakho, lamehlo akho kawananzelele indlela zami.
My son, give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 Ngoba iwule lingumgodi otshonayo, lowesifazana owemzini ungumthombo ongumcingo.
For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 Laye ucathama njengomphangi, andise abangathembekanga phakathi kwabantu.
She also lieth in wait as a robber, and increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Ngubani olo: Maye? Ngubani olo: Wo? Ngubani olenkani? Ngubani olesililo? Ngubani olamanxeba ngeze? Ngubani olamehlo abomvu?
Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who complaining? Who wounds without cause? Who redness of eyes?
30 Yilabo abalibala ewayinini, yilabo abazedinga iwayini elixutshanisiweyo.
— They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to try mixed wine.
31 Ungakhangeli iwayini, lapho lizibonakalisa libomvu, nxa linika umbala walo enkomitshini, lihamba liqondile.
Look not upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkleth in the cup, and goeth down smoothly:
32 Ekucineni kwalo liluma njengenyoka, lilume njengebululu.
at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Amehlo akho azabona abesifazana bemzini, lenhliziyo yakho ikhulume izinto eziphambeneyo.
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thy heart shall speak froward things;
34 Yebo, uzakuba njengolala enhliziyweni yolwandle, lanjengolala esihlokweni sensika yomkhumbi.
and thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, and as he that lieth down upon the top of a mast:
35 Bangitshayile, kangizwanga buhlungu; bangidutshuzile, kangikunanzanga. Ngizavuka nini? Ngiphinde ngilidinge futhi.
— “They have smitten me, [and] I am not sore; they have beaten me, [and] I knew it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”
