< Izaga 23 >
1 Nxa uhlalela ukudla lesiphathamandla, qaphelisa lokuqaphelisa okuphambi kwakho.
When you sit to eat with a ruler, Diligently consider that which [is] before you,
2 Ubeke ingqamu emphinjeni wakho uba uyisiminzi.
And you have put a knife to your throat, If you [are] a man of appetite.
3 Ungafisi izibondlo zaso, ngoba ziyikudla kwamanga.
Have no desire to his delicacies, seeing it [is] lying food.
4 Ungatshikatshikeli ukunotha; pheza ekuqedisiseni kwakho.
Do not labor to make wealth, Cease from your own understanding, Do you cause your eyes to fly on it? Then it is not.
5 Uzandizisa yini amehlo akho kokungekho? Ngoba kuzazenzela lokuzenzela izimpiko njengokhozi oluphaphela emazulwini.
For wealth makes wings to itself, It flies to the heavens as an eagle.
6 Ungadli ukudla kolelihlo elibi, ungafisi izibondlo zakhe.
Do not eat the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his delicacies,
7 Ngoba njengoba ecabangile emphefumulweni wakhe, unjalo. Uzakuthi: Dlana unathe; kodwa inhliziyo yakhe kayilawe.
For as he has thought in his soul, so he [is]. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, And his heart [is] not with you.
8 Ucezu oludlileyo uzaluhlanza, wone amazwi akho amnandi.
You vomit up your morsel you have eaten, And have marred your words that [are] sweet.
9 Ungakhulumi endlebeni zoyisithutha, ngoba uzadelela inhlakanipho yamazwi akho.
Do not speak in the ears of a fool, For he treads on the wisdom of your words.
10 Ungatshedisi isikhonkwane esidala somngcele; ungangeni emasimini ezintandane;
Do not remove a border of ancient times, And do not enter into fields of the fatherless,
11 ngoba uMhlengi wazo ulamandla; yena uzamela udaba lwazo kuwe.
For their Redeemer [is] strong, He pleads their cause with you.
12 Beka inhliziyo yakho ekufundisweni, lezindlebe zakho emazwini olwazi.
Bring your heart to instruction, And your ear to sayings of knowledge.
13 Ungagodleli umntwana isijeziso; nxa umtshaya ngoswazi kayikufa.
Do not withhold discipline from a youth, When you strike him with a rod he does not die.
14 Wena uzamtshaya ngoswazi, ukhulule umphefumulo wakhe esihogweni. (Sheol )
You strike him with a rod, And you deliver his soul from Sheol. (Sheol )
15 Ndodana yami, uba inhliziyo yakho ihlakanipha, inhliziyo yami izathokoza, yebo eyami;
My son, if your heart has been wise, My heart rejoices, even mine,
16 lezinso zami zizajabula ekukhulumeni kwendebe zakho izinto eziqondileyo.
And my reins exult when your lips speak uprightly.
17 Inhliziyo yakho kayingahawukeli izoni; kodwa bana ekwesabeni iNkosi lonke usuku.
Do not let your heart be envious at sinners, But—in the fear of YHWH all the day.
18 Ngoba isibili kukhona umvuzo, lomlindelo wakho kawuyikuqunywa.
For is there a posterity? Then your hope is not cut off.
19 Lalela wena, ndodana yami, uhlakaniphe, uqondise inhliziyo yakho endleleni.
Hear, my son, and be wise, And make your heart blessed in the way,
20 Ungabi phakathi kwabanathi bewayini, phakathi kwezihwaba zenyama.
Do not become drunk with wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,
21 Ngoba isidakwa lesihwaba sizakuba ngumyanga, lokuwozela kugqokisa amadabudabu.
For the drunkard and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clothes with rags.
22 Lalela uyihlo owakuzalayo, ungamdeleli unyoko esemdala.
Listen to your father, who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she has become old.
23 Thenga iqiniso, ungalithengisi; inhlakanipho, lemfundiso, lokuqedisisa.
Buy truth, and do not sell, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,
24 Uyise wolungileyo uzathaba lokuthaba; lozala ohlakaniphileyo uzathokoza ngaye.
The father of the righteous rejoices greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoices in him.
25 Uyihlo lonyoko kabathokoze, lokuzeleyo kathabe.
Your father and your mother rejoice, Indeed, she bearing you is joyful.
26 Ndodana yami, ngiphe inhliziyo yakho, lamehlo akho kawananzelele indlela zami.
Give, my son, your heart to me, And let your eyes watch my ways.
27 Ngoba iwule lingumgodi otshonayo, lowesifazana owemzini ungumthombo ongumcingo.
For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a narrow pit.
28 Laye ucathama njengomphangi, andise abangathembekanga phakathi kwabantu.
She also, as catching prey, lies in wait, And she increases the treacherous among men.
29 Ngubani olo: Maye? Ngubani olo: Wo? Ngubani olenkani? Ngubani olesililo? Ngubani olamanxeba ngeze? Ngubani olamehlo abomvu?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaint? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 Yilabo abalibala ewayinini, yilabo abazedinga iwayini elixutshanisiweyo.
Those lingering by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.
31 Ungakhangeli iwayini, lapho lizibonakalisa libomvu, nxa linika umbala walo enkomitshini, lihamba liqondile.
Do not see wine when it shows itself red, When it gives its color in the cup, It goes up and down through the upright.
32 Ekucineni kwalo liluma njengenyoka, lilume njengebululu.
Its latter end—it bites as a serpent, And it stings as a viper.
33 Amehlo akho azabona abesifazana bemzini, lenhliziyo yakho ikhulume izinto eziphambeneyo.
Your eyes see strange women, And your heart speaks perverse things.
34 Yebo, uzakuba njengolala enhliziyweni yolwandle, lanjengolala esihlokweni sensika yomkhumbi.
And you have been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.
35 Bangitshayile, kangizwanga buhlungu; bangidutshuzile, kangikunanzanga. Ngizavuka nini? Ngiphinde ngilidinge futhi.
“They struck me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake—I seek it yet again!”