Izaga 24
1 Ungabi lamhawu ngabantu ababi, ungaloyisi ukuba labo.
Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
2 Ngoba inhliziyo yabo iceba udlakela, lezindebe zabo zikhuluma uhlupho.
for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
3 Ngenhlakanipho indlu iyakhiwa, langokuqedisisa iqiniswe.
A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
4 Langolwazi amakamelo agcwaliswa ngempahla zonke eziligugu lezimnandi.
Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
5 Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ulamandla, lomuntu ololwazi uqinisa amandla.
If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
6 Ngoba ngezeluleko ezihlakaniphileyo ungalawula impi yakho, lokukhululwa kusebunengini babeluleki.
for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
7 Inhlakanipho enkulu iphakeme esiwuleni; esangweni kasivuli umlomo waso.
Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
8 Oceba ukwenza okubi, bazambiza ngokuthi ngumnikazi wamacebo amabi.
Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
9 Umcabango wobuwula yisono, lesideleli siyisinengiso emuntwini.
Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
10 Uba uzitshengisa uxega ngosuku lokuhlupheka, amandla akho mancinyane.
If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
11 Bophule abasiwa ekufeni, labatatalikela ekubulaweni, kungathi ungabanqanda.
Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
12 Uba usithi: Khangela besingakwazi lokhu; ohlola izinhliziyo yena kayikukunanzelela yini? Olondoloza umphefumulo wakho yena kakwazi yini? ngitsho ubuyisela emuntwini njengokomsebenzi wakhe?
If you say, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.
13 Dlana uluju, ndodana yami, ngoba lulungile, lohlanga loluju lumnandi elwangeni lwakho.
My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
14 Lunjalo ulwazi lwenhlakanipho emphefumulweni wakho; uba uluthola, kuzakuba lomvuzo, lethemba lakho kaliyikuqunywa.
In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
15 Wena okhohlakeleyo, ungacathameli umuzi wolungileyo; ungachithi indawo yakhe yokuphumula.
Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
16 Ngoba olungileyo uzakuwa kasikhombisa, avuke futhi; kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazakhubeka ebubini.
Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
17 Ungathokozi ngokuwa kwesitha sakho, lekukhubekeni kwaso inhliziyo yakho kayingajabuli;
Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
18 hlezi iNkosi ikubone, kube kubi emehlweni ayo, iphendule ulaka lwayo ilususe kuso.
otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
19 Ungazikhathazi ngenxa yabenzi bobubi, ungabi lamhawu ngabakhohlakeleyo;
Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
20 ngoba omubi kayikuba lomvuzo; isibane sabakhohlakeleyo sizacitshwa.
for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21 Ndodana yami, yesaba uJehova lenkosi; ungahlanganyeli labaguquguqukayo;
My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
22 ngoba incithakalo yabo izavuka masinyane; njalo ngubani owazi ukuchitheka kwabo bobabili?
for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
23 Lala ngawabahlakaniphileyo. Ukunaka ubuso kusahlulelo kakulunganga.
These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
24 Othi kokhohlakeleyo: Wena ulungile; abantu bazamqalekisa, izizwe zizamthukuthelela.
Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
25 Kodwa kulabo abamkhuzayo kuzakuba lentokozo, lesibusiso esihle sizabehlela.
while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
26 Ophendula ngamazwi aqondileyo uzakwanga indebe.
An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
27 Lungisa umsebenzi wakho ngaphandle, uzilungiselele wona ensimini, emva kwalokho wakhe indlu yakho.
Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
28 Ungabi ngumfakazi umelene lomakhelwane wakho kungelasizatho, kumbe ukhohlise ngendebe zakho.
Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
29 Ungathi: Njengokwenza kwakhe kimi ngizakwenza njalo kuye; ngizaphindisela emuntwini njengokomsebenzi wakhe.
Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”
30 Ngedlula ensimini yevila, lesivinini somuntu oswele ingqondo;
I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
31 khangela-ke, konke kwakumile ameva, imbabazane yayisibekele ubuso bakho, lomthangala wakho wamatshe udilikile.
It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
32 Mina-ke ngakukhangela, ngakubeka enhliziyweni yami; ngakubona, ngemukela imfundiso.
As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
33 Ubuthongo obuncinyane, ukuwozela okuncinyane, ukusonga izandla okuncinyane ukuthi kulalwe,
You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
34 besebusiza ubuyanga bakho njengesihambi, lenswelo zakho njengomuntu ohlomileyo.
and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
