Izaga 24
1 Ungabi lamhawu ngabantu ababi, ungaloyisi ukuba labo.
Do not be envious of evil men, And do not desire to be with them.
2 Ngoba inhliziyo yabo iceba udlakela, lezindebe zabo zikhuluma uhlupho.
For their heart meditates [on] destruction, And their lips speak perverseness.
3 Ngenhlakanipho indlu iyakhiwa, langokuqedisisa iqiniswe.
A house is built by wisdom, And it establishes itself by understanding.
4 Langolwazi amakamelo agcwaliswa ngempahla zonke eziligugu lezimnandi.
And the inner parts are filled by knowledge, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ulamandla, lomuntu ololwazi uqinisa amandla.
The wise [is] mighty in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
6 Ngoba ngezeluleko ezihlakaniphileyo ungalawula impi yakho, lokukhululwa kusebunengini babeluleki.
For you make war for yourself by plans, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counselors.
7 Inhlakanipho enkulu iphakeme esiwuleni; esangweni kasivuli umlomo waso.
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, he does not open his mouth in the gate.
8 Oceba ukwenza okubi, bazambiza ngokuthi ngumnikazi wamacebo amabi.
Whoever is devising to do evil, They call him a master of wicked thoughts.
9 Umcabango wobuwula yisono, lesideleli siyisinengiso emuntwini.
The thought of folly [is] sin, And a scorner [is] an abomination to man.
10 Uba uzitshengisa uxega ngosuku lokuhlupheka, amandla akho mancinyane.
You have showed yourself weak in a day of adversity, Your power is restricted,
11 Bophule abasiwa ekufeni, labatatalikela ekubulaweni, kungathi ungabanqanda.
If [from] delivering those taken to death, And you take back those slipping to the slaughter.
12 Uba usithi: Khangela besingakwazi lokhu; ohlola izinhliziyo yena kayikukunanzelela yini? Olondoloza umphefumulo wakho yena kakwazi yini? ngitsho ubuyisela emuntwini njengokomsebenzi wakhe?
When you say, “Behold, we did not know this.” Is the Ponderer of hearts not He who understands? And the Keeper of your soul He who knows? And He has rendered to man according to his work.
13 Dlana uluju, ndodana yami, ngoba lulungile, lohlanga loluju lumnandi elwangeni lwakho.
My son, eat honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb [is] sweet to your palate.
14 Lunjalo ulwazi lwenhlakanipho emphefumulweni wakho; uba uluthola, kuzakuba lomvuzo, lethemba lakho kaliyikuqunywa.
So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to your soul, If you have found that there is a posterity And your hope is not cut off.
15 Wena okhohlakeleyo, ungacathameli umuzi wolungileyo; ungachithi indawo yakhe yokuphumula.
Do not lay wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting place.
16 Ngoba olungileyo uzakuwa kasikhombisa, avuke futhi; kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazakhubeka ebubini.
For the righteous fall and rise seven [times], And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 Ungathokozi ngokuwa kwesitha sakho, lekukhubekeni kwaso inhliziyo yakho kayingajabuli;
Do not rejoice in the falling of your enemy, And do not let your heart be joyful in his stumbling,
18 hlezi iNkosi ikubone, kube kubi emehlweni ayo, iphendule ulaka lwayo ilususe kuso.
Lest YHWH see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He has turned His anger from off him.
19 Ungazikhathazi ngenxa yabenzi bobubi, ungabi lamhawu ngabakhohlakeleyo;
Do not fret yourself at evildoers, do not be envious at the wicked,
20 ngoba omubi kayikuba lomvuzo; isibane sabakhohlakeleyo sizacitshwa.
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 Ndodana yami, yesaba uJehova lenkosi; ungahlanganyeli labaguquguqukayo;
Fear YHWH, my son, and the king, Do not mix yourself up with changers,
22 ngoba incithakalo yabo izavuka masinyane; njalo ngubani owazi ukuchitheka kwabo bobabili?
For their calamity rises suddenly, And the ruin of them both—who knows!
23 Lala ngawabahlakaniphileyo. Ukunaka ubuso kusahlulelo kakulunganga.
These are also for the wise: [It] is not good to discern faces in judgment.
24 Othi kokhohlakeleyo: Wena ulungile; abantu bazamqalekisa, izizwe zizamthukuthelela.
Whoever is saying to the wicked, “You [are] righteous,” Peoples execrate him—nations abhor him.
25 Kodwa kulabo abamkhuzayo kuzakuba lentokozo, lesibusiso esihle sizabehlela.
And it is pleasant to those reproving, And a good blessing comes on them.
26 Ophendula ngamazwi aqondileyo uzakwanga indebe.
He who is returning straightforward words kisses lips.
27 Lungisa umsebenzi wakho ngaphandle, uzilungiselele wona ensimini, emva kwalokho wakhe indlu yakho.
Prepare your work in an out-place, And make it ready in the field—go afterward, Then you have built your house.
28 Ungabi ngumfakazi umelene lomakhelwane wakho kungelasizatho, kumbe ukhohlise ngendebe zakho.
Do not be a witness against your neighbor for nothing, Or you have enticed with your lips.
29 Ungathi: Njengokwenza kwakhe kimi ngizakwenza njalo kuye; ngizaphindisela emuntwini njengokomsebenzi wakhe.
Do not say, “As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.”
30 Ngedlula ensimini yevila, lesivinini somuntu oswele ingqondo;
I passed by near the field of a slothful man, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
31 khangela-ke, konke kwakumile ameva, imbabazane yayisibekele ubuso bakho, lomthangala wakho wamatshe udilikile.
And behold, it has gone up—all of it—thorns! Nettles have covered its face, And its stone wall has been broken down.
32 Mina-ke ngakukhangela, ngakubeka enhliziyweni yami; ngakubona, ngemukela imfundiso.
And I see—I set my heart, I have seen—I have received instruction,
33 Ubuthongo obuncinyane, ukuwozela okuncinyane, ukusonga izandla okuncinyane ukuthi kulalwe,
A little sleep—a little slumber—A little folding of the hands to lie down.
34 besebusiza ubuyanga bakho njengesihambi, lenswelo zakho njengomuntu ohlomileyo.
And your poverty has come [as] a traveler, And your want as an armed man!
