Izaga 25
1 Lalezi yizaga zikaSolomoni abantu bakaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda abazikopayo.
Here are more wise sayings/words that Solomon [wrote]. Some men who worked for Hezekiah, the king of Judah, copied them [from a scroll that Solomon had written].
2 Kuludumo lukaNkulunkulu ukufihla udaba, kodwa kuludumo lwamakhosi ukuhlolisisa udaba.
[We consider] God to be great because he (acts in mysterious ways/does things that we cannot understand); [we consider] kings to be great because they explain things.
3 Amazulu ngokuphakama, lomhlaba ngokujula, lenhliziyo yamakhosi kakulakuhlolisiswa.
[It is not possible for anyone to measure] how high the sky is or how deep the earth/ocean is; likewise [SIM], it is not possible for us to know [all] that kings are thinking.
4 Susa amanyele esiliveni, besekuphuma isitsha somncibilikisi.
[If workers] burn out the impure bits that are in silver, a man who makes things from silver can make something beautiful from the silver.
5 Susa okhohlakeleyo phambi kwenkosi, besekuqiniswa isihlalo sayo sobukhosi ngokulunga.
[Similarly, if] wicked [advisors] are taken away from a king, his government will remain secure, because [the king will be able to] act justly.
6 Ungaziqhenyi phambi kwenkosi, njalo ungemi endaweni yezikhulu;
When you stand in front of a king, do not try to (impress him/honor yourself) and do not (act like you are important/ask to sit where important people sit; )
7 ngoba kungcono kuthiwe kuwe: Yenyukela ngapha, kulokuthi wehliswe phambi kwesiphathamandla, amehlo akho asibonileyo.
it is better if someone tells you to sit closer [to the king] than for [someone to tell you], while the king is listening, to sit further away in order that someone who is more important [may sit closer to the king].
8 Ungaphangisi ukuphuma ukuyaphikisana, hlezi wenze ulutho ekucineni kwakho, lapho umakhelwane wakho esekuyangisile.
Do not quickly go to a court [to tell the judge about] something that you have seen, because another witness may later [say something that proves that you are wrong, and as a result] you will be disgraced/ashamed. If that happens, (what will you do?/you will not know what to do.) [RHQ]
9 Mela udaba lwakho lomakhelwane wakho, kodwa ungavezi imfihlo yomunye;
If you and someone else think differently about some matter, settle it between yourselves, and do not tell others any secret [that he has told you].
10 hlezi okuzwayo akuyangise, lesigcono sakho singaphambuki.
If others find out that you have told secrets, you will be ashamed, and from that time on, (you will have a bad reputation/people will think badly about you).
11 Ilizwi elikhulunywe ngokufaneleyo linjengama-apula egolide ezitsheni zesiliva ezibaziweyo.
Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
12 Isongo legolide lesiceciso segolide elihle kungumkhuzi ohlakaniphileyo endlebeni ezwayo.
When a wise person rebukes/warns someone [SYN] who is willing to listen, that is [as valuable as] [SIM] a gold ring or a gold chain.
13 Isithunywa esithembekileyo kwabasithumileyo sinjengomqando weliqhwa elikhithikileyo ngosuku lokuvuna, ngoba sivuselela umphefumulo wamakhosi aso.
A messenger who (is reliable/tells someone else exactly what he was told to say) refreshes [the spirits of] his bosses who sent him like [SIM] (snow/cold water) refreshes [the ground] at the time that [people] harvest crops.
14 Umuntu oziqhenya ngesipho samanga unjengamayezi lomoya okungelazulu.
When someone promises to give a gift to us but never gives it, [that disappoints us] as much as [SIM] clouds and wind that come but do not bring any rain.
15 Ngokubekezela umbusi angavunyiswa, lolimi oluthambileyo lwephula ithambo.
If someone keeps requesting a ruler long enough to do something, he will [often] agree to do it; similarly, by speaking [MTY] gently we can [often] convince [others that what we say is right] [IDM].
16 Utholile yini uluju? Dlana okwenele wena, hlezi uludle kakhulu, uluhlanze.
If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
17 Unyawo lwakho kalungavami endlini kamakhelwane wakho, hlezi akusuthe akuzonde.
Do not go to your neighbor’s house very often [to talk with him]; if you go [very] often, he will get tired of listening to you and start to hate you.
18 Umuntu ofakaza ubufakazi bamanga ngomakhelwane wakhe uyisagila lenkemba lomtshoko obukhali.
To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
19 Ukuthemba ongathembekanga ngosuku lokuhlupheka kunjengezinyo elephukileyo, lonyawo olwenyeleyo.
Depending on unreliable people when you have troubles is [as bad] as [trying to eat when] you have a bad/hurting tooth or [trying to walk when] your foot is crippled.
20 Ohlabelela izingoma enhliziyweni edabukileyo unjengokhupha isembatho ngosuku lwamakhaza, njengeviniga phakathi kwesoda.
Singing to someone who is depressed [just causes him to feel worse]; it is like [SIM] taking off clothes on a very cold day or like putting vinegar on a wound.
21 Uba okuzondayo elambile, umnike isinkwa adle, njalo uba omile, umnike amanzi anathe;
If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
22 ngoba uzabekelela amalahle omlilo ekhanda lakhe, leNkosi izakuvuza.
doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
23 Umoya wenyakatho uletha izulu, lolimi lwemfihlo ubuso obulolaka.
When wind blows from the right direction, it will rain; [similarly] [SIM], if we gossip about others, that causes them to look at us very angrily.
24 Kungcono ukuhlala engonsini yophahla kulalowesifazana wezinkani lendlini yokuhlanganyela.
It is better to live ([alone/by yourself]) in the corner of an attic/housetop than to live inside the house with a wife who is [always] nagging.
25 Umbiko omuhle ovela elizweni elikhatshana unjengamanzi aqandayo emphefumulweni owomileyo.
Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
26 Olungileyo ozanyazanyiswayo phambi kokhohlakeleyo ungumthombo odungekileyo lesiphethu esonakeleyo.
When a righteous/good person (gives in/yields) to wicked [people], that is [as bad] as [SIM] a spring that becomes muddied or a fountain that becomes polluted.
27 Ukudla uluju olunengi kakulunganga; lokuthi badinge udumo lwabo kakusidumo.
It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
28 Umuntu ongathinti umoya wakhe unjengomuzi ofohlelweyo ongelamthangala.
People who (cannot control their tempers/quickly become very angry) [are unable to defend their behavior]; that is like [having] a city without a wall around it, [with the result that no one can defend it].
