Izaga 30
1 Amazwi kaAguri indodana kaJake umMasa. Umuntu wathi kuIthiyeli, kuIthiyeli loUkhali:
The words of Agur, son of Jakeh, [even] the oracle, —The utterance of the man, for Ithiel, for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 Isibili, ngiyisithutha kulomuntu, kangilakuqedisisa komuntu.
Surely, more brutish, am, I, than any man, nor doth, the understanding of a son of earth, pertain to me;
3 Kangifundanga inhlakanipho, kangilwazi ulwazi lwabangcwele.
Neither have I learned wisdom, nor, the knowledge of the Holy Ones, can I acquire.
4 Ngubani owenyukela emazulwini njalo wehla? Ngubani oqoqe wafumbatha umoya ezandleni zakhe? Ngubani ogoqele amanzi esembathweni? Ngubani omise yonke imikhawulo yomhlaba? Lingubani ibizo lakhe, lebizo lendodana yakhe lingubani, uba usazi?
Who hath ascended the heavens and then descended? Who hath gathered the wind into his two hands? Who hath wrapped up the waters in a mantle? Who hath set up all the ends of the earth? What is his name and what the name of his son, when thou knowest?
5 Lonke ilizwi likaNkulunkulu licwengekile; uyisihlangu kwabaphephela kuye.
Every saying of God is refined, A shield, is, he, to them who seek refuge in him.
6 Ungengezeleli emazwini akhe, hlezi akukhuze, utholwe ungumqambimanga.
Do not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou be found false.
7 Zimbili izinto engizicele kuwe; ungangigodleli zona ngingakafi.
Two things, have I asked of thee, withhold them not from me, ere yet I die:
8 Susa khatshana lami ize lamazwi amanga; ungangiphi ubuyanga loba inotho; ungiphe ukudla kwesabelo sami.
Vanity and falsehood, remove far from me, Neither poverty nor riches, give me, Feed me with the food appointed me:
9 Hlezi ngisuthe, ngikuphike ngithi: Ngubani iNkosi? Kumbe hlezi ngibe ngumyanga, ngintshontshe, ngithathe ngeze ibizo likaNkulunkulu wami.
Lest I be full, and deny, and say—Who is Yahweh? or lest I be impoverished and steal, and do violence to the Name of my God.
10 Ungahlebi inceku enkosini yayo, hlezi ikuthuke, ube lecala.
Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he revile thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 Kulesizukulwana esithuka uyise, esingabusisi unina;
A generation! Its father, it revileth, and, its mother, it doth not bless.
12 isizukulwana esihlambulukileyo emehlweni aso, kodwa esingahlanjululwanga engcekezeni yaso;
A generation! Pure in its own eyes, yet, from its filth, hath it not been bathed,
13 isizukulwana omehlo aso aphakeme kangaka, lenkophe zaso ziphakanyisiwe;
A generation! How lofty are its eyes, and its eyelashes uplifted.
14 isizukulwana omazinyo aso zinkemba, lesimazinyo aso omhlathi zingqamu, zokudla abayanga emhlabeni, labaswelayo ebantwini.
A generation! Swords, are its teeth, and, knives, its incisors, —to devour the humbled out of the earth, and the needy, from among men.
15 Umkhaza ulamadodakazi amabili athi: Phana, phana; lezizontathu kazisuthi; ezine kazitsho ukuthi: Kwanele.
The vampire, hath two daughters, Give! Give! Three, there are will not be satisfied, four, have not said, Enough!
16 Ingcwaba, lesizalo esiyinyumba, umhlaba ongasuthi amanzi, lomlilo ongathi: Kwanele. (Sheol h7585)
Hades, and barrenness, —A land not satisfied with water, and fire, that saith not, Enough! (Sheol h7585)
17 Ilihlo eliklolodela uyise, lelidelela ukulalela unina, amawabayi esihotsha azalikopola, labantwana bamanqe bazalidla.
The eye that mocketh a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young of the eagle shall eat it.
18 Lezizinto ezintathu ziyisimangaliso esikhulu kimi, yebo, ezine engingazaziyo:
Three, things there are, too difficult for me, yea, four, which I do not understand:
19 Indlela yokhozi emazulwini, indlela yenyoka edwaleni, indlela yomkhumbi enhliziyweni yolwandle, lendlela yejaha entombini.
The way of an eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent on the rock, —the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.
20 Injalo indlela yowesifazana oliwule; udla, esule umlomo wakhe, athi: Kangenzanga isiphambeko.
So, is the way of a woman committing adultery, —she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no iniquity!
21 Ngenxa yezinto ezintathu umhlaba uyazamazama, yebo, ngenxa yezine ongezithwale:
Under three things, a land is stirred, yea, under four, she cannot bear up:
22 Ngenxa yesigqili nxa sibusa, lesithutha nxa sisuthi ukudla,
Under a servant, when he reigneth, and a base man, when he is surfeited with food;
23 ngenxa yesaliwakazi nxa sendile, lencekukazi nxa iyindlalifa yenkosikazi yayo.
Under a hateful woman, when she is married, and a handmaid when she driveth out her mistress.
24 Lezi ezine zingezincinyane zomhlaba, kanti zihlakaniphile zenziwe zihlakaniphe:
Four, things there are, the small of the earth, —yet, they, are wiser than the wise:
25 Ubunyonyo buyisizwe esingelamandla, kanti bulungisa ukudla kwabo ehlobo.
The ants, a people, not strong, —yet prepare they, in summer, their food;
26 Imbila ziyisizwe esingelamandla, kanti zimisa indlu yazo edwaleni.
The conies, a people of, no power, yet set they, among the crags, their house;
27 Intethe kazilankosi, kanti zonke ziphuma zehlukene ngamaviyo.
King, is there none, to, the locusts, —yet go forth in swarms, do they all;
28 Umbankwa ubambelela ngezandla ezimbili, njalo usezigodlweni zenkosi.
The lizard, with hands, reneweth its hold, —yet, the same, is in the palaces of the king.
29 Lezi ezintathu zinyathela kuhle, yebo, ezine zihamba kuhle:
Three, things there are which step along well, ye, four, which excel in going:
30 Isilwane esilamandla phakathi kwenyamazana, esingeyikubuyela emuva ngenxa yobuso loba ngobukabani;
The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;
31 inja ebhince okhalweni, kumbe impongo; lenkosi ileviyo lamabutho.
The greyhound, or the he-goat, —and a king, having a band of soldiers with him.
32 Uba ube yisithutha ngokuziphakamisa, njalo uba ucebe okubi, beka isandla emlonyeni.
If thou hast acted basely by lifting thyself up, —if thou hast plotted evil, [put thy] hand to [thy] mouth!
33 Ngoba ukuphehlwa kochago kuveza iphehla, lokucindezelwa kwempumulo kuveza igazi, lokucindezelwa kwentukuthelo kuveza ingxabano.
Surely, the pressing of milk, bringeth forth curd, and, the pressing of the nose, bringeth forth blood, and, the pressing of wrath, bringeth forth strife.
