Izaga 30
1 Amazwi kaAguri indodana kaJake umMasa. Umuntu wathi kuIthiyeli, kuIthiyeli loUkhali:
These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 Isibili, ngiyisithutha kulomuntu, kangilakuqedisisa komuntu.
It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.
3 Kangifundanga inhlakanipho, kangilwazi ulwazi lwabangcwele.
I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.
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?
[But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].
5 Lonke ilizwi likaNkulunkulu licwengekile; uyisihlangu kwabaphephela kuye.
Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.
6 Ungengezeleli emazwini akhe, hlezi akukhuze, utholwe ungumqambimanga.
Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.
7 Zimbili izinto engizicele kuwe; ungangigodleli zona ngingakafi.
[God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them before I die:
8 Susa khatshana lami ize lamazwi amanga; ungangiphi ubuyanga loba inotho; ungiphe ukudla kwesabelo sami.
Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;
9 Hlezi ngisuthe, ngikuphike ngithi: Ngubani iNkosi? Kumbe hlezi ngibe ngumyanga, ngintshontshe, ngithathe ngeze ibizo likaNkulunkulu wami.
because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.
10 Ungahlebi inceku enkosini yayo, hlezi ikuthuke, ube lecala.
Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.
11 Kulesizukulwana esithuka uyise, esingabusisi unina;
[I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.
12 isizukulwana esihlambulukileyo emehlweni aso, kodwa esingahlanjululwanga engcekezeni yaso;
Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.
13 isizukulwana omehlo aso aphakeme kangaka, lenkophe zaso ziphakanyisiwe;
Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.
14 isizukulwana omazinyo aso zinkemba, lesimazinyo aso omhlathi zingqamu, zokudla abayanga emhlabeni, labaswelayo ebantwini.
Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.
15 Umkhaza ulamadodakazi amabili athi: Phana, phana; lezizontathu kazisuthi; ezine kazitsho ukuthi: Kwanele.
Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:
16 Ingcwaba, lesizalo esiyinyumba, umhlaba ongasuthi amanzi, lomlilo ongathi: Kwanele. (Sheol h7585)
The place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (Sheol h7585)
17 Ilihlo eliklolodela uyise, lelidelela ukulalela unina, amawabayi esihotsha azalikopola, labantwana bamanqe bazalidla.
Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.
18 Lezizinto ezintathu ziyisimangaliso esikhulu kimi, yebo, ezine engingazaziyo:
There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:
19 Indlela yokhozi emazulwini, indlela yenyoka edwaleni, indlela yomkhumbi enhliziyweni yolwandle, lendlela yejaha entombini.
How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.
20 Injalo indlela yowesifazana oliwule; udla, esule umlomo wakhe, athi: Kangenzanga isiphambeko.
This is what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”
21 Ngenxa yezinto ezintathu umhlaba uyazamazama, yebo, ngenxa yezine ongezithwale:
There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:
22 Ngenxa yesigqili nxa sibusa, lesithutha nxa sisuthi ukudla,
[What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,
23 ngenxa yesaliwakazi nxa sendile, lencekukazi nxa iyindlalifa yenkosikazi yayo.
[what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.
24 Lezi ezine zingezincinyane zomhlaba, kanti zihlakaniphile zenziwe zihlakaniphe:
[There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:
25 Ubunyonyo buyisizwe esingelamandla, kanti bulungisa ukudla kwabo ehlobo.
Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].
26 Imbila ziyisizwe esingelamandla, kanti zimisa indlu yazo edwaleni.
Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].
27 Intethe kazilankosi, kanti zonke ziphuma zehlukene ngamaviyo.
Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.
28 Umbankwa ubambelela ngezandla ezimbili, njalo usezigodlweni zenkosi.
Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.
29 Lezi ezintathu zinyathela kuhle, yebo, ezine zihamba kuhle:
[There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:
30 Isilwane esilamandla phakathi kwenyamazana, esingeyikubuyela emuva ngenxa yobuso loba ngobukabani;
Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;
31 inja ebhince okhalweni, kumbe impongo; lenkosi ileviyo lamabutho.
male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.
32 Uba ube yisithutha ngokuziphakamisa, njalo uba ucebe okubi, beka isandla emlonyeni.
If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!
33 Ngoba ukuphehlwa kochago kuveza iphehla, lokucindezelwa kwempumulo kuveza igazi, lokucindezelwa kwentukuthelo kuveza ingxabano.
If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.
