Izaga 6
1 Ndodana yami, uba uyisibambiso somakhelwane wakho, watshayela owezizwe isandla sakho,
My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger —
2 uthiywe ngamazwi omlomo wakho, ubanjwe ngamazwi omlomo wakho.
Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth, thou art caught by the words of thy mouth —
3 Yenza lokhu khathesi, ndodana yami, uzophule, lokhu usesandleni sikamakhelwane wakho; hamba, uzithobe, umncengisise umakhelwane wakho.
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour; go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbour.
4 Unganiki amehlo akho ubuthongo, lokuwozela enkopheni zakho.
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Uzophule njengomziki esandleni somzingeli, lanjengenyoni esandleni somthiyi wenyoni.
Deliver thyself as a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Yana ebunyonyweni, vila, ubone indlela zabo, uhlakaniphe.
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise;
7 Obuthi, bungelamkhokheli, induna, lombusi,
Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
8 bulungisa isinkwa sabo ehlobo, bubuthe ukudla kwabo esivunweni.
Provideth her bread in the summer, and gatherest her food in the harvest.
9 Koze kube nini, vila, ulele? Uzavuka nini ebuthongweni bakho?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Ubuthongo obuncinyane, ukuwozela okuncinyane, ukusonga izandla okuncinyane ukuthi ulale,
'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep' —
11 besebusiza ubuyanga bakho njengesihambi, lenswelo yakho njengomuntu olesihlangu.
So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.
12 Umuntu kaBheliyali, umuntu okhohlakeleyo, ohamba lomlomo ophambeneyo,
A base person, a man of iniquity, is he that walketh with a froward mouth;
13 afice amehlo akhe, akhulume ngenyawo zakhe, afundise ngeminwe yakhe,
That winketh with his eyes, that scrapeth with his feet, that pointeth with his fingers;
14 ukuphambuka kusenhliziyweni yakhe, uceba okubi ngesikhathi sonke, ephosela ingxabano.
Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil continually; he soweth discord.
15 Ngenxa yalokhu ingozi yakhe izafika masinyane, ahle ephuke, kuze kungabi leselapho.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; on a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.
16 Lezizinto eziyisithupha iNkosi iyazizonda; yebo, eziyisikhombisa ziyizinengiso emphefumulweni wakhe:
There are six things which the LORD hateth, yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him:
17 Amehlo aphakemeyo, ulimi oluqamba amanga, lezandla ezichitha igazi elingelacala,
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood;
18 inhliziyo eceba amacebo amabi, inyawo eziphangisa ukugijimela ububi,
A heart that deviseth wicked thoughts, feet that are swift in running to evil;
19 umfakazi wamanga ophafuza izinkohliso, lophosela ingxabano phakathi kwabazalwane.
A false witness that breatheth out lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 Ndodana yami, gcina umlayo kayihlo, ungakudeli ukufundisa kukanyoko.
My son, keep the commandment of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
21 Kubophele enhliziyweni yakho njalo, kubophele entanyeni yakho.
Bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them about thy neck.
22 Ekuhambeni kwakho kuzakukhokhela, ekulaleni kwakho kukulondoloze, lekuvukeni kwakho khona kukhulume lawe.
When thou walkest, it shall lead thee, when thou liest down, it shall watch over thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 Ngoba umlayo uyisibane, lokufundisa kuyikukhanya, lokukhuza kokulaya kuyindlela yempilo,
For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life;
24 ukuze kukugcine emfazini omubi, emazwini ayengayo olimi lowesifazana wemzini.
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the smoothness of the alien tongue.
25 Ungaloyisi ubuhle bakhe enhliziyweni yakho; angakuthathi ngenkophe zakhe.
Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; neither let her captivate thee with her eyelids.
26 Ngoba ngenxa yomfazi oyisiphingi ungafika ecezwini lwesinkwa, lomfazi womuntu uzingela umphefumulo oligugu.
For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a loaf of bread, but the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.
27 Kambe, umuntu angaphatha umlilo esifubeni sakhe, lezigqoko zakhe zingatshi?
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Umuntu angahamba phezu kwamalahle avuthayo, lenyawo zakhe zingatshi yini?
Or can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?
29 Unjalo ongena kumkamakhelwane wakhe; wonke omthintayo kayikuba msulwa.
So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.
30 Kabalideleli isela, nxa liseba ukuthi ligcwalise umphefumulo walo, ngoba lilambile.
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 Uba litholwa, lihlawula kuphindwe kasikhombisa, linika yonke impahla yendlu yalo.
But if he be found, he must restore sevenfold, he must give all the substance of his house.
32 Ofeba lowesifazana uswela ingqondo; owenza lokhu nguye ochitha umphefumulo wakhe.
He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he doeth it that would destroy his own soul.
33 Uzathola ukutshaywa lesigcono, lehlazo lakhe kaliyikwesulwa.
Wounds and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 Ngoba ubukhwele bululaka lomuntu; ngakho kayikuba lasihawu ngosuku lwempindiselo.
For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 Kayikunanza loba yiyiphi inhlawulo, kayikuvuma lanxa usandisa isipho.
He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
