Izaga 1
1 Izaga zikaSolomoni, indodana kaDavida, inkosi yakoIsrayeli;
Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 ukwazi inhlakanipho lokulaywa, ukuqedisisa amazwi okuqedisisa,
to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;
3 ukwemukela ukulaya kwenhlakanipho, ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda;
to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness and judgment, and equity;
4 ukunika abangelalwazi inhlakanipho, ijaha ulwazi lengqondo.
to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 Ohlakaniphileyo uzakuzwa, andise ukufunda, loqedisisayo uzazuza izeluleko,
He that is wise will hear, and will increase learning; and the intelligent will gain wise counsels:
6 ukuqedisisa isaga lomzekeliso, amazwi abahlakaniphileyo, lamalibho abo.
to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.
7 Ukwesaba iNkosi kuyikuqala kolwazi; izithutha ziyadelela inhlakanipho lokulaywa.
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Ndodana yami, zwana ukulaya kukayihlo, ungawudeli umlayo kanyoko;
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;
9 ngoba kuzakuba ngumqhele womusa ekhanda lakho, lemigaxo entanyeni yakho.
for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 Ndodana yami, uba izoni zikuhuga, ungavumi.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not.
11 Uba zisithi: Hamba lathi, siyecathamela igazi, sicatshele ongelacala kungelasizatho;
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 Sizathola yonke impahla eligugu, sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango.
we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14 Phosela inkatho yakho phakathi kwethu; sonke sibe lesikhwama semali sinye.
cast in thy lot among us; we will all have one purse:
15 Ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo endleleni; unqande unyawo lwakho emkhondweni wazo.
— my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path;
16 Ngoba inyawo zazo zigijimela ebubini, ziphangisa ukuchitha igazi.
for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 Isibili, imbule lendlalelwa ize phambi kwamehlo aloba yiyiphi inyoni.
For in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything which hath wings.
18 Lalaba bacathamela igazi labo, bacatshele imiphefumulo yabo.
And these lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 Zinjalo indlela zakhe wonke ozuza inzuzo ngokuphanga; ithatha impilo yabaniniyo.
So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain: it taketh away the life of its possessors.
20 UkuHlakanipha kuyamemeza ngaphandle, kukhupha ilizwi lakho emidangeni.
Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways;
21 Kuyamemeza endaweni eqakathekileyo yokuxokozela, ekungeneni kwamasango; emzini kutsho amazwi akho,
she calleth in the chief [place] of concourse, in the entry of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words:
22 kusithi: Koze kube nini, lina elingelalwazi, lithanda ukungabi lalwazi, labaklolodayo bezifisela ukukloloda, leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi?
How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness, and scorners take pleasure in their scorning, and the foolish hate knowledge?
23 Phendukelani ekukhuzeni kwami; khangelani, ngizathululela umoya wami kini, ngilazise amazwi ami.
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words.
24 Ngoba ngibizile, kodwa lala; ngelulile isandla sami, kodwa kakho onanzayo;
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;
25 ladelela sonke iseluleko sami, kalivumanga ukukhuza kwami;
and ye have rejected all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 mina-ke ngizahleka ukuchitheka kwenu, ngiklolode ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu,
I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu njengesiphepho, lokuchitheka kwenu kufika njengesivunguzane, lapho ubuhlungu losizi kulehlela.
when your fear cometh as sudden destruction, and your calamity cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you:
28 Khona bazangibiza, kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidingisisa, kodwa kabayikungithola.
— then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, and shall not find me.
29 Ngenxa yokuthi babezonda ulwazi, bengakhethanga ukwesaba iNkosi.
Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah;
30 Kabavumanga iseluleko sami, bedelela konke ukukhuza kwami.
they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof:
31 Ngakho bazakudla okwesithelo sendlela yabo, basuthiswe ngamacebo abo.
therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 Ngoba ukuhlehla kwabangelalwazi kuzababulala, lokonwaba kweziphukuphuku kuzababhubhisa.
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall cause them to perish.
33 Kodwa ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile, onwabe ekwesabeni okubi.
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from fear of evil.
