Izaga 1
1 Izaga zikaSolomoni, indodana kaDavida, inkosi yakoIsrayeli;
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel:
2 ukwazi inhlakanipho lokulaywa, ukuqedisisa amazwi okuqedisisa,
To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the sayings of understanding;
3 ukwemukela ukulaya kwenhlakanipho, ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda;
To accept the instruction of intelligence, righteousness, and justice, and equity;
4 ukunika abangelalwazi inhlakanipho, ijaha ulwazi lengqondo.
To give to the simple prudence, to the youth knowledge and discretion.
5 Ohlakaniphileyo uzakuzwa, andise ukufunda, loqedisisayo uzazuza izeluleko,
The wise will hear, and will increase [his] information; and the man of understanding will obtain wise counsels:
6 ukuqedisisa isaga lomzekeliso, amazwi abahlakaniphileyo, lamalibho abo.
To understand a proverb, and a sage sentence; the words of the wise, and their riddles.
7 Ukwesaba iNkosi kuyikuqala kolwazi; izithutha ziyadelela inhlakanipho lokulaywa.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: wisdom and instruction fools [alone] despise.
8 Ndodana yami, zwana ukulaya kukayihlo, ungawudeli umlayo kanyoko;
Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and cast not off the teaching of thy mother;
9 ngoba kuzakuba ngumqhele womusa ekhanda lakho, lemigaxo entanyeni yakho.
For a wreath of grace are they unto thy head, and chains for thy throat.
10 Ndodana yami, uba izoni zikuhuga, ungavumi.
My son, if sinners wish to entice thee, consent thou not.
11 Uba zisithi: Hamba lathi, siyecathamela igazi, sicatshele ongelacala kungelasizatho;
If they should say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us watch in concealment for the uselessly innocent;
We will swallow them up like the grave alive; and the men of integrity, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)
13 Sizathola yonke impahla eligugu, sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango.
We shall find all [kinds of] precious wealth, we will fill our houses with booty;
14 Phosela inkatho yakho phakathi kwethu; sonke sibe lesikhwama semali sinye.
Thy lot must thou cast in our midst; one purse shall be for us all:
15 Ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo endleleni; unqande unyawo lwakho emkhondweni wazo.
My son, walk not thou on the way with them; withhold thy foot from their path;
16 Ngoba inyawo zazo zigijimela ebubini, ziphangisa ukuchitha igazi.
For their feet run after evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 Isibili, imbule lendlalelwa ize phambi kwamehlo aloba yiyiphi inyoni.
For uselessly is the net spread out before the eyes of every winged bird:
18 Lalaba bacathamela igazi labo, bacatshele imiphefumulo yabo.
While they lie in wait for their [own] blood; they watch in concealment 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 after [unlawful] gain; it taketh away the life of those that own it.
20 UkuHlakanipha kuyamemeza ngaphandle, kukhupha ilizwi lakho emidangeni.
Wisdom crieth loudly without; in the public places she uttereth her voice;
21 Kuyamemeza endaweni eqakathekileyo yokuxokozela, ekungeneni kwamasango; emzini kutsho amazwi akho,
At the corner of noisy streets she calleth, at the entrances of gates; in the city she sayeth her speeches:
22 kusithi: Koze kube nini, lina elingelalwazi, lithanda ukungabi lalwazi, labaklolodayo bezifisela ukukloloda, leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi?
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners take their delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Phendukelani ekukhuzeni kwami; khangelani, ngizathululela umoya wami kini, ngilazise amazwi ami.
Turn back to my admonition: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Ngoba ngibizile, kodwa lala; ngelulile isandla sami, kodwa kakho onanzayo;
Whereas I called, and ye refused; I stretched out my hand, and no man was attentive;
25 ladelela sonke iseluleko sami, kalivumanga ukukhuza kwami;
And ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would not accept my admonition:
26 mina-ke ngizahleka ukuchitheka kwenu, ngiklolode ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu,
[Therefore] I also will truly laugh at your calamity; I will deride [you] when your terror cometh;
27 ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu njengesiphepho, lokuchitheka kwenu kufika njengesivunguzane, lapho ubuhlungu losizi kulehlela.
When your terror cometh like the tempest-cloud, and your calamity hasteneth like a whirlwind; when there come upon you distress and affliction.
28 Khona bazangibiza, kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidingisisa, kodwa kabayikungithola.
Then will they call me, but I will not answer; they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me;
29 Ngenxa yokuthi babezonda ulwazi, bengakhethanga ukwesaba iNkosi.
For the reason that they hated knowledge, and the fear of the Lord they did not choose;
30 Kabavumanga iseluleko sami, bedelela konke ukukhuza kwami.
[That] they would not attend to my counsel: [that] they rejected all my admonition.
31 Ngakho bazakudla okwesithelo sendlela yabo, basuthiswe ngamacebo abo.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and from their own counsels shall they be satisfied.
32 Ngoba ukuhlehla kwabangelalwazi kuzababulala, lokonwaba kweziphukuphuku kuzababhubhisa.
For the defection of the simple will slay them, and the prosperity of fools will cause them to be lost.
33 Kodwa ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile, onwabe ekwesabeni okubi.
But he that hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from the dread of evil.
