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,
For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 ukwemukela ukulaya kwenhlakanipho, ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda;
For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 ukunika abangelalwazi inhlakanipho, ijaha ulwazi lengqondo.
For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.
5 Ohlakaniphileyo uzakuzwa, andise ukufunda, loqedisisayo uzazuza izeluleko,
(The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)
6 ukuqedisisa isaga lomzekeliso, amazwi abahlakaniphileyo, lamalibho abo.
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 Ukwesaba iNkosi kuyikuqala kolwazi; izithutha ziyadelela inhlakanipho lokulaywa.
Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!
8 Ndodana yami, zwana ukulaya kukayihlo, ungawudeli umlayo kanyoko;
Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,
9 ngoba kuzakuba ngumqhele womusa ekhanda lakho, lemigaxo entanyeni yakho.
For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.
10 Ndodana yami, uba izoni zikuhuga, ungavumi.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.
11 Uba zisithi: Hamba lathi, siyecathamela igazi, sicatshele ongelacala kungelasizatho;
If they say, “Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
We swallow them as Sheol—alive, And whole—as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)
13 Sizathola yonke impahla eligugu, sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango.
We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Phosela inkatho yakho phakathi kwethu; sonke sibe lesikhwama semali sinye.
You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”
15 Ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo endleleni; unqande unyawo lwakho emkhondweni wazo.
My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,
16 Ngoba inyawo zazo zigijimela ebubini, ziphangisa ukuchitha igazi.
For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.
17 Isibili, imbule lendlalelwa ize phambi kwamehlo aloba yiyiphi inyoni.
Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 Lalaba bacathamela igazi labo, bacatshele imiphefumulo yabo.
And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.
19 Zinjalo indlela zakhe wonke ozuza inzuzo ngokuphanga; ithatha impilo yabaniniyo.
So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.
20 UkuHlakanipha kuyamemeza ngaphandle, kukhupha ilizwi lakho emidangeni.
Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,
21 Kuyamemeza endaweni eqakathekileyo yokuxokozela, ekungeneni kwamasango; emzini kutsho amazwi akho,
She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:
22 kusithi: Koze kube nini, lina elingelalwazi, lithanda ukungabi lalwazi, labaklolodayo bezifisela ukukloloda, leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi?
“Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate knowledge?
23 Phendukelani ekukhuzeni kwami; khangelani, ngizathululela umoya wami kini, ngilazise amazwi ami.
Turn back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.
24 Ngoba ngibizile, kodwa lala; ngelulile isandla sami, kodwa kakho onanzayo;
Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 ladelela sonke iseluleko sami, kalivumanga ukukhuza kwami;
And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.
26 mina-ke ngizahleka ukuchitheka kwenu, ngiklolode ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu,
I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,
27 ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu njengesiphepho, lokuchitheka kwenu kufika njengesivunguzane, lapho ubuhlungu losizi kulehlela.
When your fear comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.
28 Khona bazangibiza, kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidingisisa, kodwa kabayikungithola.
Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.
29 Ngenxa yokuthi babezonda ulwazi, bengakhethanga ukwesaba iNkosi.
Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.
30 Kabavumanga iseluleko sami, bedelela konke ukukhuza kwami.
They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 Ngakho bazakudla okwesithelo sendlela yabo, basuthiswe ngamacebo abo.
And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.
32 Ngoba ukuhlehla kwabangelalwazi kuzababulala, lokonwaba kweziphukuphuku kuzababhubhisa.
For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.
33 Kodwa ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile, onwabe ekwesabeni okubi.
And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”
