Izaga 8
1 Ukuhlakanipha kakumemezi yini? Ukuqedisisa kakuphakamisi ilizwi lakho na?
Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?
2 Emiqolweni yezindlela, emahlanganweni ezindlela kulapho okujame khona;
At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,
3 emasangweni angena phakathi kwedolobho, ezintubeni kuyamemeza kakhulu kusithi:
At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,
4 “Ngimemeza lina, madoda; ilizwi lami libiza bonke abantu.
'Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] unto the sons of men.
5 Lina eliyizithutha, zuzani ukuqonda; lina ziphukuphuku, zuzani ukuqedisisa.
Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,
6 Lalelani ngoba ngilitshela izinto eziqakathekileyo; ngivula izindebe zami ngikhuluma okuqondileyo.
Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
7 Umlomo wami ukhuluma okuliqiniso, ngoba izindebe zami ziyabenyanya ububi.
For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.
8 Wonke amazwi omlomo wami aqondile; kalikho lelilodwa elitshekileyo loba elingcolileyo.
In righteousness [are] all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.
9 Kulowo ozwisisayo wonke alungile; akulankohliso kulabo abalolwazi.
All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
10 Khetha iseluleko sami kulesiliva, ulwazi kulegolide elikhethiweyo,
Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 ngoba ukuhlakanipha kuligugu okudlula amarubhi, njalo akulanto ongayifisa ezifisweni zakho okulingana lakho.
For better [is] wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.
12 Mina, kuhlakanipha, ngihlala ndawonye lokuqondisisa; ngilolwazi lokukhetha kuhle.
I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.
13 Ukwesaba uThixo yikuzonda ububi; ngiyakuzonda ukuzazisa lobuqholo, ukuziphatha kubi lenkulumo ebolileyo.
The fear of Jehovah [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.
14 Ukweluleka lokwahlulela okuhle kungokwami; ngilokuzwisisa lamandla.
Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.
15 Amakhosi abusa ngenxa yami lababusi balakho ukutshaya imithetho elungileyo;
By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
16 amakhosana abusa ngami, lazozonke izikhulu ezibusa emhlabeni.
By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.
17 Ngiyabathanda labo abangithandayo, labo abangidingayo bayangithola.
I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.
18 Kimi kukhona inotho lodumo, inotho engapheliyo lokuphumelela.
Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
19 Izithelo zami zingcono kulegolide elicengiweyo; okuphuma kimi kwedlula isiliva sekhethelo.
Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.
20 Ngihamba ngendlela yokulunga, ngilandela umkhondo wokuqonda,
In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,
21 ngiyabela inotho kulabo abangithandayo ngigcwalise iziphala zabo.
To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.
22 UThixo wangenza ngaba khona ngaqalela konke okukhona, kuqala kokwenza ezinye izinto;
Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
23 ngaba khona ekudabukeni kwezinto, kwasekuqaleni, umhlaba ungakabi khona.
From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.
24 Kungakabi lezilwandle, ngasengizelwe, kungakabi khona izihotsha ezigcwele amanzi;
In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
25 izintaba zingakamiswa ensikeni zazo, engakabi khona amaqaqa, ngasengizelwe,
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
26 uThixo engakawenzi umhlaba lamaganga, loba lonke uthuli lomhlaba.
While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.
27 Ngangikhona uThixo ehlela kuhle izulu, ephawula kuhle imingcele yomkhathi lolwandle,
In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,
28 esenza amayezi emkhathini wazizinzisa inziki zolwandle,
In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
29 ebeka imingcele yolwandle ukuze amanzi angedluli izimiso zakhe, ngesikhathi lapho emisa izisekelo zomhlaba.
In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,
30 Ngalesosikhathi ngangingumbumbi eceleni kwakhe. Ngangilenjabulo enkulu insuku ngensuku, ngithokoza ukuba laye kokuphela,
Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight — day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,
31 ngithokoza ngomhlaba wakhe wonke ngijabuliswa yibukhona babantu.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
32 Ngakho-ke, madodana ami, ngilalelani; babusisekile labo abalondoloza izindlela zami.
And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.
33 Lalelani imfundiso yami ukuze lihlakaniphe; lingaqali ukuyidela.
Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.
34 Ubusisiwe lowomuntu ongilalelayo, olinda imihla yonke eminyango yami, elindile entubeni yami.
O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.
35 Ngoba lowo ongifumanayo uzuza ukuphila emukeliswe ukuthandwa nguThixo.
For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.
36 Kodwa lowo owehlulekayo ukungifumana uyazilimaza; bonke abangizondayo bathanda ukufa.”
And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!
