Izaga 2

1 Ndodana yami, uba usemukela amazwi ami, ugcine kuwe imilayo yami,

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and lay up my commandments with thee;

2 ukuthi wenze indlebe yakho ilalele inhlakanipho, uthobise inhliziyo yakho ekuqedisiseni,

So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

3 yebo, uba ukhalela ukuqedisisa, ukhuphele ilizwi lakho ekuzwisiseni,

Yea, if thou cry after discernment, and lift up thy voice for understanding;

4 uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,

If thou seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;

5 khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

6 Ngoba iNkosi inika inhlakanipho; ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuvela emlonyeni wayo.

For the LORD giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding:

7 Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,

He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright, [he is] a shield to them that walk in integrity;

8 ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.

That he may guard the paths of judgment, and preserve the way of his saints.

9 Khona uzaqedisisa ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda; yonke indlela elungileyo.

Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment, and equity, [yea], every good path.

10 Lapho inhlakanipho izangena enhliziyweni yakho, lolwazi lube mnandi emphefumulweni wakho;

For wisdom shall enter into thine heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;

11 ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;

Discretion shall watch over thee, understanding shall keep thee:

12 ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;

To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the men that speak froward things;

13 abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;

Who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

14 abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;

Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of evil;

15 abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;

Who are crooked in their ways, and perverse in their paths:

16 ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;

To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

17 otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;

Which forsaketh the friend of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God:

18 ngoba indlu yakhe itshonela ekufeni, lemikhondo yakhe emimoyeni efileyo.

For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead:

19 Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.

None that go unto her return again, neither do they attain unto the paths of life:

20 Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.

That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

21 Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;

For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

22 kodwa abakhohlakeleyo bazaqunywa basuswe elizweni, labaphambekayo badatshulwe basuswe kulo.

But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and they that deal treacherously shall be rooted out of it.