Izaga 1
1 Izaga zikaSolomoni, indodana kaDavida, inkosi yakoIsrayeli;
The proverbs of Solomon the 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 instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness and judgment and equity;
4 ukunika abangelalwazi inhlakanipho, ijaha ulwazi lengqondo.
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion:
5 Ohlakaniphileyo uzakuzwa, andise ukufunda, loqedisisayo uzazuza izeluleko,
That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; and that the man of understanding may attain unto sound counsels:
6 ukuqedisisa isaga lomzekeliso, amazwi abahlakaniphileyo, lamalibho abo.
To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 Ukwesaba iNkosi kuyikuqala kolwazi; izithutha ziyadelela inhlakanipho lokulaywa.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: [but] the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Ndodana yami, zwana ukulaya kukayihlo, ungawudeli umlayo kanyoko;
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 ngoba kuzakuba ngumqhele womusa ekhanda lakho, lemigaxo entanyeni yakho.
For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 Ndodana yami, uba izoni zikuhuga, ungavumi.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou 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 privily 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.
Thou shalt cast 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 thou in the way with them; refrain 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 is the net spread, in the eyes of any bird:
18 Lalaba bacathamela igazi labo, bacatshele imiphefumulo yabo.
And these lay wait for their own blood, they lurk privily for their own lives.
19 Zinjalo indlela zakhe wonke ozuza inzuzo ngokuphanga; ithatha impilo yabaniniyo.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; it taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
20 UkuHlakanipha kuyamemeza ngaphandle, kukhupha ilizwi lakho emidangeni.
Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; she uttereth her voice in the broad places;
21 Kuyamemeza endaweni eqakathekileyo yokuxokozela, ekungeneni kwamasango; emzini kutsho amazwi akho,
She crieth in the chief place of concourse; at the entering in 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, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and scorners delight them in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Phendukelani ekukhuzeni kwami; khangelani, ngizathululela umoya wami kini, ngilazise amazwi ami.
Turn you at my reproof: 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;
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 ladelela sonke iseluleko sami, kalivumanga ukukhuza kwami;
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 mina-ke ngizahleka ukuchitheka kwenu, ngiklolode ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu,
I also will laugh in [the day of] 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 a storm, and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Khona bazangibiza, kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidingisisa, kodwa kabayikungithola.
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:
29 Ngenxa yokuthi babezonda ulwazi, bengakhethanga ukwesaba iNkosi.
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
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 own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 Ngoba ukuhlehla kwabangelalwazi kuzababulala, lokonwaba kweziphukuphuku kuzababhubhisa.
For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 Kodwa ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile, onwabe ekwesabeni okubi.
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.
