Proverbs 24
1 Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
Ungabahawukeli abantu abaxhwalileyo, ungafisi ubungane labo;
2 for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
ngoba ezingqondweni zabo bahlose udlakela, lezindebe zabo zikhuluma ngokuvusa umsindo.
3 A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
Indlu yakhiwa ngokuhlakanipha, imiswe ngokuzwisisa;
4 Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
amakamelo ayo agcwaliswe ngolwazi, agcwaliswe ngemiceciso yakude eligugu.
5 If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ulamandla amakhulu, njalo umuntu ololwazi uyandisa amandla;
6 for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
ukuthi unqobe empini kufunakala izeluleko, lokunqoba kudinga abeluleki abanengi.
7 Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
Ukuhlakanipha kuphakeme kakhulu koyisiwula; enkundleni kalalutho angalukhuluma.
8 Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
Lowo oceba ububi uzakwaziwa njengomacebomabi.
9 Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
Amacebo obuwula ayisono, njalo abantu bayasizonda isideleli.
10 If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
Nxa uthikaza ngezikhathi zenhlupheko, mancinyane kanganani amandla akho!
11 Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
Bahlangule labo abaholelwa ekufeni; banqande labo abadayizela besiya ekubulaweni.
12 If you say, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.
Nxa usithi, “Angithi besingazi lutho ngalokhu,” kambe lowo ohlola inhliziyo kakuboni lokho na? Kakwazi lokho yini onguye olinda ukuphila kwakho na? Akayikuvuza ubani lobani ngakwenzileyo na?
13 My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
Dlana uluju ndodana yami, ngoba lulungile; uluju olujuluka ekhekhebeni lumnandi luyanambitheka.
14 In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
Yazi njalo ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kumnandi emphefumulweni wakho, aluba ukuzuza ikusasa lakho lilethemba elihle, njalo ithemba lakho aliyikudaniswa.
15 Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
Ungacathameli indlu yomuntu olungileyo njengesigebenga, ungawuhlaseli umuzi wakhe;
16 Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
ngoba loba angaze awe kasikhombisa umuntu olungileyo uyavuka futhi, kodwa ababi babhazalaliswa yizinhlupheko.
17 Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
Ungathatshiswa yikuwa kwesitha sakho; nxa sikhubeka ungavumeli inhliziyo yakho ithokoze,
18 otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
ngoba uThixo uzakubona lokho asole abesepholisa ulaka lwakhe kuso isitha.
19 Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
Ungazikhathazi ngenxa yabantu ababi loba ubahawukele abaxhwalileyo,
20 for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
ngoba umuntu omubi akalalo ithemba lakusasa, njalo isibane sezixhwali sizacinywa.
21 My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
Yesaba uThixo lombusi, ndodana yami, ungangenelani labahlamuki,
22 for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
ngoba laba bobabili bazakwehlisa ulaka lubabhubhise, ngoba phela ngubani kambe okwaziyo ukubhubhisa abangakwehlisa?
23 These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
La ngamanye amazwi ezihlakaniphi: Ukwahlulela ngobandlululo kakulunganga:
24 Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
Loba ngubani othi kolecala, “Umsulwa,” abantu bonke bazamqalekisa lezizwe zonke zizamhlamukela.
25 while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
Kodwa kuzabalungela labo abamlahlayo olecala, lezibusiso ezinengi zizabehlela.
26 An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
Impendulo eqotho injengokwangiwa ezindebeni.
27 Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
Qeda umsebenzi wakho waphandle ulungise lamasimu akho; kuthi-ke usuqedile wakhe indlu yakho.
28 Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
Ungafakazi ngokubethela umakhelwane kungelamlandu, kumbe usebenzise izindebe zakho ukhohlisa.
29 Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”
Ungabokuthi, “Ngizakwenza kuye njengoba enze kimi; ngizahlawulisa ngalokho angenze khona.”
30 I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
Ngedlula ensimini yevilavoxo, ngedlula esivinini somuntu ongelangqondo;
31 It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
ameva ayesekhula indawo yonke, indawo yonke isithe phethu ukhula, lomduli wamatshe usudilikile.
32 As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
Ngakunanzelela konke engangikubona ngafunda isifundo kulokho engakubonayo:
33 You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
Ukulala okuncane, ukuwozela okuncane, ukugoqa izandla kancane uphumula,
34 and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
ubuyanga buzafika kuwe njengesela lokuswela njengesigebenga.
