< Proverbs 1 >

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
Izaga zikaSolomoni, indodana kaDavida, inkosi yakoIsrayeli;
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
ukwazi inhlakanipho lokulaywa, ukuqedisisa amazwi okuqedisisa,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
ukwemukela ukulaya kwenhlakanipho, ukulunga, lesahlulelo, lokuqonda;
4 To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
ukunika abangelalwazi inhlakanipho, ijaha ulwazi lengqondo.
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:
Ohlakaniphileyo uzakuzwa, andise ukufunda, loqedisisayo uzazuza izeluleko,
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
ukuqedisisa isaga lomzekeliso, amazwi abahlakaniphileyo, lamalibho abo.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Ukwesaba iNkosi kuyikuqala kolwazi; izithutha ziyadelela inhlakanipho lokulaywa.
8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother:
Ndodana yami, zwana ukulaya kukayihlo, ungawudeli umlayo kanyoko;
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace to your head, and chains about your neck.
ngoba kuzakuba ngumqhele womusa ekhanda lakho, lemigaxo entanyeni yakho.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, consent you not.
Ndodana yami, uba izoni zikuhuga, ungavumi.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privately for the innocent without cause:
Uba zisithi: Hamba lathi, siyecathamela igazi, sicatshele ongelacala kungelasizatho;
12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: (Sheol h7585)
sibaginye bephila njengengcwaba, yebo, ngokupheleleyo, njengabehlela egodini. (Sheol h7585)
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
Sizathola yonke impahla eligugu, sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango.
14 Cast in your lot among us; let us all have one purse:
Phosela inkatho yakho phakathi kwethu; sonke sibe lesikhwama semali sinye.
15 My son, walk not you in the way with them; refrain your foot from their path:
Ndodana yami, ungahambi lazo endleleni; unqande unyawo lwakho emkhondweni wazo.
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Ngoba inyawo zazo zigijimela ebubini, ziphangisa ukuchitha igazi.
17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
Isibili, imbule lendlalelwa ize phambi kwamehlo aloba yiyiphi inyoni.
18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privately for their own lives.
Lalaba bacathamela igazi labo, bacatshele imiphefumulo yabo.
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which takes away the life of the owners thereof.
Zinjalo indlela zakhe wonke ozuza inzuzo ngokuphanga; ithatha impilo yabaniniyo.
20 Wisdom cries without; she utters her voice in the streets:
UkuHlakanipha kuyamemeza ngaphandle, kukhupha ilizwi lakho emidangeni.
21 She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words, saying,
Kuyamemeza endaweni eqakathekileyo yokuxokozela, ekungeneni kwamasango; emzini kutsho amazwi akho,
22 How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
kusithi: Koze kube nini, lina elingelalwazi, lithanda ukungabi lalwazi, labaklolodayo bezifisela ukukloloda, leziphukuphuku zizonda ulwazi?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known my words to you.
Phendukelani ekukhuzeni kwami; khangelani, ngizathululela umoya wami kini, ngilazise amazwi ami.
24 Because I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Ngoba ngibizile, kodwa lala; ngelulile isandla sami, kodwa kakho onanzayo;
25 But you have set at nothing all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
ladelela sonke iseluleko sami, kalivumanga ukukhuza kwami;
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear comes;
mina-ke ngizahleka ukuchitheka kwenu, ngiklolode ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu,
27 When your fear comes as desolation, and your destruction comes as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish comes on you.
ekufikeni kokwesaba kwenu njengesiphepho, lokuchitheka kwenu kufika njengesivunguzane, lapho ubuhlungu losizi kulehlela.
28 Then shall they call on me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Khona bazangibiza, kodwa kangiyikusabela; bazangidingisisa, kodwa kabayikungithola.
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Ngenxa yokuthi babezonda ulwazi, bengakhethanga ukwesaba iNkosi.
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Kabavumanga iseluleko sami, bedelela konke ukukhuza kwami.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Ngakho bazakudla okwesithelo sendlela yabo, basuthiswe ngamacebo abo.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
Ngoba ukuhlehla kwabangelalwazi kuzababulala, lokonwaba kweziphukuphuku kuzababhubhisa.
33 But whoever listens to me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
Kodwa ongilalelayo uzahlala evikelekile, onwabe ekwesabeni okubi.

< Proverbs 1 >