Proverbs 27
1 Do not boast about [what you will do] tomorrow, because you do not know what will happen [PRS] on any day.
Ungazincomi ngelakusasa, ngoba kawukwazi ukuthi liza lithweleni.
2 Do not praise yourself [MTY, PRS]; allow others to praise you. If someone else praises you, that is okay.
Yekela omunye akudumise, hatshi owakho umlomo; akube ngomunye, kungabi ngezakho izindebe.
3 [It causes pain to our bodies to carry heavy] stones or [a pail full of] sand, but doing something stupid/foolish [can cause] great [pain to other people’s spirits.]
Ilitshe liyasinda, itshebetshebe ngumthwalo onzima, kodwa ukucatshulwa yisiwula kunzima okudlula kokubili.
4 It is cruel to be angry [with others], and our being angry sometimes destroys [others], but being jealous of someone is [RHQ] often more cruel than that.
Ulaka lulolunya lentukuthelo iyagabha, kambe ngubani ongema phambi komhawu na?
5 It is better to correct someone openly than to show that you l don’t love that person [by not correcting him].
Kungcono ukuthukwa obala kulokuthandwa ngokufihlakeleyo.
6 If a friend criticizes you, [he is a good friend and] you can trust him; but if one of your enemies kisses you, he is [probably wanting to] deceive you.
Ukulinyazwa ngumngane kakwesabeki, kodwa isitha sikwanga sedlulise amalawulo.
7 When someone’s stomach is full, he does not want to eat honey; but when someone is [very] hungry, he thinks that [even] bitter things taste sweet.
Osuthiyo kathakazeleli uluju oluvela ekhekhebeni, kodwa kolambileyo lokubabayo kunambitheka mnandi.
8 Anyone who wanders [far] from his home/family is like [SIM] a bird that is far from its nest.
Njengenyoni elahleka esidlekeni sayo, unjalo umuntu otshiya umuzi wakhe.
9 [Putting olive] oil and perfume on a person’s skin causes him to feel good, but having a friend [who gives] good advice [is even better].
Amakha lempepha kuletha intokozo enhliziyweni, lobumnandi bomngane busuka ezelulekweni zakhe eziqinileyo.
10 Do not neglect your friends or your parents’ friends; and at a time when you are experiencing a disaster, do not go to a relative [who lives far away to request his help]; someone who lives near you can help you more than relatives who live far away.
Ungadeli umngane wakho lomngane kayihlo, futhi ungayi endlini yomfowenu nxa wehlelwe yizinhlupheko ungcono umakhelwane eduze kolomfowenu okhatshana.
11 My child/son, cause me to be happy by becoming wise, in order that I will [know how to] reply to those who would criticize me [about your behavior].
Hlakanipha, ndodana, ulethe intokozo enhliziyweni yami; lapho ngizakwazi ukumphendula ongeyisayo.
12 Those who have good sense will realize that there is something dangerous ahead, and they will hide; those who do not have good sense [just] keep going, and later they will suffer because of [doing] that.
Umuntu olengqondo uthi ebona ingozi acatshe, kodwa isithutha siyaphikelela singena enkathazweni.
13 [You deserve to] have your property taken from you if you [foolishly] promise to a stranger (OR, a strange woman) that you will pay what she owes if she is unable to pay it [DOU].
Thatha isigqoko salowo owenzela owemzini isibambiso; sigcine njengesithembiso aluba esenzela umfazi ongelasimilo.
14 If you rise early in the morning and call out a greeting to your neighbor [while he is still sleeping], he will consider it to be a curse, [not a blessing].
Uba umuntu evukisa umakhelwane wakhe ngokumnqolonga ekuseni kakhulu, kuzathiwa uyamqalekisa.
15 [Having] a wife that is [constantly] nagging is as [bad as listening] to rain continually dripping on a rainy day.
Umfazi olenkani unjengamathonsi angapheliyo mhlana kusina;
16 [Trying] to restrain/stop her [from doing that] is as [difficult] [SIM] [as trying] to stop the wind or [trying] to hold oil in your hand.
ukumkhuza kufana lokukhuza umoya loba lokubamba okulamagcobo ngesandla.
17 [We can use one] iron tool to sharpen [another] iron [tool]; similarly [SIM], [when one person shares] what he is thinking, it can help other people [to think more clearly].
Njengensimbi ilola insimbi, kanjalo indoda ikhaliphisa enye.
18 Those who take care of fig trees will have figs to eat; [similarly], servants who protect their master will be honored [by him].
Lowo onakekela isihlahla somkhiwa uzakudla izithelo zawo, kuthi lowo olondoloza umqhatshi wakhe abelodumo.
19 [When a person looks] in the water, he sees his own face; similarly [SIM], [when we look at] a person’s behavior, we know what he is thinking.
Njengamanzi etshengisa ubuso bomuntu, kanjalo inhliziyo yomuntu itshengisa ayikho khona.
20 [It is as though] the place where the dead people are is always wanting more people to [die and] come there; and humans [SYN] are always wanting to acquire more things, [too]. (Sheol h7585)
UKufa leNcithakalo kakusuthi, anjalo lamehlo omuntu. (Sheol h7585)
21 [Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and [SIM] people learn [what we are really like when they see how we react when people] praise us.
Isiliva sincibilikiselwa embizeni imvutho ngeyegolide, kodwa abantu bahlolwa ngodumo lwabo.
22 Even if you beat/crush a fool severely [like] [MET] you pulverize grain with a pestle, you [probably] will not be able to cause him to stop (being foolish/doing foolish things).
Ungaze uchole isiwula elitsheni, usichole njengamabele ngembokodo kawusoze ubususe ubuwula baso.
23 Take good care of your flocks of sheep and herds of cattle,
Woba leqiniso ukuthi uhlala usazi kuhle isimo sezifuyo zakho, nanzelela imihlambi yakho;
24 because the money [that you acquired from selling animals previously] will not (last/stay with you) forever; similarly [SIM], governments [MTY] certainly do not [RHQ] last forever.
ngoba inotho kayiyikuhlala kokuphela, lomqhele wobukhosi kawuyikuba ngowezizukulwane zonke.
25 After you cut the hay [DOU] and [store it to feed the animals in the winter while] a new crop of hay is growing,
Utshani bungaqunywa kuqalise ukuhluma obunye kuthi bonke obusikiweyo ezintabeni sebubuthiwe,
26 you will be able to [shear the sheep and] make clothes from the wool, and you will get money from selling [some of] the goats to buy [more] land,
amawundlu azakupha uboya bezigqoko, lembuzi zikuphe imali elingana intengo yesiqinti.
27 and you will get enough milk from the [other] goats for you and your family and your female servants.
Uzakuba lochago lwembuzi olunengi olwakho lolwendlu yakho lusuthise lezinceku zakho.
