Izaga 2

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

[My] son, if you will receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with you;

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

your ear shall listen to wisdom; you shall also apply your heart to understanding, and shall apply it to the instruction of your son.

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

For it you shall call to wisdom, and utter your voice for understanding;

4 uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,

and if you shall seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;

5 khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.

then shall you 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 gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,

7 Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,

and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;

8 ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.

that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.

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

Then shall you understand righteousness, and judgment; and shall direct all your course aright.

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

For if wisdom shall come into your understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to your soul,

11 ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;

good counsel shall guard you, and holy understanding shall keep you;

12 ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;

to deliver you from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.

13 abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;

Alas [for those] who forsake right paths, to walk in ways of darkness;

14 abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;

who rejoice in evils, and delight in wicked perverseness;

15 abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;

whose paths are crooked, and their courses winding;

16 ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;

to remove you far from the straight way, and to estrange you from a righteous purpose. [My] son, let not evil counsel overtake you,

17 otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;

[of her] who has forsaken the instruction of her youth, and forgotten the covenant of God.

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

For she has fixed her house near death, and [guided] her wheels near Hades with the giants.

19 Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.

None that go by her shall return, neither shall they take hold of right paths, for they are not apprehended of the years of life.

20 Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.

For had they gone in good paths, they would have found the paths of righteousness easy.

21 Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;

For the upright shall dwell in the earth, and the holy shall be left behind in it.

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

The paths of the ungodly shall perish out of the earth, and transgressors shall be driven away from it.