Izaga 2

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

My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you;

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

So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

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

Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;

4 uba ukudinga njengesiliva, ukuphenye njengezimpahla eziligugu ezifihliweyo,

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:

5 khona uzaqedisisa ukuyesaba iNkosi, uthole ulwazi lukaNkulunkulu.

then you will 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. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

7 Iyababekela abaqotho inhlakanipho eqotho; iyisihlangu kubo abahamba ngokuqonda,

He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;

8 ukugcina indlela zesahlulelo; izalondoloza indlela zabangcwele bayo.

that he may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of his faithful ones.

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

Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.

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

For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11 ingqondo izakugcina, ukuqedisisa kukulondoloze;

Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,

12 ukukophula endleleni embi, emuntwini okhuluma izinto eziphambeneyo;

to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;

13 abatshiya indlela zobuqotho, ukuze bahambe ngendlela zobumnyama;

who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

14 abathokoza ngokwenza okubi, bejabula ekuphambukeni komubi;

who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil;

15 abandlela zabo ziphambene, begobile emikhondweni yabo;

who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths:

16 ukukophula kowesifazana wemzini, kowezizwe okhohlisa ngamazwi akhe;

To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;

17 otshiya umngane wobutsha bakhe, ekhohlwa isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wakhe;

who forsakes the friend of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God:

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

for her house leads down to death, her paths to the dead.

19 Bonke abangena kuye kabayikubuya, njalo kabayikufinyelela endleleni zempilo.

None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

20 Ukuze uhambe endleleni yabalungileyo, ugcine imikhondo yamalungisa.

that you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

21 Ngoba abaqotho bazahlala elizweni, labapheleleyo basale kulo;

For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.

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

But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be uprooted out of it.