Proverbs 24

1Ungabahawukeli abantu abaxhwalileyo,
ungafisi ubungane labo;
2ngoba ezingqondweni zabo bahlose udlakela,
lezindebe zabo zikhuluma ngokuvusa umsindo.

3Indlu yakhiwa ngokuhlakanipha,
imiswe ngokuzwisisa;
4amakamelo ayo agcwaliswe ngolwazi,
agcwaliswe ngemiceciso yakude eligugu.

5Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ulamandla amakhulu,
njalo umuntu ololwazi uyandisa amandla;
6ukuthi unqobe empini kufunakala izeluleko,
lokunqoba kudinga abeluleki abanengi.

7Ukuhlakanipha kuphakeme kakhulu koyisiwula;
enkundleni kalalutho angalukhuluma.

8Lowo oceba ububi
uzakwaziwa njengomacebomabi.
9Amacebo obuwula ayisono,
njalo abantu bayasizonda isideleli.

10Nxa uthikaza ngezikhathi zenhlupheko,
mancinyane kanganani amandla akho!
11Bahlangule labo abaholelwa ekufeni;
banqande labo abadayizela besiya ekubulaweni.
12Nxa 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?

13Dlana uluju ndodana yami, ngoba lulungile;
uluju olujuluka ekhekhebeni lumnandi luyanambitheka.
14Yazi njalo ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kumnandi emphefumulweni wakho,
aluba ukuzuza ikusasa lakho lilethemba elihle,
njalo ithemba lakho aliyikudaniswa.

15Ungacathameli indlu yomuntu olungileyo njengesigebenga,
ungawuhlaseli umuzi wakhe;
16ngoba loba angaze awe kasikhombisa umuntu olungileyo uyavuka futhi,
kodwa ababi babhazalaliswa yizinhlupheko.

17Ungathatshiswa yikuwa kwesitha sakho;
nxa sikhubeka ungavumeli inhliziyo yakho ithokoze,
18ngoba uThixo uzakubona lokho
asole abesepholisa ulaka lwakhe kuso isitha.

19Ungazikhathazi ngenxa yabantu ababi
loba ubahawukele abaxhwalileyo,
20ngoba umuntu omubi akalalo ithemba lakusasa,
njalo isibane sezixhwali sizacinywa.

21Yesaba uThixo lombusi, ndodana yami,
ungangenelani labahlamuki,
22ngoba laba bobabili bazakwehlisa ulaka lubabhubhise,
ngoba phela ngubani kambe okwaziyo ukubhubhisa abangakwehlisa?

Amanye Amazwi Ahlakaniphileyo

23La ngamanye amazwi ezihlakaniphi:

Ukwahlulela ngobandlululo kakulunganga:
24Loba ngubani othi kolecala, “Umsulwa,”
abantu bonke bazamqalekisa
lezizwe zonke zizamhlamukela.
25Kodwa kuzabalungela labo abamlahlayo olecala,
lezibusiso ezinengi zizabehlela.

26Impendulo eqotho
injengokwangiwa ezindebeni.

27Qeda umsebenzi wakho waphandle
ulungise lamasimu akho;
kuthi-ke usuqedile wakhe indlu yakho.

28Ungafakazi ngokubethela umakhelwane kungelamlandu,
kumbe usebenzise izindebe zakho ukhohlisa.
29Ungabokuthi, “Ngizakwenza kuye njengoba enze kimi;
ngizahlawulisa ngalokho angenze khona.”

30Ngedlula ensimini yevilavoxo,
ngedlula esivinini somuntu ongelangqondo;
31ameva ayesekhula indawo yonke,
indawo yonke isithe phethu ukhula,
lomduli wamatshe usudilikile.
32Ngakunanzelela konke engangikubona
ngafunda isifundo kulokho engakubonayo:
33Ukulala okuncane, ukuwozela okuncane,
ukugoqa izandla kancane uphumula,
34ubuyanga buzafika kuwe njengesela
lokuswela njengesigebenga.