Sirach
16:1 Musa ukunqwenela inkitha yabantwana abangancedi lutho, ungayoneli;
oonyana abangahloneli Thixo.
16:2 Nokuba bayanda, musani ukubavuyelela, ingekuko kukoyika uYehova
ube nabo.
16:3 Musani ukukholosa ngobomi babo, Musani ukukholosa ngabo, ningahloniphi nengxokolo yabo;
ubulungisa bulunge ngaphezu kwewaka; kwaye kungcono ukufa ngaphandle
abantwana, ngaphezu kokuba nabo abangahloneli Thixo.
16:4 Ngokuba umzi uya kuzaliswa ngonengqondo;
Izalamane zongendawo ziya kuphanza ngokukhawuleza.
16:5 Zininzi izinto ezinjalo endizibonileyo ngamehlo am, Nendlebe yam yaziva
izinto ezinkulu kunezi.
16:6 Ebandleni labangendawo kuya kuphenjwa umlilo; kwaye kwi-a
Ubushushu bohlanga olugwilikileyo lutshiswa ngomlilo.
16:7 Akazange axole kwiingxilimbela ezindala, ezawa ngamandla
bobudenge babo.
16:8 akayiconga indawo awayephambukele kuyo uLote, wanenyanya kuyo
ikratshi labo.
16:9 Akabaconga ke abantu bokonakala, ababethatyathwe ebumnyameni babo
izono:
16:10 kwanamakhulu amathandathu amawaka omqikela, ababehlanganisene ndawonye
ubulukhuni beentliziyo zabo.
16:11 Ke ukuba kukho umntu ontamo ilukhuni, umntu onjalo uya kumangaliswa
kuba inceba nengqumbo ikuye; unamandla kuye
xolela, nokuthulula ingqumbo.
16:12 Njengoko inceba yakhe inkulu, kunjalo kanjalo uqeqesho lwakhe;
ngokwemisebenzi yakhe
16:13 Umoni akayi kusinda kunye nexhoba lakhe; kunye nomonde kaYehova
Olungileyo akayi kukhanga.
16:14 Yenzani indlela kuwo wonke umsebenzi wenceba;
imisebenzi yakhe.
16:15 UYehova wamenza lukhuni uFaro, ukuba angamazi owakhe
imisebenzi yamandla inokwaziwa lihlabathi.
16:16 Inceba yakhe ibonakala kwindalo yonke; kwaye wahlule ukukhanya kwakhe
ebumnyameni ngeadaman.
16:17 Musa ukuthi, Ndiya kuzifihla kuYehova;
evela phezulu? Andiyi kukhunjulwa phakathi kwabantu abaninzi: ngokuba yintoni na
umphefumlo wam phakathi kwenani elingenasiphelo lezidalwa?
16:18 Yabona, izulu, nezulu lamazulu, namanzi anzongonzongo, nomhlaba;
kwaye konke okukuyo kuya kushukuma ekuveleni kwakhe.
16:19 Iintaba neziseko zehlabathi ziya kunyikima
bangcangcazela, yakubabona iNkosi.
16:20 Akukho ntliziyo icinga ngokufanelekileyo ngezo zinto;
ukhawule iindlela zakhe?
16:21 Luqhwithela olungabonwa mntu; ngokuba inkoliso yemisebenzi yakhe iyiyo
ifihliwe.
16:22 Ngubani na onokuzixela izenzo zobulungisa bakhe? ngubani na onokuzinyamezela? ngenxa
ukude umnqophiso wakhe, ukucikideka kweento zonke kuphele.
16:23 Oswele ingqondo ucingela into engento;
Umntu olahlwayo uba ngobudenge.
16:24 Nyana, ndiphulaphule, ufunde ukwazi, Uwagqale amazwi am ngokuthetha kwakho
intliziyo.
16:25 Ndiya kumvakalisa imfundiso ngomlinganiselo, Ndilubonise ulwazi lwakhe ngokuthe tye.
16:26 Imisebenzi kaYehova yenziwe ekugwebeni kwasekuqalekeni: kwaye ukususela
ixesha awazenza ngalo, wawamisa amalungu awo.
16:27 Uyihlomele kude kuse ephakadeni, Neentloko zayo zisesandleni sakhe
kuzo zonke izizukulwana; ababulaleki, abatyhafi, abayekeli
imisebenzi yabo.
16:28 Akukho namnye uthintela omnye wabo, ukuba bangawuthobeli mpela ilizwi lakhe.
16:29 Emveni koko, iNkosi yakhangela emhlabeni, yazalisa ngowakhe
iintsikelelo.
16:30 Wabugubungela ubuso bawo ngeento zonke eziphilileyo; kwaye
baya kubuyela kuyo kwakhona.