Sirach
17:1 UYehova wamdala umntu ehlabathini, wamguqulela kulo kwakhona.
17:2 Wabanika iintsuku ezimbalwa, nexesha elifutshane, negunya phezu kwezinto
kuyo.
17:3 Wabomeleza ngokwamandla abo, Wabenza ngokwendlela yabo
umfanekiso wakhe,
17:4 Waza wabeka ukoyika umntu phezu kwenyama yonke, wamnika ubukhosi
izilwanyana neentaka.
17:5 Bafumana ukusetyenziswa kwemisebenzi emihlanu yeNkosi, nakwi
endaweni yesithandathu, wabaqondisa, wathi ngowesixhenxe;
Itoliki yezimvo zayo.
17:6 Wabanika icebo, nolwimi, namehlo, neendlebe, nentliziyo.
ukuqonda.
17:7 Wazalisa ke kubo ngokwazi ukuqonda, wababonisa
okulungileyo nokubi.
17:8 Wazibeka iliso lakhe ezintliziyweni zabo, Ukuze ababonise ubukhulu
yemisebenzi yakhe.
17:9 Wabanikela ukuba bazukise ngemisebenzi yakhe ebalulekileyo, kude kube ngunaphakade, ukuze bomelele
Xelani ngengqondo imisebenzi yakhe.
17:10 Kwaye abanyuliweyo baya kulidumisa igama lakhe elingcwele.
17:11 Ngaphandle koko wabanika ukwazi, nomyalelo wobomi ukuba ube lilifa.
17:12 Wenza nabo umnqophiso ongunaphakade, wababonisa owakhe
izigwebo.
17:13 Amehlo abo abubona ubungangamsha bobuqaqawuli bakhe, neendlebe zabo zabeva bakhe
ilizwi elizukileyo.
17:14 Wathi ke kubo, Kulumkeleni konke ukungalungisi; wanikela ngento yonke
umthetho womntu ngommelwane wakhe.
17:15 Iindlela zabo ziphambi kwakhe ngamaxesha onke, aziyi kufihlakala emehlweni akhe.
17:16 Umntu wonke kwasebutsheni bakhe uzinikele ububi; kananjalo babengakwazi ukwenza oko
bona iintliziyo zabo zinenyama ngenxa yamatye.
17:17 Kuba ekwahluleni kweentlanga zehlabathi umise umlawuli
phezu kwabantu bonke; kodwa uSirayeli sisabelo sikaYehova.
17:18 othi, engowamazibulo akhe, wawondle ngokumqeqesha, amnike
Ukukhanya kothando lwakhe akumshiyi.
17:19 Ngako oko yonke imisebenzi yabo injengelanga phambi kwakhe, namehlo akhe anjengamehlo
rhoqo ezindleleni zabo.
17:20 Akukho nalunye lwezenzo zabo ezigwenxa ezifihliweyo kuye; zizo zonke izono zabo
phambi koYehova
17:21 Uthe ke iNkosi, inenceba, iwazi umsebenzi wayo, ayishiyanga nto
engabashiyi, koko wabasindisa.
17:22 Ububele bomntu bunjengomsesane wokutywina kuye, kwaye uya kuligcina okulungileyo
izenzo zomntu njengokhozo lweliso, ubanike inguquko oonyana bakhe
neentombi.
17:23 Emveni koko uya kubuya avuke, awabuyekeze, awabuyekeze ngempatho yawo
phezu kweentloko zabo.
17:24 Kodwa abo baguqukayo, wabanika ukuba babuyele, waza wabathuthuzela abo
oko kwasilela kumonde.
17:25 Buyela kuYehova, uzilahle izono zakho, uthandaze phambi kwakhe
ubuso, kwaye ukhubekise kancinci.
17:26 Buyela kOsenyangweni, ubuye ebugwenxeni;
ukurhole ebumnyameni, use ekukhanyeni okuphilileyo, uthiye
amasikizi ngamandla.
17:27 Abaya kudumisa Osenyangweni kwelabafileyo, esikhundleni sabahleliyo
kwaye ubulele?
17:28 Kutshabalala umbulelo kwabafileyo, njengakulowo ungekhoyo;
ophilileyo, ophilileyo ngentliziyo, makamdumise uYehova.
17:29 Hayi, ukuba mkhulu kweenceba zikaYehova uThixo wethu, neemfesane zakhe!
kwabo babuyela kuye ebungcweleni!
17:30 Kuba zonke izinto azinakuba sebantwini; kuba uNyana woMntu akanako ukungafi.
17:31 Yintoni na eliqaqambileyo ngaphezu kwelanga? ukanti ukukhanya kwayo akufikanga; kunye nenyama
kwaye igazi liya kucinga ububi.
17:32 Ulondela amandla okuphakama kwezulu; kwaye bonke abantu basemhlabeni
kunye nothuthu.