Sirach
31:1 Ukulinda ubutyebi kudla inyama;
ngaphandle kokulala.
31:2 Ukulinda akumlahli umntu, njengokuqhambuka kwesifo esibulalayo
lala,
31:3 Isityebi siyabulaleka kakhulu, sibuthela ubutyebi; kwaye xa yena
uyaphumla, uyahlutha kubumnandi bakhe.
31:4 Ihlwempu liyaphangela ngobuhlwempu balo; athi ekuyekeni, abekho
usaswele.
31:5 Othanda igolide akagwetyelwa, nalowo ulandelanayo
ukonakala kuya kunela kuko.
31:6 Igolide yaba sisisulu sabaninzi, kunye nokwaphuka kwabo.
31:7 Sisikhubekiso kwababingelelayo kuyo, nakuzo zonke iziyatha
iya kuthathwa ngayo.
31:8 Unoyolo osisityebi, efunyenwe engenasiphako, aze angamki
emva kwegolide.
31:9 Ngubani na yena? masithi unoyolo; ngokuba unezinto ezimangalisayo
kwenziwa phakathi kwabantu bakhe.
31:10 Ngubani na ocikidwe yiyo, wafunyanwa egqibelele? ngoko ke makaqhayise. I-WHO
Onokukhubeka, akonanga? wenze ububi, akenzi na?
31:11 Impahla yakhe iya kuzinza, Nebandla lixele eyakhe
amalizo.
31:12 Ukuba uthe wahlala esithebeni sentabalala, musa ukuyibawela;
Kukho inyama eninzi kuyo.
31:13 Khumbula ukuba iliso elibi libi, into edaliweyo inobubi;
Ukhohlakele kuneliso? ke ngoko liyalila ngawo onke amathuba.
31:14 Musa ukusa isandla sakho apho sukuba sibheka khona, ungasigibisi ngaso.
wangena esityeni.
31:15 Musa ukumgweba ummelwane wakho wedwa;
31:16 Yidla njengoko kufanele umntu, izinto ezibekwe phambi kwakho; kwaye
yiqwenga inqaku, hleze uthiywe.
31:17 Khaniyeke ngenxa yesidima; kwaye ungahluthi, hleze nawe
ukukhubekisa.
31:18 Xa uthe wahlala phakathi kwabaninzi, musa ukolula isandla sakho kuqala.
31:19 Intwana encinci imanele indoda eyondleke kakuhle, angayithathi;
umoya wakhe umfutshane ebhedini yakhe.
31:20 Ubuthongo obuphilileyo buphuma ekudleni okulinganiselweyo;
kunye naye: kodwa intlungu yokulinda, kunye nentlungu, kunye nentlungu yesisu,
uhleli nendoda enganelisekiyo.
31:21 Ukuba uthe wadla, suka uphume, uhlanze,
uya kuphumla.
31:22 Ndiphulaphule, nyana wam, ungandicekisi; Wofika unjengokuthunga mna, nyana wam, ungandicekisi.
Bendithe kuwe, Emisebenzini yakho yonke, khawuleza, kungabikho sifo sifikelayo
kuwe.
31:23 Osivayo ukudla kwakhe baya kuthetha okulungileyo ngaye; kwaye i
ingxelo yokugcinwa kwakhe kakuhle kwendlu iya kukholelwa.
31:24 Ke yena ongakudliyo ukudla kwakhe, umzi uphela wothiwa
ukumbombozela; nobungqina bobutshijolo bakhe abuyi kuhendwa ngabo.
31:25 Musa ukububonisa ubugorha bakho ngewayini; ngokuba iwayini itshabalalise abaninzi.
31:26 Iziko liyawucikida udini ngokutshizwa; yenjenjalo newayini intliziyo yabangendawo;
ukuzidla ngokunxila.
31:27 Ibububomi iwayini yomntu, ukuba ithe yayisezwa ngobungcathu;
Ngendoda engenawayini na? ngokuba lenzelwe ukuba livuyise abantu.
31:28 Isiselo esinxilisayo sewayini, ngexesha elililo, ivuyisa intliziyo;
ukonwaba kwengqondo:
31:29 Ke yona iwayini, enxiliswe ngokugqithiseleyo, yenza ubukrakra bentliziyo;
ukuxabana nokuxambulisana.
31:30 Inxila landisa ingqumbo yesimathane, side sikhubeke, sinciphise.
ukomelela, wenza amanxeba.
31:31 Musa ukumthethisa ummelwane wakho ngewayini, Ungamdeli ekuvuyeni kwakhe;
musa ukumnika amazwi angcikivayo, ungamxina ngokumzamazama
utywala.]