Izaga
23:1 Lapho uhlezi ukuba udle nombusi, cabangisisa ukuthi yini
phambi kwakho:
23:2 Futhi ubeke umese emphinjeni wakho, uma ungumuntu iphango.
23:3 Ungafisi izibiliboco zakhe, ngoba ziwukudla inkohliso.
23:4 Ungakhandleki ukuze ucebe: yeka ukuhlakanipha kwakho.
23:5 Ingabe uzobeka amehlo akho kulokho okungekho? ngengcebo ngokuqinisekile
bazenzele amaphiko; bandizela ezulwini njengokhozi.
23:6 Ungadli isinkwa somuntu oneso elibi, futhi ungafisi
ukudla kwakhe okumnandi:
23:7 Ngokuba njengalokho ecabanga enhliziyweni yakhe, unjalo: Yidlani, niphuze,
wena; kodwa inhliziyo yakhe kayikuwe.
23:8 Ucezwana oludlileyo uyakuluhlanza, ulahlekelwe ubumnandi bakho
amazwi.
23:9 Ungakhulumi ezindlebeni zesiwula, ngokuba siyakudelela ukuhlakanipha kwakho
amazwi.
23:10 Ungasusi isikhonkwane esidala; futhi ungangeni emasimini
ezingenababa:
23:11 Ngoba uMhlengi wabo unamandla; uyakumela indaba yabo nawe.
23:12 Beka inhliziyo yakho ekufundisweni, nezindlebe zakho emazwini ka
ulwazi.
23:13 Ungagodleli ukukhuzwa kumntwana, ngoba uma umshaya ngesijeziso
induku, akayikufa.
23:14 Uzomshaya ngenduku, futhi uyokhulula umphefumulo wakhe esihogweni.
23:15 Ndodana yami, uma inhliziyo yakho ihlakanipha, inhliziyo yami iyojabula, yebo, eyami.
23:16 Yebo, izinso zami ziyojabula, lapho izindebe zakho zikhuluma ukulunga.
23:17 Inhliziyo yakho mayingabi namhawu izoni, kodwa yiba sekwesabeni uJehova
usuku lonke.
23:18 Ngoba ngokuqinisekile kukhona ukuphela; ithemba lakho aliyikunqunywa.
23:19 Zwana, ndodana yami, uhlakaniphe, futhi uqondise inhliziyo yakho endleleni.
23:20 Ungabi phakathi kwezinseli zewayini; phakathi kwabadla inyama ngokuchichimayo.
23:21 Ngokuba isidakwa nesiminzi bayakuba mpofu, nokozela.
uyogqokisa umuntu amanikiniki.
23:22 Lalela uyihlo owakuzalayo, futhi ungamdeleli unyoko lapho
usekhulile.
23:23 Thenga iqiniso, futhi ungathengisi ngalo; nokuhlakanipha, nokufundisa, kanye
ukuqonda.
23:24 Uyise olungileyo uyojabula kakhulu, futhi lowo ozalayo
umntwana ohlakaniphileyo uyakuthokoza ngaye.
23:25 Uyihlo nonyoko bayojabula, futhi lowo owakuzalayo ngeke
jabulani.
23:26 Ndodana yami, nginike inhliziyo yakho, futhi ake amehlo akho aqaphele izindlela zami.
23:27 Ngoba isifebe umgodi ojulile; nowesifazane ongaziwa ungumgodi omncane.
23:28 Naye uqamekela njengempango, futhi andise abaphambukayo
phakathi kwamadoda.
23:29 Ngubani umaye? Ngubani onosizi? Ngubani onombango? ngubani okhulumayo na?
Onamanxeba kungenasizathu na? ngubani onamehlo abovu na?
23:30 Labo abahlala isikhathi eside ewayinini; abahamba befuna iwayini elixutshiwe.
23:31 Ungalibheki iwayini lapho libomvu, lapho likhipha umbala walo
indebe, lapho izihambela kahle.
23:32 Ekugcineni iluma njengenyoka, futhi ihlaba njengenyoka.
23:33 Amehlo akho ayobona abesifazane abezizwe, futhi inhliziyo yakho izokhuluma
izinto eziphambene.
23:34 Yebo, uyakuba njengolele phakathi kolwandle,
olala esiqongweni sensika.
23:35 Uzothi, Bangishayile, futhi angizange ngigule; banayo
wangishaya, angizwanga; ngiyakuvuka nini na? Ngisazoyifuna
futhi.