Sirach
1:1 Konke ukuhlakanipha kuvela eNkosini, futhi kukhona kuye kuze kube phakade.
1:2 Ubani ongabala isihlabathi solwandle, namathonsi emvula, kanye nezinsuku
okwaphakade?
1:3 Ubani ongathola ukuphakama kwezulu, nobubanzi bomhlaba, futhi
utwa, nokuhlakanipha na?
1:4 Ukuhlakanipha kwadalwa ngaphambi kwazo zonke izinto, kanye nokuqonda
ukuhlakanipha kusukela phakade.
1:5 Izwi likaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke liwumthombo wokuhlakanipha; nezindlela zakhe zinje
imiyalo yaphakade.
1:6 Kuye kwembulwa kubani impande yokuhlakanipha? kumbe ngubani omaziyo
iziluleko ezihlakaniphile?
1:7 Ulwazi lokuhlakanipha luye lwabonakaliswa kubani? futhi onakho
wakuqonda okuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe okuhle?]
1:8 Kukhona ohlakaniphileyo futhi owesabeka kakhulu, iNkosi ihlezi phezu kwakhe
isihlalo sobukhosi.
1:9 Wamdala kuye, futhi wambona, futhi wabala wakhe, futhi wamthululela phezu kwakhe
yonke imisebenzi yakhe.
1:10 Yena kanye nayo yonke inyama njengesipho sakhe, futhi uyinikile kuye
labo abamthandayo.
1:11 Ukumesaba uJehova kuwudumo, nenkazimulo, nokuthokoza, nomqhele
bejabula.
1:12 Ukumesaba uJehova kwenza inhliziyo ijabule, kuletha intokozo nentokozo.
kanye nempilo ende.
1:13 Omesabayo uJehova, kuyoba kuhle kuye ekugcineni, futhi yena
uyakufumana umusa ngosuku lokufa kwakhe.
1:14 Ukumesaba uJehova kungukuqala kokuhlakanipha, futhi kwadalwa kanye
othembekile esiswini.
1:15 Uye wakha isisekelo esiphakade namadoda, futhi uyoba
baqhubeke nenzalo yabo.
1:16 Ukumesaba uJehova kuwukugcwala kokuhlakanipha, futhi ugcwalisa amadoda ngezithelo zakho.
1:17 Ugcwalisa yonke indlu yabo ngezinto ezifiselekayo, nezinqolobane
ukwanda kwakhe.
1:18 Ukumesaba uJehova kungumqhele wokuhlakanipha, okwenza ukuthula nokuphelele
impilo ichume; kokubili okuyizipho zikaNkulunkulu: futhi kuyanda
ukuthokoza kwabo abamthandayo.
1:19 Ukuhlakanipha kunisa ikhono nolwazi lokuqonda ukuma, futhi
ubaphakamisela udumo abayibambayo.
1:20 Impande yokuhlakanipha iwukumesaba uJehova, namagatsha awo
impilo ende.
1:21 Ukumesaba uJehova kuxosha izono, futhi lapho kukhona, it
ibuyisa ulaka.
1:22 Umuntu onolaka akanakulungisiswa; ngokuba ukufutheka kwakhe kuyakuba ngeyakhe
ukubhujiswa.
1:23 Umuntu onesineke uzodabula isikhathi, futhi ngemva kwalokho injabulo izokhula
kuye.
1:24 Uyofihla amazwi akhe okwesikhashana, futhi izindebe zabaningi ziyomemezela
ukuhlakanipha kwakhe.
1:25 Imizekeliso yolwazi isengcebweni yokuhlakanipha, kodwa ukukhonza uNkulunkulu
kuyisinengiso esonweni.
1:26 Uma ufisa ukuhlakanipha, gcina imiyalo, futhi iNkosi uyonika
wakhe kuwe.
1:27 Ngoba ukumesaba uJehova kuwukuhlakanipha neziyalezo, futhi ukholo kanye
ubumnene buyintokozo yakhe.
1:28 Ungakwethembi ukwesaba iNkosi lapho umpofu, futhi ungangeni
naye ngenhliziyo embaxa-mbili.
1:29 Ungabi umzenzisi emehlweni abantu, futhi uqaphelisise ukuthi yini wena
khuluma.
1:30 Ungaziphakamisi, funa uwe, wehlisele ihlazo phezu komphefumulo wakho;
kanjalo uNkulunkulu embule izimfihlakalo zakho, akulahle phakathi kolwandle
ibandla, ngokuba awufikanga ngeqiniso ekumesabeni uJehova;
kodwa inhliziyo yakho igcwele inkohliso.