Sirach
6:1 Esikhundleni somngane ungabi yisitha; ngoba uyakwenza lokho
ifa legama elibi, nehlazo, nesihlamba; kanjalo nesoni siyakuthatha
unolimi olumbaxa-mbili.
6:2 Ungaziphakamisi ngecebo lenhliziyo yakho; ukuthi umphefumulo wakho ube
ayidwengulwa njengenkunzi [iduka iyodwa.]
6:3 Uyakudla amahlamvu akho, ulahlekelwe isithelo sakho, uzishiye njengomuntu
umuthi owomile.
6:4 Umphefumulo omubi uyobhubhisa lowo onakho, futhi uyokwenza ukuba abe
wahleka usulu izitha zakhe.
6:5 Ulimi olumnandi luyakwandisa abangane, nolimi olukhulumayo luyakwandisa
andise imikhonzo enomusa.
6:6 Yibani nokuthula nabaningi, nokho yibani nomeluleki munye we
inkulungwane.
6:7 Uma ungathanda ukuthola umngane, fakazele kuye kuqala futhi ungaxhamazeli
udumo kuye.
6:8 Ngoba omunye ungumngane wesikhathi sakhe, futhi ngeke ahlale kulo
usuku lokuhlupheka kwakho.
6:9 Futhi kukhona umngane, ngubani ukuphendukela ubutha, futhi ukuxabana intando
thola ihlazo lakho.
6:10 Futhi, omunye umngane ungumngane etafuleni, futhi ngeke uqhubeke e
usuku lokuhlupheka kwakho.
6:11 Kodwa ekuchumeni kwakho uyoba njengawe, futhi uyoba nesibindi phezu kwakho
izinceku.
6:12 Uma wehliselwa phansi, uyobe ngokumelene nawe, futhi uyozifihla
ebusweni bakho.
6:13 Zihlukanise nezitha zakho, futhi unakekele abangane bakho.
6:14 Umngane othembekile uyisivikelo esiqinile, futhi lowo omtholile onjalo
umuntu uthole ingcebo.
6:15 Umngane othembekileyo akukho lutho olungamsiza, nobuhle bakhe bukhulu
yigugu.
6:16 Umngane othembekile ungumuthi wokuphila; nabamesabayo uJehova
uzomthola.
6:17 Lowo omesabayo uJehova uyakuqondisa ubungane bakhe, ngokuba njengoba enjalo yena.
uyakuba njalo nomakhelwane wakhe.
6:18 Ndodana yami, butha iziyalezo kusukela ebusheni bakho, ukuze uthole ukuhlakanipha
kuze kube sekugugeni kwakho.
6:19 Woza kuye njengomuntu olimayo futhi ohlwanyela, futhi ulindele okuhle kuye
izithelo, ngokuba awuyikushikashikeka kakhulu ngaye, kepha wena
uzodla izithelo zayo masinyane.
6:20 Uyathandeka kakhulu kwabangafundile: lowo ngaphandle
ukuqonda ngeke kusale kuye.
6:21 Uyolala phezu kwakhe njengetshe elinamandla lokuvivinywa; futhi uzomlahla
kusukela kuye kungakabi isikhathi eside.
6:22 Ngoba ukuhlakanipha kuvumelana negama lakhe, futhi akabonakali kwabaningi.
6:23 Zwana, ndodana yami, wamukele isiluleko sami, ungalahli isiluleko sami.
6:24 Futhi ufake izinyawo zakho emaketangeni akhe, nentamo yakho eketangeni lakhe.
6:25 Khothamisa ihlombe lakho, futhi umthwale, futhi ungabi lusizi ngezibopho zakhe.
6:26 Woza kuye ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, futhi ugcine izindlela zakhe ngayo yonke yakho
amandla.
6:27 Funa, futhi ufune, futhi uyokwaziwa kuwe: futhi lapho wena
uyibambile, ingamuki.
6:28 Ngoba ekugcineni uyothola ukuphumula kwakhe, futhi lokho kuyophendulwa
intokozo yakho.
6:29 Khona-ke izibopho zakhe ziyoba isivikelo esiqinile kuwe, namaketanga akhe a
ingubo yenkazimulo.
6:30 Ngoba kukhona umhlobiso wegolide phezu kwakhe, futhi amabhande akhe kukhona intambo purple.
6:31 Umembathise njengesambatho esihloniphekayo, umembathise.
njengomqhele wentokozo.
6:32 Ndodana yami, uma uthanda, uzofundiswa, futhi uma uzosebenzisa yakho
qonda, uhlakaniphe.
6:33 Uma uthanda ukuzwa, uyakwamukela ukuqonda, futhi uma ukhothama
indlebe yakho, uyakuhlakanipha,
6:34 Yimani phakathi kwabadala; futhi ninamathele kohlakaniphileyo.
6:35 Zimiseleni ukuzwa zonke izinkulumo zikaNkulunkulu; lemifanekiso ka
ukuqonda kuyakubalekela.
6:36 Futhi uma ubona umuntu onengqondo, phuthuma kuye, futhi
unyawo lwakho malugqoke izitebhisi zomnyango wakhe.
6:37 Vumela ingqondo yakho ibe phezu kwezimiso zeNkosi futhi uzindle njalo
emiyalweni yakhe: uyakuqinisa inhliziyo yakho, akuphe
ukuhlakanipha ngokwesifiso sakho.