Sirach
10:1 Umahluleli ohlakaniphile uyofundisa abantu bakhe; kanye nohulumeni ohlakaniphile
indoda ihleleke kahle.
10:2 Njengomahluleli wabantu, zinjalo izikhulu zakhe; yini futhi
indlela yomuntu umbusi womuzi banjalo bonke abakhileyo
lapho.
10:3 Inkosi engahlakaniphile ichitha abantu bayo; kodwa ngokuhlakanipha kwabo
abasesikhundleni somuzi uyakuhlalwa.
10:4 Amandla omhlaba asesandleni sikaJehova, futhi ngesikhathi esifanele yena
uyobeka phezu kwalo onenzuzo.
10:5 Esandleni sikaNkulunkulu kukhona impumelelo yomuntu, futhi phezu kobuso bomuntu
umbhali uyakubeka udumo lwakhe.
10:6 Ungathwali inzondo kumakhelwane wakho ngakho konke okubi; futhi ungenzi lutho nhlobo
ngezenzo ezilimazayo.
10:7 Ukuzidla kuyinzondo phambi kukaNkulunkulu nabantu, futhi kukho kokubili umuntu wenza
ububi.
10:8 Ngenxa yezenzo ezingalungile, ukulimala, nengcebo etholwe ngenkohliso, i
umbuso uhunyushwa usuka kubantu uyiswe kwabanye.
10:9 Kungani umhlaba nomlotha uyaziqhenya? Ayikho into embi ukwedlula a
umuntu ohahayo, ngokuba onjalo uthengisa umphefumulo wakhe; ngoba
esaphila uyazilahla izibilini zakhe.
10:10 Udokotela unquma isifo eside; lalowo oyinkosi lamuhla
kusasa siyakufa.
10:11 Ngoba lapho umuntu efile, uyothola ifa izinto ezinwabuzelayo, nezilwane, futhi
izikelemu.
10:12 Ukuqala kokuzigqaja lapho umuntu ehlubuka kuNkulunkulu, futhi inhliziyo yakhe
efulathela uMenzi wakhe.
10:13 Ngoba ukuziqhenya kungukuqala kwesono, futhi lowo onakho uyothulula
ayisinengiso; ngalokho uJehova wabehlisela okungajwayelekile
izinhlekelele, futhi wazichitha.
10:14 INkosi yadiliza izihlalo zobukhosi zezikhulu ezikhukhumezayo, futhi wamisa
abamnene esikhundleni sabo.
10:15 INkosi isiphulile izimpande zezizwe eziziqhenyayo, futhi watshala
abaphansi endaweni yabo.
10:16 INkosi yagumbuqela amazwe abezizwe, futhi wababhubhisa
izisekelo zomhlaba.
10:17 Wathatha abanye kubo, futhi wababhubhisa, futhi uye wenza yabo
isikhumbuzo siyakuphela emhlabeni.
10:18 Ukuziqhenya ayenziwanga amadoda, noma intukuthelo ngokufutheka kulabo abazalwa
owesifazane.
10:19 Abamesabayo uJehova bayinzalo eqinisekile, futhi labo abamthandayo an
isitshalo esihloniphekayo: abangawunaki umthetho bayinzalo eyihlazo;
abeqa imiyalo bayinzalo ekhohlisayo.
10:20 Phakathi kwabazalwane, oyinhloko uyahlonishwa; banjalo abesaba uJehova
INkosi emehlweni akhe.
10:21 Ukumesaba uJehova kuqala ngaphambi kokuthola igunya, kodwa
ubulukhuni nokuziqhenya kungukulahlekelwa kwakho.
10:22 Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ucebile, yizicukuthwane, noma ompofu, udumo lwabo ukwesaba uJehova.
10:23 Akulungile ukudelela ompofu onengqondo; noma
kulungile yini ukukhulisa umuntu oyisoni.
10:24 Amadoda amakhulu, nabahluleli, nabanamandla, bayakudunyiswa; usekhona
akakho kubo omkhulu kunowesaba uJehova.
10:25 Ezigqileni ezihlakaniphileyo, labo abakhululekile bayokhonza
onolwazi akayikuba namagqubu lapho elungiswa.
10:26 Ungahlakaniphi ngokweqile emsebenzini wakho; futhi ungazigabisi ngesikhathi
yokuhlupheka kwakho.
10:27 Ungcono lowo osebenza kanzima futhi evame kukho konke, kunalowo
uyazigabisa, aswele isinkwa.
10:28 Ndodana yami, khazimulisa umphefumulo wakho ngobumnene, futhi uwunike udumo ngokuvumelana
isithunzi sayo.
10:29 Ngubani ongamlungisisa owona umphefumulo wakhe? futhi ngubani ozokwenza
uhloniphe odelela ukuphila kwakhe na?
10:30 Ompofu uyahlonishwa ngenxa yobuhlakani bakhe, futhi umuntu ocebile uyahlonishwa ngenxa
ingcebo yakhe.
10:31 Lowo ohlonishwa ngobumpofu, kakhulu kangakanani engcebweni? lalowo okhona
abangahlonitshwa engcebweni, kakhulu kangakanani ebumpofu?