Sirach
12:1 Lapho wenza okuhle yazi lowo okwenzayo; uyakuba njalo
ngibonge ngezinzuzo zakho.
12:2 Yenza okuhle kumuntu owesaba uNkulunkulu, futhi uyothola imbuyiselo; futhi uma kungenjalo
evela kuye, nokho evela koPhezukonke.
12:3 Akukho okuhle ngeke eze kuye ukuthi njalo matasa ububi, noma
onganikiyo izipho.
12:4 Nikeza umuntu ohlonipha uNkulunkulu, futhi ungasizi isoni.
12:5 Yenzani kahle ophansi, kodwa ungamniki abangamhloniphiyo uNkulunkulu
isinkwa sakho, ungamniki sona, funa akwehlule ngaso;
ngoba kungenjalo uyakwamukela okubi okuphindwe kabili kukho konke okuhle kwakho
uzakwenza kuye.
12:6 Ngoba oPhezukonke uyazonda izoni, futhi uyobuyisela impindiselo kubo
abangamesabi uNkulunkulu, ubagcine kuze kufike usuku olukhulu lokujeziswa kwabo.
12:7 Nikeza okuhle, futhi ungasizi isoni.
12:8 Umngane akanakwaziwa ngenhlanhla, futhi isitha asinakucasha phakathi
ubunzima.
12:9 Ekuphumeleleni komuntu izitha ziyadabuka, kepha ebubini bakhe.
ngisho nomngane uzomuka.
12:10 Ungasithembi isitha sakho, ngoba njengokugqwala kwensimbi, bunjalo ububi baso.
12:11 Nakuba ezithoba, futhi ehamba eguqa, nokho qaphela futhi
mqaphele, futhi uyoba kuye njengokungathi wesule a
ingilazi yokubuka, uzokwazi ukuthi ukugqwala kwayo akubanga khona kanye
wesuliwe.
12:12 Ungambeki eduze kwakho, funa, lapho esekuchithile, ame phakathi kwakho.
indawo yakho; futhi makangahlali ngakwesokunene sakho, funa afune ukubamba
isihlalo sakho, futhi ekugcineni ukhumbule amazwi ami, futhi uhlatshwe
ngakho.
12:13 Ngubani ongahawukela umlumbi olunywe yinyoka,
sondelani nezilo zasendle?
12:14 Kanjalo oya kusoni, angcoliswe naso ezonweni zaso,
uzohawukela?
12:15 Okwesikhashana uzohlala nawe, kepha uma uqala ukuwa, uyakukhubeka
ungalibali.
12:16 Isitha sikhuluma kamnandi ngomlomo waso, kodwa enhliziyweni yaso uyacabanga
indlela yokukuphonsa emgodini: uyakukhala ngamehlo, kepha uma ekuthola
ithuba, ngeke aneliseke ngegazi.
12:17 Uma ukuhlupheka phezu kwakho, uzomthola khona kuqala; futhi nakuba
wenza sengathi uyakusiza, kepha uyakukucekela phansi.
12:18 Uzonikina ikhanda lakhe, futhi ihlombe, futhi anyenyeze kakhulu, futhi ukushintsha
ubuso bakhe.