Sirach
13:1 Othinta itiyela uyongcoliswa ngayo; lalowo onakho
ukuhlangana nomuntu ozidlayo kuyakuba njengaye.
13:2 Ungazithwali phezu kwamandla akho usaphila; futhi akekho
hlanganyela nalowo onamandla nocebile kunawe: ngokuba kanjani
kuyavumelana igedlela nebhodwe ndawonye? ngoba uba omunye etshaywa
ngokumelene nelinye, liyakwaphulwa.
13:3 Umuntu ocebile wenze okubi, nokho usongela ngakho: abampofu
owoniwe, futhi kufanele anxuse futhi.
13:4 Uma ungowenzuzo yakhe, uyakukusebenzisa;
uyakushiya.
13:5 Uma kukhona, uyakuphila nawe, futhi uyokwenza nawe
lingenalutho, futhi ngeke lidabuke ngakho.
13:6 Uma ekudinga, uyakukukhohlisa, akumoyizele, akudukise.
ubeke ethembeni; uyakukukhuluma kahle, athi: Ufunani na?
13:7 Futhi uyokwenza ube namahloni kuwe ngokudla kwakhe, aze akudonse kabili
noma kathathu, futhi ekugcineni uyakuhleka usulu kamuva, nini
uyakubona, akushiye, anikine ikhanda lakhe ngakuwe.
13:8 Qaphela ukuthi ungadukiswa futhi wehliselwe ekujabuleni kwakho.
13:9 Uma umenywe indoda enamandla, zihoxise, futhi kanjalo the
okuningi uyakukumema.
13:10 Ungamcindezeli, funa ubuyiselwe emuva; ningemi kude, funa
ukhohlwe.
13:11 Ungathandi ukulingana naye ngenkulumo, futhi ungakholwa abaningi bakhe
amazwi: ngokuba ngokukhuluma okuningi uyakukulinga, emamatheka
uzokhipha izimfihlo zakho.
13:12 Kodwa uyakuwabeka amazwi akho ngonya, angakuyekeli ukuwenza.
ubuhlungu, lokukufaka etilongweni.
13:13 Qaphela, futhi uqaphe kahle, ngoba uhamba engozini yakho
nxa uzwa lezizinto, vuka ebuthongweni bakho.
13:14 Thanda uJehova kukho konke ukuphila kwakho, futhi ubize kuye ngensindiso yakho.
13:15 Zonke izilwane zithanda okufana naso, futhi yilowo nalowo uthanda umakhelwane wakhe.
13:16 Yonke inyama consortes ngokohlobo, futhi umuntu uyonamathela yakhe
njenge.
13:17 Iyiphi inhlanganyelo impisi newundlu? kanjalo isoni nge
uNkulunkulu.
13:18 Isiphi isivumelwano esikhona phakathi kwempisi nenja? lokuthula okungaka
phakathi kwabacebile nabampofu?
13:19 Njengembongolo yasendle iyimpango yengonyama ehlane;
abampofu.
13:20 Njengoba abazidlayo bazonda ukuthobeka, kanjalo ocebile unengwa abampofu.
13:21 Umuntu ocebile eqala ukuwa ubanjwa abangane bakhe, kodwa umuntu ompofu
ukuba phansi uxoshwa ngabangane bakhe.
13:22 Lapho isicebi siwile, unabasizi abaningi;
ukuba akhulunywe, kepha abantu bamthethelele: ompofu washelela, nokho
bamkhuza naye; wakhuluma ngokuhlakanipha, wangaba nandawo.
13:23 Lapho isicebi sikhuluma, yilowo nalowo ubamba ulimi lwakhe, futhi, bheka, yini
uthi, baliphakamisela emayezini; kodwa uma ompofu ekhuluma, bayakhuluma
nithi: Ngubani lo? futhi uma ekhubeka, bayosiza ekugumbuqeni
yena.
13:24 Ingcebo muhle kulowo ongenasono, futhi ubumpofu bubi ebubini
umlomo wababi.
13:25 Inhliziyo yomuntu iyashintsha ubuso bakhe, noma kukuhle noma
okubi, nenhliziyo ejabulayo yenza ubuso bube buhle.
13:26 Ubuso obujabulisayo buyisibonakaliso senhliziyo ephumelelayo; futhi
ukuthola imizekeliso kuwumsebenzi okhathazayo wengqondo.