Sirach
16:1 Ungafisi inqwaba yabantwana abangenanzuzo, futhi ungajabuli ngabo
amadodana angamesabi uNkulunkulu.
16:2 Nakuba anda, ungathokozi ngabo, ngaphandle kokumesaba uJehova
ube nabo.
16:3 Ungathembeli ekuphileni kwabo, futhi ungabheki ubuningi babo
lokho okulungile kungcono kunenkulungwane; futhi kungcono ukufa ngaphandle
abantwana, kunokuba babe nabangamesabi uNkulunkulu.
16:4 Ngoba ngomuntu ohlakaniphileyo umuzi uyogcwaliswa, kodwa
izihlobo zababi ziyakuchithwa masinyane.
16:5 Izinto eziningi ezinjalo ngizibonile ngamehlo ami, futhi indlebe yami wezwa
izinto ezinkulu kunalezi.
16:6 Ebandleni lababi kuyakuvuthwa umlilo; futhi ku
ulaka lwesizwe esihlubukayo luyavutha.
16:7 Akazange axolise maqondana imidondoshiya endala, owawa emandleni
ngobuwula babo.
16:8 Futhi akazange ayigodle indawo lapho uLoti sojourned, kodwa wanengwa ngabo
ukuzidla kwabo.
16:9 Akabahawukelanga abantu abalahlwayo, ababethathwe ezenzweni zabo
izono:
16:10 Noma amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisithupha, ababebuthene ndawonye
ubulukhuni bezinhliziyo zabo.
16:11 Futhi uma kukhona umuntu onentamo lukhuni phakathi kwabantu, kuyamangaza uma yena
phunyuka ungajeziswa, ngokuba umusa nolaka kukuye; unamandla
thethelela, nokuthulula ukucasuka.
16:12 Njengoba umusa wakhe mkhulu, kunjalo futhi ukuqondiswa kwakhe: uyahlulela umuntu
ngokwemisebenzi yakhe
16:13 Isoni ngeke aphunyuke nempango yaso, futhi ukubekezela kweNkosi
uNkulunkulu akayikukhungatheka.
16:14 Yenzani indlela yawo wonke umsebenzi womusa, ngoba wonke umuntu uyothola ngokuvumelana
imisebenzi yakhe.
16:15 INkosi yamenza lukhuni uFaro, ukuze angamazi, ukuthi owakhe
imisebenzi yamandla ingase yaziwe emhlabeni.
16:16 Umusa wakhe ubonakala kuzo zonke izidalwa; usehlukanise ukukhanya kwakhe
kusukela ebumnyameni nge-adaman.
16:17 Ungasho ukuthi: "Ngizozifihla eNkosini;
kusuka phezulu? Ngeke ngikhunjulwe phakathi kwabantu abaningi kangaka: ngoba yini
umphefumulo wami phakathi kwenani elingapheli lezidalwa?
16:18 Bheka, izulu, nezulu lamazulu, notwa, nomhlaba.
futhi konke okukuyo kuyakunyakaziswa lapho ehambela.
16:19 Izintaba nezisekelo zomhlaba ziyonyakaziswa
bethuthumela, lapho iNkosi ibabhekile.
16:20 Akukho inhliziyo ongacabanga ngalezi zinto ngokufanele: futhi ngubani okwaziyo
ucabange izindlela zakhe?
16:21 Kuyisiphepho esingenakubonwa muntu, ngoba ingxenye enkulu yemisebenzi yakhe
kucashile.
16:22 Ngubani ongamemezela izenzo zobulungisa bakhe? ngubani ongazibekezelela na? okwe
isivumelwano sakhe sikude, nokuvivinywa kwazo zonke izinto ekugcineni.
16:23 Lowo ongenangqondo uyocabanga izinto eziyize, futhi oyisiwula
umuntu owonayo ucabanga ubuwula.
16:24 ndodana, ngilalele, futhi ufunde ulwazi, futhi uqaphele amazwi ami ngamazwi akho
inhliziyo.
16:25 Ngiyobonisa imfundiso ngesisindo, futhi ngimemezele ulwazi lwakhe kahle.
16:26 Imisebenzi yeNkosi yenziwa ekwahluleleni kusukela ekuqaleni: futhi kusukela
ngesikhathi ezenza ngazo wabeka izicubu zazo.
16:27 Wahlobisa imisebenzi yakhe kuze kube phakade, futhi esandleni sakhe kukhona inhloko yazo
ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane: azikhandleki, azikhathali, aziyeki
imisebenzi yabo.
16:28 Akekho kubo ovimbela omunye, futhi ngeke neze bangalaleli izwi lakhe.
16:29 Ngemva kwalokhu, iNkosi yabuka umhlaba, futhi wawugcwalisa ngezakhe
izibusiso.
16:30 Wasibekela ubuso bayo ngazo zonke izinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo; futhi
bazabuyela kulo futhi.