Sirach
17:1 INkosi yadala umuntu emhlabeni, futhi wambuyisela kuwo futhi.
17:2 Wabanika izinsuku ezimbalwa, futhi isikhathi esifushane, futhi amandla phezu izinto
lapho.
17:3 Yena endued kubo ngamandla ngokwabo, futhi wabenza ngokuvumelana
isithombe sakhe,
17:4 Futhi wabeka ukwesaba abantu phezu kwayo yonke inyama, futhi wamnika ukubusa phezu kwakhe
izilwane nezinyoni.
17:5 Bathola ukusetshenziswa imisebenzi emihlanu yeNkosi, futhi in the
endaweni yesithupha wabanikeza ukuqonda, nasenkulumweni yesikhombisa.
umhumushi wemicabango yalo.
17:6 Wabanika iseluleko, nolimi, namehlo, nezindlebe, nenhliziyo.
qonda.
17:7 Futhi wagcwalisa kubo ngolwazi ukuqonda, futhi wabonisa
kubo okuhle nokubi.
17:8 Wabeka iso lakhe ezinhliziyweni zabo, ukuze abonise kubo ubukhulu
wemisebenzi yakhe.
17:9 Wabanika inkazimulo ngezenzo zakhe ezimangalisayo kuze kube phakade, ukuze bakwazi
memezelani imisebenzi yakhe ngokuqonda.
17:10 Futhi abakhethiweyo bayodumisa igama lakhe elingcwele.
17:11 Ngaphandle kwalokhu wabanika ulwazi, futhi umthetho wokuphila kube yifa.
17:12 Wenza isivumelwano esiphakade nabo, futhi wababonisa eyakhe
izahlulelo.
17:13 Amehlo abo abona ubukhulu benkazimulo yakhe, nezindlebe zabo wezwa yakhe
izwi elikhazimulayo.
17:14 Wathi kubo, Xwayani kukho konke ukungalungi; wanikela ngakho konke
umyalo womuntu ngomakhelwane wakhe.
17:15 Izindlela zabo ziphambi kwakhe njalo, futhi ngeke kufihlwe emehlweni akhe.
17:16 Wonke umuntu kusukela ebusheni bakhe uzinikele ebubini; futhi abakwazanga ukukwenza
izinhliziyo zenyama ngamatshe.
17:17 Ngoba ekuhlukaniseni izizwe zomhlaba wonke wamisa umbusi
phezu kwabo bonke abantu; kepha u-Israyeli uyisabelo sikaJehova;
17:18 Lowo, njengoba izibulo lakhe, uyamondla ngesiyalo, futhi ukumnika
ukukhanya kothando lwakhe akumshiyi.
17:19 Ngakho yonke imisebenzi yabo injengelanga phambi kwakhe, futhi amehlo akhe
njalo ezindleleni zabo.
17:20 Akukho nesisodwa sezenzo zabo ezingalungile efihlekile kuye, kodwa zonke izono zabo
phambi kweNkosi
17:21 Kodwa iNkosi inomusa futhi iwazi umsebenzi wayo, futhi akashiyanga
futhi akabashiyanga, kodwa wabayekela.
17:22 Izipho zomuntu zinjengendandatho kuye, futhi uyogcina okuhle
izenzo zomuntu njengenhlamvu yeso, unike amadodana akhe ukuphenduka
namadodakazi.
17:23 Ngemva kwalokho uyosukuma futhi abavuze, futhi anikeze imbuyiselo yabo
emakhanda abo.
17:24 Kodwa kulabo abaphendukayo, wabanikeza ukubuya, futhi wabaduduza labo
lokho kwehluleka ukubekezela.
17:25 Buyela eNkosini, futhi ushiye izono zakho, wenze umkhuleko wakho phambi kwakhe
ubuso, futhi ukhube kancane.
17:26 Buyela emuva koPhezukonke, futhi ufulathele ububi, ngoba yena uyakwenza
akukhiphe ebumnyameni akuyise ekukhanyeni kwempilo, akuzonde
okunengwayo ngamandla.
17:27 Ngubani oyodumisa oPhezukonke ethuneni, esikhundleni salabo abaphilayo
futhi ubonge?
17:28 Ukubonga kubhubha kwabafileyo, njengoba kungasekho
abaphilayo nabaqotho ngenhliziyo bayakudumisa uJehova.
17:29 Yeka umusa omkhulu weNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, futhi ububele bakhe
kwabaphendukela kuye ngobungcwele.
17:30 Ngoba zonke izinto ngeke kube kumuntu, ngoba iNdodana yomuntu ayiyena ongafi.
17:31 Yini elikhanyayo ngaphezu kwelanga? nokho ukukhanya kwawo kuyafiphala; kanye nenyama
negazi liyocabanga ububi.
17:32 Ubona amandla okuphakama kwezulu; futhi bonke abantu basemhlabeni
kanye nomlotha.