Sirach
18:1 Lowo ophila kuze kube phakade Udale zonke izinto jikelele.
18:2 UJehova yedwa ulungile, futhi akekho omunye ngaphandle kwakhe.
18:3 Obusa izwe ngesandla sakhe, futhi zonke izinto zilalela
intando yakhe: ngokuba uyiNkosi yakho konke, ukwahlukanisa izinto ezingcwele ngamandla akhe
phakathi kwabo kusukela engcolile.
18:4 Ubaniké bani amandla okumemezela imisebenzi yakhe? futhi ngubani oyokwazi
izenzo zakhe ezinhle?
18:5 Ngubani ongabala amandla obukhosi bakhe? futhi ngubani futhi ozokusho
ngomusa wakhe?
18:6 Ngokuqondene izimangaliso zeNkosi, kungase kungabi nalutho kuthathwe
kubo, futhi ngeke kubekwe lutho kubo, noma umhlabathi wabo
zitholakale.
18:7 Uma umuntu esekwenzile, uyaqala; kuthi nxa esehamba, abesehamba
uzakuba nokungabaza.
18:8 Uyini umuntu, futhi ukhonza kuphi? yini enhle yakhe, futhi yini eyakhe
ububi?
18:9 Ubuningi bezinsuku zomuntu ziyiminyaka eyikhulu.
18:10 Njengeconsi lamanzi olwandle, netshe lohlalwane uma liqhathaniswa nolwandle
isihlabathi; injalo iminyaka eyinkulungwane ezinsukwini zaphakade.
18:11 Ngakho uNkulunkulu uyababekezelela, futhi uthululela umusa wakhe phezu kwabo
bona.
18:12 Wabona, futhi wabona ukuphela kwabo kubi; ngalokho wandisa eyakhe
uzwelo.
18:13 Isihe somuntu sikumakhelwane wakhe; kodwa umusa weNkosi
phezu kwayo yonke inyama: uyasola, ondle, afundise, alethe
futhi, njengomalusi umhlambi wakhe.
18:14 Unesihe kulabo abamukela isiyalo, futhi abafuna ngenkuthalo
emva kwezahlulelo zakhe.
18:15 Ndodana yami, ungasilahli izenzo zakho ezinhle, futhi ungasebenzisi amazwi abuhlungu lapho
unika noma yini.
18:16 Ngeke yini amazolo ukuncibilikisa ukushisa? kanjalo nezwi lingcono kunesipho.
18:17 Bheka, akukhona izwi elingcono kunesipho? kodwa bobabili banendoda enomusa.
18:18 Isiwula siyaklolodela, nesipho somona siyadla umphefumulo.
amehlo.
18:19 Funda ngaphambi kokuba ukhulume, futhi usebenzise physick noma uke ugule.
18:20 Ngaphambi kokwahlulela, zihlole, futhi ngosuku lokuhanjelwa wena
thola umusa.
18:21 Zithobe ngaphambi kokuba ugule, futhi ngesikhathi sezono ubonise
ukuphenduka.
18:22 Ungavumeli lutho kukuvimbele ukufeza isithembiso sakho ngesikhathi esifanele, futhi ungalibali kuze kube
ukufa kulungisiswe.
18:23 Ngaphambi kokuba uthandaze, zilungiselele; futhi ningabi njengomuntu oyengayo
iNkosi.
18:24 Cabanga ngentukuthelo eyoba khona ekupheleni, futhi isikhathi
impindiselo, lapho efulathela ubuso bakhe.
18:25 Lapho usutha, khumbula isikhathi sokulamba, futhi lapho wena
ocebile, cabanga ngobumpofu nokuswela.
18:26 Kusukela ekuseni kuze kube kusihlwa isikhathi sishintshile, futhi zonke izinto
zenziwa masinyane phambi kweNkosi.
18:27 Umuntu ohlakaniphile uyokwesaba kukho konke, futhi ngosuku lokona uyokwenza
xwaya ukona, kepha isiwula asigcini isikhathi.
18:28 Wonke umuntu onengqondo uyakwazi ukuhlakanipha, futhi uyonika udumo kuye
owamtholayo.
18:29 Abahlakaniphileyo emazwini nabo bahlakanipha.
wakhuluma ngemifanekiso emihle.
18:30 Ungalandeli izinkanuko zakho, kodwa ubambe izinkanuko zakho.
18:31 Uma unikeza umphefumulo wakho izifiso ezijabulisa kuye, yena uyokwenza nawe
inhlekisa ezitheni zakho ezikuhlambalazayo.
18:32 Ungajatshuliswa injabulo enkulu, futhi ungaboshelwa ngaphandle kwezindleko
kwakho.
18:33 Ungenziwa isinxibi by banqueting phezu kokuboleka, lapho une
lutho esikhwameni sakho, ngokuba uyakuqamekela ukuphila kwakho, futhi
kungaxoxwa ngakho.