Sirach
19:1 Umuntu oyisisebenzi ukuthi A ophiwe ukudakwa ngeke acebe: futhi yena
odelela izinto ezincane uyowa kancane kancane.
19:2 Iwayini kanye nabesifazane kuyokwenza ukuba amadoda ahlakaniphe, futhi lowo
enamathela izifebe uyoba amanyala.
19:3 Izinundu nezimpethu kuyakuba kuye ifa, futhi indoda enesibindi kuyoba
kususwa.
19:4 Oshesha ukutusa unengqondo; nalowo owonayo
uzokona emphefumulweni wakhe.
19:5 Lowo othanda okubi uyolahlwa, kodwa lowo
umelana nezinjabulo ubeka ukuphila kwakhe umqhele.
19:6 Lowo ongabusa ulimi lwakhe uyophila ngaphandle kokuxabana; futhi yena lokho
kuzonda ukukhuluma-ke kuzonda ububi.
19:7 Ungakhulumi omunye lokho okutsheliwe kuwe, futhi wena
ukuhamba akukaze kube kubi kakhulu.
19:8 Noma ngabe kumngane noma isitha, ungakhulumi ngempilo yabanye abantu; futhi uma
ungakwazi ngaphandle kwecala, ungazembuli.
19:9 Ngoba ukuzwile futhi wagcina wena, futhi lapho kufika isikhathi uyokuzonda.
19:10 Uma uzwile izwi, malife nawe; futhi ube nesibindi, kuyakuba njalo
angakuqhumisi.
19:11 Isiphukuphuku sibhibha ngezwi, njengowesifazane ebelethayo.
19:12 Njengomcibisholo onamathela ethangeni lomuntu, linjalo izwi phakathi kwesiwula.
isisu.
19:13 Yala umngane, mhlawumbe akenzanga, futhi uma ekwenzile
yona, ukuthi angabe esayenza.
19:14 Mkhuze umngane wakho, mhlawumbe akashongo;
akaphindi akhulume.
19:15 Yala umngane, ngoba kaningi kuyinhlamba, futhi ningakholwa yibo bonke
indaba.
19:16 Kukhona oshelelayo ekukhulumeni kwakhe, kodwa hhayi enhliziyweni yakhe; futhi
ngubani ongakhubeki ngolimi lwakhe na?
19:17 Yala umakhelwane wakho ngaphambi kokumsongela; futhi engathukutheli,
nika indawo yomthetho woPhezukonke.
19:18 Ukumesaba uJehova kuyisinyathelo sokuqala sokwamukelwa [kuye,] futhi
ukuhlakanipha kuzuza uthando lwakhe.
19:19 Ulwazi lwemiyalo yeNkosi imfundiso yokuphila.
futhi labo abenza okumthokozisayo bayothola isithelo sikaJehova
umuthi wokungafi.
19:20 Ukumesaba uJehova kungukuhlakanipha konke; futhi kukho konke ukuhlakanipha kungukusebenza
lomthetho, kanye nolwazi lobuninimandla onke.
19:21 Uma inceku ithi enkosini yayo, Angiyikwenza njengoba kuthandeka kuwe;
noma ekwenza ngasemuva, uyamcasula omondlayo.
19:22 Ulwazi ngobubi akukhona ukuhlakanipha, noma ngasiphi isikhathi the
iseluleko sezoni ukuhlakanipha.
19:23 Kukhona ububi, futhi okufanayo isinengiso; futhi kukhona isiwula
abafuna ukuhlakanipha.
19:24 Lowo onokuqonda okuncane futhi owesaba uNkulunkulu, ungcono kunoyedwa
onokuhlakanipha okuningi, oweqa umthetho woPhezukonke.
19:25 Kukhona ubuqili obukhulu, futhi okufanayo akulungile; futhi kukhona eyodwa
ophambukayo ukuze aveze ukwahlulela; futhi kukhona indoda ehlakaniphile leyo
ulungisisa ekwahluleleni.
19:26 Kukhona umuntu omubi olengisa ikhanda lakhe edabukile; kodwa ngaphakathi yena
ugcwele inkohliso,
19:27 Elahlisa ubuso bakhe, futhi sengathi akezwanga: lapho ekhona
akwaziwa, uyakukwenza okubi ungakazi.
19:28 Futhi uma ngenxa yokuswela amandla avinjwe ukuba angoni, nokho lapho
efumana ithuba uyakwenza okubi.
19:29 Umuntu angase aziwe ngokubukeka kwakhe, futhi lowo onengqondo nge yakhe
ubuso, lapho uhlangana naye.
19:30 Isembatho somuntu, kanye nokuhleka ngokweqile, futhi ukuhambahamba, kuveza lokho ayikho.