Sirach
23:1 O Nkosi, Baba noMbusi wakho konke ukuphila kwami, ungangishiyi kubo
amasu, mangingaweli kuwo.
23:2 Oyobeka iziswebhu phezu imicabango yami, futhi isiyalo sokuhlakanipha
phezu kwenhliziyo yami? ukuze bangangiyekeli ngenxa yokungazi kwami, futhi kudlule
kungeyisikho ngezono zami.
23:3 Hleze ukunganaki kwami kwande, futhi izono zami zanda ekubhujisweni kwami, futhi
Ngiyawa phambi kwezitha zami, nesitha sami sithokoza ngami, esisithabathileyo
ithemba likude nomusa wakho.
23:4 O Nkosi, Baba, futhi Nkulunkulu wokuphila kwami, unganginiki ukubukeka ngokuziqhenya, kodwa uphenduke
kude nezinceku zakho ingqondo ezidlayo njalo.
23:5 Suka kimi amathemba okuyize kanye nenkanuko, futhi uyombamba
phezulu ofuna ukukukhonza njalo.
23:6 Ungavumeli ukuhaha kwesisu noma inkanuko yenyama ukubamba
mina; unganginikeli inceku yakho ebuhlungwini.
23:7 Lalelani, O nina bantwana, isiyalo somlomo: Ogcinayo
ayisoze yabanjwa emlonyeni wakhe.
23:8 Isoni uyosala ebuwula bakhe: kokubili isikhulumi kabi kanye
abaziqhenyayo bayakuwa ngakho.
23:9 Ungajwayeli umlomo wakho ekufungeni; futhi ungazisebenzisi igama lika
oNgcwele.
23:10 Ngoba njengenceku eshaywa njalo ngeke ibe ngaphandle blue
uphawu: kanjalo ofungayo, abize uNkulunkulu njalo kayikuba khona
engenasici.
23:11 Umuntu osebenzisa inhlamba kakhulu uyogcwala ububi, futhi
isifo asiyikusuka endlini yakhe; uma ona, yisono sakhe
makube phezu kwakhe; uma engasivumi isono sakhe, uphindisela
uma efunga ngeze, akayikuba msulwa, kodwa owakhe
indlu izagcwala izinhlupheko.
23:12 Kukhona izwi elembeswe ukufa: UNkulunkulu makube njalo
ayitholakalanga efeni likaJakobe; ngoba konke okunjalo kuzakuba khatshana
kusukela kwabangcwele, futhi kabayikucwila esonweni sabo.
23:13 Ungasebenzisi umlomo wakho intemperate inhlamba, ngoba kuyo kukhona izwi
isono.
23:14 Khumbula uyihlo nonyoko, lapho uhlezi phakathi kwabantu abakhulu.
Ungakhohlwa phambi kwabo, ukuze ube yisiwula ngokwesiko lakho;
futhi sengathi ngabe awuzalwanga, futhi baqalekise usuku lwakho
ukuzalwa.
23:15 Umuntu ojwayele ukukhuluma kabi akasoze aguqulwa.
zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe.
23:16 Izinhlobo ezimbili zabantu zandisa isono, kanti eyesithathu izoletha ulaka: a hot
ingqondo injengomlilo ovuthayo, ongacimi kuze kube phakade
idliwe: isifebe emzimbeni wenyama yakhe asisoze saphela singakaqedi
ubasile umlilo.
23:17 Sonke isinkwa simnandi isifebe, ngeke ayeke aze afe.
23:18 Umuntu ochitha umshado, esho njalo enhliziyweni yakhe, 'Ngubani ongibonayo?' I
ngizungezwe ubumnyama, izindonga zingibekele, futhi akukho muntu obonayo
mina; yini okufanele ngesabe? oPhezukonke akayikukhumbula izono zami;
23:19 Umuntu onjalo wesaba kuphela amehlo abantu, futhi akazi ukuthi amehlo
iNkosi ikhanya ngokuphindwe kazinkulungwane eziyishumi kunelanga, ibona konke
izindlela zabantu, futhi ucabangela izingxenye eziyimfihlo kakhulu.
23:20 Wayazi zonke izinto ngaphambi kokuba zidalwe; kanjalo futhi emva kwabo
esephelele wababuka bonke.
23:21 Le ndoda izojeziswa emigwaqweni yomuzi, futhi lapho
engasoli ukuthi uzakubanjwa.
23:22 Kuyakuba njalo futhi nomfazi oshiya indoda yakhe, futhi
ungenisa indlalifa ngomunye.
23:23 Ngoba okokuqala, uye weqile umthetho woPhezukonke; futhi okwesibili,
wonile endodeni yakhe; okwesithathu, usenayo
wafeba ngokuphinga, wazala abantwana ngenye indoda.
23:24 Uyokhishwa ebandleni, futhi uphenyo kuyoba
enziwe ngabantwana bakhe.
23:25 Abantwana bakhe ngeke bathathe izimpande, futhi amagatsha akhe ngeke aveze
izithelo.
23:26 Uyoshiya inkumbulo yakhe ukuba iqalekiswe, futhi isihlamba sakhe ngeke kube
kusuliwe.
23:27 Futhi labo abasele bayokwazi ukuthi akukho lutho olungcono kune
ukumesaba uJehova, nokuthi akukho okumnandi njengokuqaphela
emiyalweni yeNkosi.
23:28 Kuyinkazimulo enkulu ukulandela iNkosi, futhi ukwamukelwa kuye yinde
ukuphila.