Sirach
31:1 Ukulinda ingcebo kuyayidla inyama, futhi ukunakekela kwayo kuyaqhubeza
kude nokulala.
31:2 Ukuqapha ukunakekelwa ngeke uvumele indoda ukozela, njengoba isifo esibuhlungu siqhuma
lala,
31:3 Ocebile unomsebenzi omkhulu ekubutheni ingcebo ndawonye; futhi lapho yena
uyaphumula, ugcwele izibiliboco zakhe.
31:4 Ompofu uyasebenza ebumpofu bakhe; kuthi lapho eyeka, abe khona
esaswele.
31:5 Lowo othanda igolide ngeke alungisiswe, futhi lowo olandela
ukonakala kuyakwanela kukho.
31:6 Igolide kuye kwaba ukuchithwa kwabaningi, futhi ukubhujiswa kwabo kwaba khona.
31:7 Kuyisikhubekiso kulabo abahlabela kuso, futhi zonke iziwula
izothathwa ngayo.
31:8 Ubusisiwe ocebile otholakala engenasici, futhi akazange ahambe
ngemva kwegolide.
31:9 Ungubani? siyakuthi ubusisiwe, ngokuba unezinto ezimangalisayo
kwenziwe phakathi kwabantu bakhe.
31:10 Ngubani oye wavivinywa ngakho, futhi watholakala ephelele? khona-ke makazidumise. I-WHO
angakhubekisa, angoni na? noma wenze okubi, ungakwenzi na?
31:11 Impahla yakhe iyoqiniswa, futhi ibandla liyomemezela eyakhe
izipho.
31:12 Uma uhlezi etafuleni eningi, ungahahi phezu kwalo, futhi ungasho.
Kunenyama eningi kuyo.
31:13 Khumbula ukuthi iso elibi liyinto embi, futhi yini edaliwe ngaphezulu
omubi kuneso? ngakho-ke liyakhala ngezikhathi zonke.
31:14 Ungaseluli isandla sakho lapho sibheka khona, ungasifaki ngesandla.
angene esitsheni.
31:15 Ungahluleli umakhelwane wakho ngokwakho, futhi uhlakaniphe ezintweni zonke.
31:16 Yidla njengoba kufanele umuntu, lokho okubekwa phambi kwakho; futhi
udle inothi, funa uzondwe.
31:17 Dedela kuqala ngenxa yokuziphatha; futhi unganeliseki, funa wena
ukucasula.
31:18 Lapho uhlezi phakathi kwabaningi, ungangeni isandla sakho kuqala.
31:19 Okuncane kakhulu kwanele ukuba umuntu okhuliswe kahle, futhi angalandeli
umoya wakhe waba mfushane embhedeni wakhe.
31:20 Ubuthongo obuphilayo bufika ngokudla okulinganiselwe: uvuka ekuseni, futhi ingqondo yakhe ihlakaniphile
naye: kodwa ubuhlungu bokubuka, nobuhlungu, nemihelo yesisu,
uhleli nendoda enganeliseki.
31:21 Futhi uma uphoqelelwe ukuba udle, sukuma, uphume, uhlanze, futhi
lizaphumula.
31:22 Ndodana yami, ngizwe, ungangideleli;
Ngithe kuwe: Phatha emisebenzini yakho yonke, kungabikho ukugula
kuwe.
31:23 Noma ubani onikela ngokudla kwakhe, abantu bayokhuluma kahle ngaye; kanye ne
umbiko wokugcinwa kwakhe kahle kwendlu uzokholwa.
31:24 Kodwa ngokumelene lowo odla ukudla kwakhe wonke umuzi
ukububula; nobufakazi bobudedengu bakhe abuyikungatshazwa ngabo.
31:25 Ungabonisi ubuqhawe bakho ewayinini; ngoba iwayini lichithe abanengi.
31:26 Iziko livivinya unqenqema ngokucwiliswa;
ukuziqhenya ngokudakwa.
31:27 Iwayini lilungile njengempilo kumuntu, uma liphuzwa ngokulingana, impilo iyini.
pho, kumuntu ongenawayini na? ngoba wenzelwe ukujabulisa abantu.
31:28 Iwayini elidakwe ngokulinganayo, ngesikhathi esifaneleyo liletha intokozo yenhliziyo;
ukujabula kwengqondo:
31:29 Kodwa iwayini elidakwe ngokweqile libanga umunyu enhliziyweni
ukuxabana nokuxabana.
31:30 Ukudakwa kwandisa ukufutheka kwesiwula size sone, kuncipha.
amandla, enze amanxeba.
31:31 Ungamkhuzi umakhelwane wakho ewayinini, futhi ungamdeleli ekujabuleni kwakhe.
ungamniki amazwi ayiziswana, ungamcindezeli ngokumncenga [ukuba
phuza.]