Sirach
37:1 Wonke umngane uthi: "Nami ngingumngane wakhe," kodwa kukhona umngane, okuyinto
ungumngane nje ngegama.
37:2 Akuwona yini usizi kuze kube sekufeni, lapho umngane nomngane ephendukela
isitha?
37:3 O umcabango omubi, uvelaphi ukumboza umhlaba
inkohliso?
37:4 Kukhona umngane, okuyinto ujabulela ukuchuma umngane, kodwa
ngesikhathi sokuhlupheka uyakumelana naye.
37:5 Kukhona umngane, osiza umngane wakhe ngenxa yesisu, futhi athathe
phakamisani ihawu ngokumelene nesitha.
37:6 Ungakhohlwa umngane wakho engqondweni yakho, futhi ungakhohlwa ngaye enhliziyweni yakho
ingcebo.
37:7 Wonke umeluleki udumisa iseluleko; kodwa kukhona abelulekayo
yena.
37:8 Xwayani umeluleki, futhi wazi kusengaphambili ukuthi yini ukuswela; ngoba uzokwenza
iseluleko ngokwakhe; funa enze inkatho kuwe.
37:9 Futhi athi kuwe, 'Indlela yakho yinhle,' futhi ngemva kwalokho ume ngakolunye
eceleni, ukubona okuzakwehlela.
37:10 Ungaxhumani nomuntu okusolayo kuwe, futhi ufihle iseluleko sakho
abanjengomona ngawe.
37:11 Futhi ungabuzi nowesifazane amthintayo anesikhwele ngaye;
noma negwala ezindabeni zempi; noma ngomthengisi mayelana
ukushintshana; noma nomthengi othengisayo; noma nendoda enomona we
ukubonga; noma ngomuntu ongenasihawu othinta umusa; noma nge
livilapha emsebenzini wonke; noma nomqashwa umnyaka wokuqeda
umsebenzi; nenceku eyivila enemisebenzi eminingi; ningazilaleli lezi
kunoma iyiphi indaba yokwelulekwa.
37:12 Kodwa hlala njalo nomuntu owesaba uNkulunkulu, omaziyo ukumgcina
imiyalo yeNkosi, engqondo yayo ihambisana nomqondo wakho, kanye nentando yakho
lusizi kuwe, uma uphuphuma isisu.
37:13 Futhi ake icebo lenhliziyo yakho siqu ukuma, ngoba akusekho muntu
uthembekile kuwe kunakho.
37:14 Ngoba ingqondo yomuntu ngesinye isikhathi ukumtshela abalindi abangaphezu kwesikhombisa.
abahlala phezulu embhoshongweni ophakeme.
37:15 Futhi ngaphezu kwakho konke lokhu, khuleka koPhezukonke, ukuze aqondise indlela yakho
iqiniso.
37:16 Vumela ukucabanga ngaphambi zonke ibhizinisi, futhi iseluleko ngaphambi zonke izenzo.
37:17 Ubuso kuwuphawu lokushintsha kwenhliziyo.
37:18 Izinhlobo ezine zezinto zivela: okuhle nokubi, ukuphila nokufa, kodwa
ulimi luyababusa njalonjalo.
37:19 Kukhona oyedwa ohlakaniphile futhi ufundisa abaningi, kodwa nokho okungenanzuzo
yena.
37:20 Kukhona obonisa ukuhlakanipha ngamazwi, futhi uzondwa: uyakuba
beswele konke ukudla.
37:21 Ngoba umusa awunikezwanga, kuye evela eNkosini, ngoba uphucwe zonke
ukuhlakanipha.
37:22 Omunye uhlakaniphile kuye; nezithelo zokuqonda ziyi
oncomekayo emlonyeni wakhe.
37:23 Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo uyayala abantu bakhe; nezithelo zokuqonda kwakhe
ungehluleki.
37:24 Umuntu ohlakaniphile uyogcwala isibusiso; labo bonke abambonayo
uyothi uyajabula.
37:25 Izinsuku zokuphila komuntu zingabalwa, kodwa izinsuku zika-Israyeli
ezingenakubalwa.
37:26 Umuntu ohlakaniphile uyozuza udumo phakathi kwabantu bakhe, futhi igama lakhe liyoba
njalonjalo.
37:27 Ndodana yami, hlola umphefumulo wakho ekuphileni kwakho, futhi ubone ukuthi yini embi ngayo, futhi
linganiki lokho kuyo.
37:28 Ngoba zonke izinto azisizi kubantu bonke, futhi yonke imiphefumulo ayinayo
injabulo kukho konke.
37:29 Ungasuthi nganoma iyiphi into emnandi, futhi ungahahi kakhulu ukudla.
37:30 Ngoba ukudla ngokweqile kuletha ukugula, futhi surfeiting izophenduka zibe
i-choler.
37:31 By surfeiting abaningi baye babhubha; kepha oqaphelayo uyelula eyakhe
ukuphila.