Sirach
38:1 Hlonipha udokotela ngokumhlonipha ngenxa yemisebenzi eninayo
angaba naye, ngokuba uJehova umdalile.
38:2 Ngokuba koPhezukonke kuvela ukuphulukiswa, futhi uyokwamukela udumo
inkosi.
38:3 Ikhono udokotela uyophakamisa ikhanda lakhe, futhi emehlweni ka
uyakubabaza abakhulu.
38:4 INkosi yadala imithi emhlabeni; lalowo ohlakaniphileyo
ngeke abenyanya.
38:5 Ingabe amanzi ayenziwa abe mnandi ngokhuni, ukuze amandla awo abe
eyaziwayo?
38:6 Futhi unike amadoda amakhono, ukuze ahlonishwe ngokumangalisayo kwakhe
isebenza.
38:7 Ngokunjalo uyaphilisa abantu, asuse iminjunju yabo.
38:8 Abanjalo umgcobi wenza inhlaka; lemisebenzi yakhe ikhona
akukho ukuphela; futhi kuvela kuye ukuthula emhlabeni wonke.
38:9 Ndodana yami, ekuguleni kwakho ungabi budedengu, kodwa khuleka eNkosini, futhi yena
uzokuphilisa.
38:10 Deda esonweni, futhi uhlele izandla zakho, futhi uhlanze inhliziyo yakho
kubo bonke ububi.
38:11 Nikeza iphunga elimnandi nesikhumbuzo kafulawa ocolekileyo; futhi wenze amafutha
umnikelo, njengoba engekho.
38:12 Khona-ke nikeza udokotela indawo, ngoba iNkosi idalile kuye
ungasuki kuwe, ngokuba uyamdinga.
38:13 Kukhona isikhathi lapho ezandleni zabo kukhona impumelelo enhle.
38:14 Ngoba futhi bayokhuleka eNkosini, ukuze aphumelele ukuthi,
abakunikezayo ukuze kube lula kanye nekhambi lokwelula impilo.
38:15 Lowo owonayo phambi koMenzi wakhe, makawele esandleni sikaJehova
udokotela.
38:16 Ndodana yami, ake izinyembezi ziwele phezu kwabafileyo, futhi uqale ukulila, sengathi
wena wehlelwe yingozi enkulu; abese emboza umzimba wakhe
njengokwesiko, njalo ungakunaki ukungcwatshwa kwakhe.
38:17 Khala kamunyu, futhi nibubule kakhulu, futhi nisebenzise isililo, njengoba enjalo
kufanele, futhi usuku noma ezimbili, funa uhlanjalazwe: bese-ke
uziduduze ngosizi lwakho.
38:18 Ngoba ngokudangala kuvela ukufa, futhi ukudabuka kwenhliziyo kwaphula
amandla.
38:19 Ekuhluphekeni kukhona usizi, futhi ukuphila kwabampofu kuyinto
isiqalekiso senhliziyo.
38:20 Ungathathi usizi enhliziyweni: ukuxosha, futhi ilungu ekupheleni kokugcina.
38:21 Ungakhohlwa, ngoba akukho ukuphenduka, ungakwenzi kuye
kuhle, kodwa uzilimaze.
38:22 Khumbula ukwahlulela kwami, ngoba nawe kuyoba njalo. izolo kimi, futhi
namuhla kuwe.
38:23 Lapho ofileyo uphumule, ukukhunjulwa kwakhe makuphumule; futhi niduduzwe ngenxa
kuye, lapho uMoya wakhe usumukile kuye.
38:24 Ukuhlakanipha kofundile kuvela ithuba lokuzilibazisa
onomsebenzi omncane uyohlakanipha.
38:25 Angakuthola kanjani ukuhlakanipha obambe igeja, futhi ekhazimulayo
oxosha izinkabi, esebenza kanzima, nobani
inkulumo eyezinkunzi?
38:26 Unika ingqondo yakhe ukwenza imisele; futhi uyakhuthala ukupha izinkomo
ifolishi.
38:27 Ngakho wonke umbazi kanye nezisebenzi, osebenza ubusuku nemini: futhi
abasikayo nababeka izimpawu, bakhuthalele ukwenza izinhlobonhlobo ezinkulu;
futhi bazinikele ezithombeni zomgunyathi, futhi babuke ukuze baqedele umsebenzi:
38:28 Umkhandi ehlezi eduze kwensimbi, futhi ebheka umsebenzi wensimbi,
umhwamuko womlilo udla inyama yakhe, ulwa ngokushisa kwe
isithando somlilo: umsindo wesando nensimbi uhlala ezindlebeni zakhe;
amehlo akhe esalokhu ebheka isifanekiso sento ayenzayo; yena
ubeka ingqondo yakhe ukuba aqedele umsebenzi wakhe, futhi uyaqaphela ukuwupholisha
ngokuphelele:
38:29 Kanjalo umbumbi ehlezi emsebenzini wakhe, futhi ejikeleza isondo
izinyawo zakhe, ohlale egxilile emsebenzini wakhe, enze konke okwakhe
sebenza ngenombolo;
38:30 Obumba ubumba ngengalo yakhe, futhi ugoba amandla akhe phambi
izinyawo zakhe; uzinikela ukuba alihole; futhi uyakukhuthalela
hlanza isithando somlilo:
38:31 Bonke laba bathembela ezandleni zabo, futhi yilowo nalowo uhlakaniphile emsebenzini wakhe.
38:32 Ngaphandle kwalezi umuzi ngeke kuhlalwe, futhi ngeke bahlale lapho
ngeke, noma behle benyuka.
38:33 Ngeke afunelwe elulekweni obala, futhi ngeke ahlale phezulu
ibandla: abayikuhlala esihlalweni sokwahlulela, bangaqondi
isigwebo sokwahlulela: abakwazi ukumemezela ubulungisa nokwahlulela; futhi bona
kayikutholwa lapho kukhulunywa khona imifanekiso.
38:34 Kodwa bayogcina isimo sezwe, futhi [zonke] isifiso sabo
emsebenzini wabo wezandla.