Sirach
39:1 Kodwa lowo onikela ingqondo yakhe emthethweni woPhezukonke, futhi umatasa
ekuzindleni kwayo, uyofuna ukuhlakanipha kwabo bonke abadala,
futhi ugxile eziprofethweni.
39:2 Uyogcina amazwi abantu abadumile, futhi lapho imizekeliso ubuqili
ukhona, naye uyakuba lapho.
39:3 Uyofuna izimfihlo imisho ethuna, futhi conversant in
imifanekiso emnyama.
39:4 Uyokhonza phakathi kwabantu abakhulu, futhi avele phambi kwezikhulu
ukuhamba emazweni angajwayelekile; ngoba ulingile okuhle lokubi
ububi phakathi kwabantu.
39:5 Uyonikela inhliziyo yakhe ukuba baphendukele ekuseni eNkosini owamenza, futhi
uyokhuleka phambi koPhezukonke, futhi uyovula umlomo wakhe ngokukhuleka, futhi
nxusela izono zakhe.
39:6 Lapho iNkosi enkulu intando, uyogcwala umoya we
uyakuthulula amazwi ahlakaniphileyo, abonge
uJehova emkhulekweni wakhe.
39:7 Uyoqondisa iseluleko sakhe nolwazi, futhi ekusithekeni kwakhe uyokwenza
zindla.
39:8 Uyokwenza ukuveza lokho akufundile, futhi uyoziqhayisa
umthetho wesivumelwano seNkosi.
39:9 Abaningi bayotusa ukuqonda kwakhe; futhi inqobo nje uma umhlaba umi,
aliyikusulwa; isikhumbuzo sakhe asiyikusuka, nesakhe
igama liyakuphila izizukulwane ngezizukulwane.
39:10 Izizwe ziyobonisa ukuhlakanipha kwakhe, futhi ibandla uyomemezela
udumo lwakhe.
39:11 Uma efa, uyoshiya igama elikhulu kunenkulungwane, futhi uma efa
phila, uyakwandisa.
39:12 Nokho ngisese futhi, engikucabangile; ngoba ngigcwele njengalokhu
inyanga isigcwele.
39:13 Lalelani kimi, nina bantwana abangcwele, futhi ahlume njenge-rose ekhula eduze
umfudlana wensimu:
39:14 Ninike iphunga elimnandi njengenhlaka, niqhakaze njengomnduze.
khiphani iphunga, nihlabele ihubo lokudumisa, nibonge uJehova kukho konke ukuphila kwakhe
isebenza.
39:15 Dumisani igama lakhe, nimemezele udumo lwakhe ngezingoma zomlomo wakho.
namahabhu, nasekumdumiseni nisho kanjalo.
39:16 Yonke imisebenzi yeNkosi mihle kakhulu, futhi noma yini yena
imilayo izagcwaliseka ngesikhathi esifaneleyo.
39:17 Futhi akekho ongase athi: Kuyini lokhu? kungani lokho? okwesikhathi
zonke ziyakufunwa: ngomyalo wakhe amanzi
wema njengenqwaba, nangamazwi omlomo wakhe izisekelo ze
amanzi.
39:18 Ngomyalo wakhe kwenziwa konke akuthandayo; futhi akekho ongavimba,
lapho ezosindisa.
39:19 Imisebenzi yenyama yonke iphambi kwakhe, futhi akukho lutho olungafihlwa kuye
amehlo.
39:20 Ubona kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade; futhi akukho okumangalisayo
phambi kwakhe.
39:21 Akudingeki ukuba umuntu athi, Kuyini lokhu? kungani lokho? ngoba wenzile
zonke izinto ngokusetshenziswa kwazo.
39:22 Isibusiso sakhe wasibekela umhlabathi owomileyo njengomfula, futhi wawunisela njengozamcolo.
39:23 Njengoba eguqule amanzi abe usawoti, kanjalo abezizwe bayozuza ifa
ulaka lwakhe.
39:24 Njengoba izindlela zakhe zisobala kongcwele; kanjalo bayizikhubekiso kubo
ababi.
39:25 Ngokuba okuhle kukhona okuhle kwadalwa kusukela ekuqaleni, ngakho okubi
yezoni.
39:26 Izinto eziyinhloko ekuphileni komuntu zingamanzi, nomlilo,
insimbi, nosawoti, nempuphu kakolweni, nezinyosi, nobisi, negazi lamagilebhisi;
namafutha, nezingubo.
39:27 Zonke lezi zinto zizuzisa uNkulunkulu, kanjalo izoni
waphenduka ububi.
39:28 Kukhona imimoya ezidalelwe impindiselo, okuyinto ngokufutheka kwabo walala
ngemivimbo ebuhlungu; ngesikhathi sokubhujiswa bathulula amandla abo;
futhi adambise ulaka lwalowo owabenzayo.
39:29 Umlilo, nesichotho, nendlala, nokufa, zonke lezi zadalelwa
impindiselo;
39:30 Amazinyo ezilo, nawofezela, izinyoka, nenkemba ejezisa.
ababi ekubhujisweni.
39:31 Bayojabula emyalezweni wakhe, futhi bayohlala ngomumo
umhlaba, lapho isidingo sikhona; futhi lapho kufika isikhathi sabo, ngeke
eqa izwi lakhe.
39:32 Ngakho, kusukela ekuqaleni, Nganquma, futhi wacabanga ngalezi
izinto, futhi bazishiye zibhaliwe.
39:33 Yonke imisebenzi yeNkosi mihle, futhi uyonika konke okudingekayo
ngesikhathi esifanele.
39:34 Ukuze umuntu angasho ukuthi: "Lokhu kubi kakhulu kunalokho," ngoba ngokuhamba kwesikhathi
konke kuzovunywa kahle.
39:35 Ngakho, dumisani iNkosi ngayo yonke inhliziyo nomlomo, futhi
malibonge igama leNkosi.