Sirach
41:1 O kufa, kumunyu kangakanani ukukhumbula kwakho kumuntu ohlala kuyo
aphumule empahleni yakhe, kumuntu ongenalutho olumhluphayo, futhi
ophumelelayo ezintweni zonke, yebo, kuye lowo osenamandla
thola inyama!
41:2 O kufa, uyamukeleka isigwebo sakho kwabampofu, futhi lowo ogama lakhe
amandla ayaphela, okukhona manje enkathini yokugcina, futhi sihlushwa yibo bonke
izinto, nakuye ophelelwa yithemba, nophelelwe ukubekezela!
41:3 Ningesabi isigwebo sokufa, khumbulani labo ababekade ngaphambi
wena, nabalandelayo; ngoba lokhu kuyisinqumo seNkosi phezu kwakho konke
inyama.
41:4 Futhi kungani wena ngokumelene nentando yoPhezukonke? akekho
ukuphenya ethuneni, ukuthi uphile ishumi, noma ikhulu, noma
iminyaka eyinkulungwane.
41:5 Abantwana bezoni bangabantwana abanengekayo, futhi labo
oguquguqukayo endlini yababi.
41:6 Ifa labantwana izoni bayoshabalala, futhi inzalo yabo
uyakuba nehlazo eliphakade.
41:7 Izingane ziyokhononda uyise ongamhloniphi uNkulunkulu, ngoba bayoba
ehlanjalazwa ngenxa yakhe.
41:8 Maye kini, abantu abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu, abaye bashiya umthetho kunabo bonke
uNkulunkulu ophakeme! ngokuba uma nanda, kuyakuba-yincithakalo yenu;
41:9 Futhi uma nizalwa, niyozalelwa isiqalekiso, futhi uma nifa, isiqalekiso
kuzakuba yisabelo sakho.
41:10 Bonke abasemhlabeni bayophinde baphendukele emhlabeni: kanjalo abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu
lizasuka ekuqalekisweni liye ekubhujisweni.
41:11 Ukulila kwabantu kuzungeze imizimba yabo, kodwa igama elibi lezoni
izosulwa.
41:12 Bheka igama lakho; ngoba lokho kuzahlala lawe phezulu
ingcebo enkulu yegolide eyinkulungwane.
41:13 Impilo enhle inezinsuku ezimbalwa, kodwa igama elihle limi phakade.
41:14 Bantwana bami, gcinani isiyalo ngokuthula, ngoba ukuhlakanipha okufihliweyo, futhi a
ingcebo engabonakali, iyinzuzoni kukho kokubili na?
41:15 Umuntu ofihla ubuwula bakhe ungcono kunomuntu ofihla ubuwula bakhe
ukuhlakanipha.
41:16 Ngakho-ke yiba namahloni ngokwezwi lami, ngoba akukuhle
gcina konke ukuhlazeka; futhi akuvunywa ngokuphelele kukho konke
into.
41:17 Yiba namahloni ngobufebe phambi kukayise nonina, nangamanga phambi kom
isikhulu nendoda enamandla;
41:18 Icala phambi kukamahluleli nombusi; ngobubi ngaphambi a
ibandla kanye nabantu; wokuphatha ngokungafanele phambi komlingani wakho kanye
umngane;
41:19 Nokweba ngokuqondene nendawo lapho wena sojournest, futhi mayelana
ngeqiniso likaNkulunkulu nesivumelwano sakhe; nokuncika ngendololwane yakho phezu
inyama; nokudelela ukupha nokuthatha;
41:20 Futhi ukuthula phambi kwababingelela kuwe; nokubuka isifebe;
41:21 Futhi ukususa ubuso bakho kumfowenu; noma ukuthatha ingxenye noma
isipho; kumbe ukugqolozela umfazi wenye indoda.
41:22 noma acindezeleke kakhulu ngencekukazi yakhe, futhi ungasondeli embhedeni wayo; noma kwe
ukukhuza izinkulumo phambi kwabangane; futhi ngemva kokupha, solwa
hhayi;
41:23 Noma ukuphindaphinda nokukhuluma lokho okuzwile; futhi kwe
ukwambulwa kwezimfihlo.
41:24 Ngakho uyakuba namahloni ngempela futhi uthole umusa phambi kwabo bonke abantu.