Ukuhlakanipha kukaSolomoni
18:1 Nokho abangcwele bakho babe nokukhanya okukhulu kakhulu, izwi labo
bezwa, bengaboni isimo sabo, ngokuba nabo babengahluphekanga
izinto ezifanayo, bababala bejabule.
18:2 Kodwa ngenxa yalokho abazange balimaze kubo manje, ngubani ayekade boniwe
ngaphambili, bababonga, futhi babacela ukuba bathethelelwe ngalokho ababenakho
beyizitha.
18:3 Esikhundleni salokho wabanika insika yomlilo evuthayo, kokubili a
umhlahlandlela wohambo olungaziwa, kanye nelanga elingenabungozi lokubajabulisa
ngenhlonipho.
18:4 Ngokuba babefanele ukuphucwa ukukhanya nokuboshwa ebumnyameni.
owagcina amadodana akho evalelwe, okwathi ngaye ukukhanya okungenakonakala komthetho
lalizanikelwa emhlabeni.
18:5 Futhi lapho sebenqume ukubulala abantwana abangcwele, umntwana oyedwa
uphonswe ngaphandle, futhi usindisiwe, ukuze ubasole, wabasusa
ubuningi babantwana babo, wabaqothula ngeqhawe
amanzi.
18:6 Ngalobo busuku obaba bethu baqinisekiswa ngaphambili, ukuthi ngokuqinisekile bazi
ukuthi yiziphi izifungo ababekholelwa kuzo, kamuva bangaba kuzo
injabulo enhle.
18:7 Ngakho abantu bakho yamukelwa kokubili insindiso olungileyo, futhi
ukubhujiswa kwezitha.
18:8 Ngoba lapho wena wajezisa izitha zethu, nawe wenza okufanayo
sidumise, thina osibizile.
18:9 Ngoba abantwana abalungile babantu abalungile benza umhlatshelo ngasese, futhi
kuvumelana kwakhipha umthetho ongcwele, ukuze abangcwele babe ngabahlanganyeli
okuhle nokubi okufanayo, obaba sebecula izingoma zokudumisa.
18:10 Kodwa ngakolunye uhlangothi kwezwakala ukukhala okubi kwezitha.
futhi umsindo odabukisayo wenziwa ngaphandle kwezingane ezazikhona
kukhala isililo.
18:11 Inkosi nenceku bajeziswa ngendlela eyodwa; futhi njenge
inkosi, wahlupheka kanjalo umuntu ovamile.
18:12 Ngakho bonke kanyekanye babengenakubalwa nokufa uhlobo olulodwa lokufa;
nabaphilayo babengenelwe ukubambela, ngokuba ngomzuzwana owodwa nje
inzalo enkulu kunazo zonke kubo yabhujiswa.
18:13 Ngoba bona kabakholwanga lutho ngenxa
imilingo; ekubhujisweni kwamazibulo, bavuma
lababantu babe ngamadodana kaNkulunkulu.
18:14 Ngoba ngenkathi zonke izinto kuthule cwaka, futhi ngalobo busuku kwaba in the
phakathi kwendlela yakhe esheshayo,
18:15 Izwi lakho Somandla leqe ezulwini liphuma esihlalweni sakho sobukhosi,
indoda yempi phakathi kwezwe elibhubhisayo;
18:16 Futhi waletha umyalo wakho ongazenzisi njengenkemba ebukhali, nokuma
wagcwalisa zonke izinto ngokufa; lathinta izulu, kodwa lema
emhlabeni.
18:17 Khona-ke, ngokuzumayo, imibono amaphupho ezinyantisayo wabakhathaza kakhulu, futhi ukwesaba
bafike benganakiwe.
18:18 Futhi omunye aphonswe lapha, futhi omunye lapho, isigamu efile, wabonisa imbangela
ukufa kwakhe.
18:19 Ngoba amaphupho ayebakhathaza wabikezela lokhu, funa kufanele
babhubhe, futhi bengazi ukuthi bahlushwa ngani.
18:20 Yebo, ukunambitha ukufa kwathinta olungileyo, futhi kwaba khona a
ukubhujiswa kwesixuku ehlane, kepha ulaka lwahlala
hhayi isikhathi eside.
18:21 Ngoba ngaleso sikhathi umuntu ongenasici washesha, futhi wema ukuze abavikele;
eletha isihlangu senkonzo yakhe efanele, umkhuleko, nomthandazo
ukubuyisana kwempepho, wazibekela ulaka, waletha kanjalo
inhlekelele iphele, esho ukuthi uyinceku yakho.
18:22 Ngakho wamnqoba umbhubhisi, hhayi ngamandla omzimba, noma amandla
izingalo, kodwa ngezwi wathobisa lowo ojezisayo, esola izifungo kanye
izivumelwano ezenziwa nawoyise.
18:23 Ngoba lapho abafileyo sebewele phansi izinqwaba omunye phezu komunye.
emi phakathi, wabamba ulaka, wahlukanisa indlela yabaphilayo.
18:24 Ngoba engutsheni ende kwakukhona umhlaba wonke, futhi emigqeni emine yengubo
amatshe aqoshwa inkazimulo yawoyise, nobukhosi bakho phezu kwawo
ubumnyama bekhanda lakhe.
18:25 Kulawa umbhubhisi wavuma, futhi wayesaba, ngoba kwakunjalo
ngokwanele ukuthi banambitha ulaka kuphela.