IZaga 1

₁Lezi yizaga zikaSolomoni,

indodana kaDavide,

inkosi yakwa-Israyeli.

₂Ngezokufunda ukuthi kuyini

ukuhlakanipha, nokufundisa

ukuqonda amazwi ajulile,

₃ukuthola ingqondo ekhanyiselwe,

ubulungiswa nobuqotho.

₄Zibanika ubuhlakani abangenakuqonda,

ulwazi nokuqaphela kwabasha,

₅ukunikeza ukuqonda izaga nezisho ezifihlakele,

izisho zabahlakaniphe kakhulu

neziphicaphicwano zabo,

₆ukuze aqonde izaga, nemizekeliso,

namazwi ezihlakaniphi.

₇Ukumesaba uSimakade

kuyisiqalo sobuhlakani.

Iziwula ziyakwedelela ukuhlakanipha nokuyalwa.

₈Ndodana yami,

lalela ukuqondisa kukayihlo,

ungayedeleli imfundiso kanyoko,

₉iyoba ngumqhele wobuhle ekhanda lakho,

nomgexo entanyeni yakho.

₁₀Ndodana yami,

uma izoni zikuyenga, ungavumi,

₁₁uma zithi kuwe:

“Woza, hamba nathi

ukuze sibalalele unyendle, ngaphandle kwesizathu,

sichithe igazi labangenacala!

₁₂Masibagwinye bezwa okwendawo yakwalasha,

sibaphonse egodini bephila.

₁₃Siyozitholela yonke ingcebo eyigugu,

sigcwalise izindlu zethu ngempango,

₁₄senze unkatho phakathi kwethu,

sabelane sonke sikhwameni sinye!”

₁₅Ndodana yami,

ungazibandakanyi nabo,

ungalubhadi unyawo lwakho ezindleleni zabo,

₁₆ngoba izinyawo zabo zigijimela ebubini,

bayashesha ukuchitha igazi.

₁₇Ngokuba balendlalele ize inetha labo,

ukucupha ugibe izinyoni zonke zibuka.

₁₈Laba baqamekela elabo igazi,

balala unyendle belalela impilo yabo.

₁₉Zinjalo izindlela zabo bonke

abathola inzuzo ngokungafanele;

leyo nzuzo iyakuthatha impilo yomniniyo.

₂₀Ukuhlakanipha kuyampongoloza emigwaqweni,

kuyaqandula ezigcawini.

₂₁Kumemeza ezinkundleni nasemasangweni omuzi,

kukhuluma kuthi:

₂₂“Kuyoze kube nini ziwula ndini

nithanda ubuwula,

nani zedeleli, nithokoziswa ngukweyisa,

nani ziwula nizonda ulwazi na?

₂₃Buyani ngenxa yokusola kwami,

lalelani, manginithululele okusemoyeni wami,

nginazise amazwi ami.

₂₄Ngenxa yokuba ngimemezile, nenqaba,

ngininike isandla sami,

kodwa anizange ninake.

₂₅Anizinakanga zonke izeluleko zami,

anikwemukelanga ukusola kwami.

₂₆Ngakho-ke nami ngiyonihleka usulu

ngesikhathi nehlelwa yinhlekelele,

nginiklolodele lapho senigcwele uvalo.

₂₇Lapho kufika isiphepho esibhubhisayo,

nokwesaba kwenu sekufana nembubhiso,

nenhlekelelo yenu ifika njengesivunguvungu,

nalapho inhlupheko nosizi kunehlela,

₂₈khona bayakungibiza,

kodwa angiyukuphendula; bayakungifunisisa,

kodwa ngeke bangifumane,

₂₉ngenxa yokuba bazonde ulwazi,

bakhetha ukungamesabi uSimakade.

₃₀Abasilalelanga iseluleko sami,

bakudelela ukusola kwami.

₃₁Ngakho-ke bazokuvuna lokho abakutshalile,

basuthiswe yizithelo zobuqili babo.

₃₂Ukweduka kwabangenamqondo kuyakubabulala,

nokudembesela kweziwula kuyozibhubhisa.

₃₃Kodwa lowo ongilalelayo uyohlala ephephile,

angabi naluvalo lokwehlelwa ngokubi.”