Inhlakanipho kaSolomoni 4

₁Ukungabi namntwana ube unesimilo esihle kungcono, ngokuba inkumbulo yabanjalo igcwele ukungafi, lokhu yaziwa nguNkulunkulu nabantu. ₂Lapho kukhona ukuziphatha kahle, abantu bayakulingisa, futhi bayakulangazela noma kungasekho; ngaso sonke isikhathi kuhamba njengeqhawe elinqobile. Kunqobile emncintiswaneni omvuzo wawo ungangcolisiwe. ₃Ukwanda kwenzalo yababi akunalusizo, akukho namunye wenzalo yabo efana neyesihlahla, oyoba nezimpande ezijulile, futhi ezibambelele. ₄Noma bangakhipha amagatsha okwesikhashana, ngenxa yokuba bengagxilile baqina emhlabathini, bayakunyakaziswa ngumoya basishulwe yisiphepho esinamandla. ₅Amagatsha abo ayokwephuka engakaqini, isithelo sawo asiyikuba nalusizo, asiyikuvuthwa ngokwanele ukuba singadliwa, asiyikuba nalusizo lwalutho; ₆ngokuba abantwana abazelwe ngokungemthetho bangofakazi bobubi babazali babo lapho uNkulunkulu ebahlola. ₇Kepha abalungileyo, noma befa kungakabi yisikhathi basekuphumuleni. ₈Ngokuba ubudala abuhlonipheki ngenxa yobude besikhathi, futhi abulinganiseki ngenxa yobuningi beminyaka; ₉kodwa ubudala bufana nokuqonda kubantu, impilo emsulwa ingubudala impela.

₁₀Kukhona abanye ababemthokozisa uNkulunkulu, labo babethandwa nguye, nanxa babephila phakathi kwezoni, bahlwithwa. ₁₁Bahlwithwa ukuze ububi bungaguquli ukuqonda kwabo noma inkohliso iyenge imiphefumulo yabo. ₁₂Ngokuba lokho okuhunga abonakeleyo kuyabemboza ubuhle, nenkanuko etshikizayo iyayonakalisa ingqondo elungileyo. ₁₃Belungisisiwe ngesikhathi esifushane, bafeza okweminyaka eminingi, ₁₄ngokuba imiphefumulo yabo yayiyithokozisa iNkosi, ngakho-ke yabahlwitha ngokushesha phakathi kwababi. Nokho abantu bakubona kodwa abaze bakuqonda, futhi abakushayanga mkhuba; ₁₅ukuthi umusa nesihawu sikaNkulunkulu kukwabakhethiweyo bakhe, nokuthi iNkosi iyabalinda abangcwele bayo.

₁₆Abalungileyo asebafa bayakwahlulela balahle ngecala labo abangalungile abasaphila, abasha abalungisiswa bapheleliswa ngokushesha bayakwahlulela izimpunga ezingalungile. ₁₇Ngokuba bayakubona isiphetho sabahlakaniphile, kodwa bangakuqondi lokho iNkosi ebalungisele khona, nokuthi ibagcineleni bephephile. ₁₈Abangalungile bayakubona babe nokunengwa ngabo, kodwa iNkosi iyakubahleka usulu.

₁₉Emva kwalokhu bayophenduka izidumbu ezingahloniphekile, babe yisicunulo kwabafileyo kuze kube phakade; ngokuba iyakubaphahlaza emhlabathini baphelelwe ukukhuluma, ibazamazamise kusuka ezisekelweni; bayakusala beluqwathule logwadule, bagcwale ubuhlungu, kuthi ukukhunjulwa kwabo kushabalale ingunaphakade. ₂₀Bayoza phambi kwayo bethuthumela lapho sekulandwa ngezono zabo, izenzo zabo zobuxhwanguxhwangu zibamangalele.