Inhlakanipho kaSolomoni 5

₁Abalungileyo bayakuma ngesibindi esikhulu phambi kwabacindezeli babo, abazishaya into engelutho izithukuthuku zabo. ₂Lapho abangalungile bebabona, bayakuthuthumela ngukwesaba, bayakumangala lapho bebona ukusindiswa kwabalungileyo bengakulindele. ₃Bayakukhuluma omunye komunye bezisola, babubule ngobuhlungu bomphefumulo bethi: ₄“Laba yibo esasibenza inhlekisa, ababeyisicunulo, yeka ubuwula bethu! Sasicabanga ukuthi impilo yabo ingumsangano nje nokuthi isiphetho sabo asiyikuba nakuhlonishwa. ₅Kungani manje babalwe nabantwana bakaNkulunkulu na? Kungani isabelo sabo sikanye nesabangcwele na? ₆Phela kwakuyithi esaphambuka endleleni yeqiniso, kwathi ukukhanya kokulunga akwakhanya phezu kwethu, nelanga alaphuma phezu kwethu. ₇Semukeliswa ngokugcwele ngenxa yezindlela zethu ezingalungile neziholela encithakalweni, ngokuba sahamba ngendlela yogwadule engenamzila, indlela yeNkosi asiyazanga.

₈“Sizuzeni ngokuzigqaja kwethu na? Sibuyelwe yini enhle ngokuziphakamisa ngengcebo yethu na? ₉Zonke lezi zinto zishabalele okwesithunzi nanjengamahemuhemu edlulayo nje; ₁₀kunjengomkhumbi odabula phakathi kwamanzi esivunguvungu, sewedlulile akutholakali nobufakazi bokuthi wake wedlula lapho, akubonakali namzila wawo emanzini, ₁₁futhi kunjengenyoni lapho indiza emkhathini, akukho bufakazi obungatholakala bokuthi ike yedlula lapho, umoya oludlana udatshulwa ngukundiza kwayo, udatshulwe nayisankahlu sokundiza kwayo, uyadatshulwa ngukunyakaza kwamaphiko ayo, kuthi nxa seyedlule kungatholakali nobuncane ubufakazi bokuthi yake yedlula lapho, ₁₂futhi kufana nalapho udubula umcibisholo ebumnyameni, umoya uyahlukana, ubuye uhlangane emva kwalokho, isigcino ngukuthi akukho noyedwa owaziyo ukuthi uke wedlula lapho.

₁₃“Kunjalo nangathi, sithi singazalwa nje buphele ubuthina, kungabikho luphawu lokwethembeka esingabonakalisa ngalo, kodwa sigwinywa ngububi bethu. ₁₄Ngokuba ithemba lethu lifana nembewu ipheshulwa ngumoya, lifana nomlalamvubu olula uxoshwa yisiphepho; liyahlakazwa njengentuthu phambi komoya, futhi ledlulisa okwenkumbulo yesivakashi esihlale usuku nje. ₁₅Kepha abalungileyo baphila phakade, futhi umvuzo wabo useNkosini; Ophezukonke uyabanakekela.

₁₆“Ngakho-ke bayokwemukela umqhele wodumo nomqhele omuhle esandleni seNkosi, ngokuba ngesandla sayo sokunene iyakubavikela, futhi iyakubakhusela ngengalo yayo. ₁₇INkosi iyakuhloma ngogqozi lwayo njengesivikelo, futhi iyaphendula imvelo yayo ibe yizikhali ukuze ixoshe izitha zayo; ₁₈iyakugqoka ukulunga njengesivikelo sesifuba, yembathe ubulungisa njengesivikelo sekhanda; ₁₉iyakuthatha ubungcwele njengesihlangu esinganqobekiyo; ₂₀ilungise ulaka lwayo olunamandla njengenkemba, indalo yonke iyakuhlanganyela naye ukulwa nezitha zakhe. ₂₁Imibani iyakundiza ngenjongo epheleleyo, isuke ngesankahlu emafini iya kokufanele, njengomcibisholo osuka esicibishelweni esikhonjwe kahle, ₂₂nanjengesichotho esigcwele ulaka esiyakujikijelwa ngokungathi ngendwayimane; amanzi olwandle ayakumelana nabo; kuthi imifula ibehlule njalo; ₂₃umoya onamandla amakhulu uyakubavukela njengesiphepho ubachithe. Ukusweleka kobulungisa kuyakubhubhisa umhlaba wonke, ukuvama kobubi kuyakugumbukuqela izihlalo zababusi.”