Inhlakanipho kaSolomoni 9

₁“Awu! Nkulunkulu wawokhokho, Nkosi yomusa, owenza izinto zonke ngezwi lakho, ₂ngokuhlakanipha kwakho wadala isintu ukuba sibuse phezu kwezidalwa zonke ozenzileyo, ₃sibuse umhlaba ngobungcwele nangobulungisa, futhi sahlulele ngobumhlophe benhliziyo, ₄ngiphe ukuhlakanipha, khona lokho okuhlala nawe esihlalweni sakho, ungangali phakathi kwezinceku zakho. ₅Ngokuba ngiyinceku yakho, indodana yencekukazi yakho, umuntu obuthaka nonezinsuku ezimfishane, ongenalwazi olwanele lokwahlulela nolwemithetho; ₆ngokuba nakuba ngubani olungileyo phakathi kwezidalwa ezingabantu akalutho ngaphandle kokuhlakanipha okuvela kuwe.

₇“Ungikhethile ukuba ngibe yinkosi yabantu bakho, nokuba ngibe ngumahluleli phakathi kwamadodana namadodakazi akho. ₈Ungiyalile ukuba ngakhe ithempeli entabeni yakho engcwele, ne-althare emzini ohlala kuwo, kube ngumfanekiso wethende elingcwele owalilungisa kwasekuqaleni. ₉Kukuwe ukuhlakanipha, yikho okwazi imisebenzi yakho futhi kwakukhona lapho udala umhlaba; kuyakwazi okuthokozisayo ebusweni bakho nalokho okuhambisana nemithetho yakho. ₁₀Thumela ukuhlakanipha kuvela ezulwini lakho elingcwele, kuthumele usesihlalweni sakho senkazimulo ukuze kusebenzisane nami, nokuba ngize ngazi lokho okuthokozisayo kuwe. ₁₁Ngokuba khona kuyazi, kuqonda konke; futhi kuyakungiqondisa ngobuhlakani ezenzweni zami zonke, kungilinde ngokuhlonipheka kwakho.

₁₂“Ngakho-ke imisebenzi yami iyokwemukeleka, ngiyokwahlulela abantu bakho ngokulunga, ngisifanele nesihlalo sobukhosi sikababa. ₁₃Ngokuba ngubani ongaqonda izindlela zikaNkulunkulu na? Ngubani ongahlaziya okufiswa yiNkosi na? ₁₄Ngokuba ukucabanga kwabantu kuyize, namacebo ethu anokungaphumeleli; ₁₅ngokuba umzimba ofayo uyisisindo emphefumulweni, naleli dokodo lethu lasemhlabeni liyisisindo engqondweni ephusile. ₁₆Ngokuba singeqagele ukuthi kukhonani emhlabeni, nokuthi noma yini ekhona siyifumana ngokusebenza; futhi ngubani osewake wafunisisa ukuthi kukhonani emazulwini? ₁₇Ngubani owazi intando yakho, ngaphandle kokuba umnike ukuhlakanipha, umthumelele noMoya wakho oNgcwele uvela phezulu? ₁₈Zaqondiswa kanjalo izindlela zalabo abasemhlabeni, abantu bafundiswa lokho okukuthokozisayo, basindiswa ngukuhlakanipha.”