Inhlakanipho kaSolomoni 17

₁Zinkulu izahlulelo zakho Simakade futhi kulukhuni nokuzichaza; ngakho-ke imiphefumulo engafundisiwe idukile. ₂Ngokuba lapho abantu abangenamthetho becabanga ukuthi isizwe esingcwele sisemandleni abo, bona uqobo balele basebumnyameni njengabathunjiweyo futhi bayiziboshwa zobusuku obunzulu, bavalelwe phansi kophahla lwabo, balahliwe emseni waphakade. ₃Ngokuba bacabanga ukuthi izono zabo ezifihlakele azibonwa, zicashe ngemuva kwefu elimnyama lokukhohlwa, bayakuhlakazwa, besathuke kakhulu, bashaqeke baze bahambe sebethuswa nayizithunzi. ₄Ngisho ingaphakathi lamagumbi abebevalelwe kuwo lalingebavikele ekwesabeni, kodwa imisindo eyesabisayo yakhala nxazonke futhi kwavela nezithunzi ezibuso bazo bubukeka kabi. ₅Futhi kwakungekho mandla omlilo ayengakwazi ukuletha ukukhanya, kanjalo nokubengezela kwezinkanyezi akuvelanga ukukhanyisa ubumnyama obesabisayo.

₆Kwakungekho lutho olubakhanyiselayo ngaphandle komlidlwana owawubaswe yibo, babegcwele ukuwesaba ngendlela yokuthi bazithatha nezinto abazibonayo ngokungathi zimbi ukwedlula lezo ezingabonwayo. ₇Imilingo yabo yenkohliso yathotshiswa, nenhlakanipho ababeqhosha ngayo yahlaziswa. ₈Nalabo ababethembise ukuqeda uvalo nokuxoveka komphefumulo ogulayo, babegula ngenxa yokwesaba okumangalisayo. ₉Ngokuba nakuba kwakungekho okwesabisayo nokubathusileyo, nokho, bethuswa ngukwedlula kwezilwane zasendle kanye nokuswesweza kwezinyoka. Ukubhubha kwabafumana bengqengqezela uvalo, benqaba futhi ngisho nokubuka umoya wodwa lo, noma lokhu kwakungegwemeke. ₁₀Ngokuba ububi buyinto engubugwala obumangalisayo, obulahlwa ngisho nangubufakazi babo imbala; bugcwalisa isisindo kunembeza, buhlala bunehaba ngobunzima obubhekene nabo.

₁₁Uvalo alulutho ngaphandle kokulaxaza usizo oluvela ekucabangeni; ₁₂nethemba eligajwa yitwetwe elingaphakathi, lincama ukuhlala lingazi ukuthi yini elidalela lobu buhlungu. ₁₃Kepha ubusuku bonke, bona uqobo obungenamandla futhi obubafikele buvela ezinzulwini zehayidesi elingenamandla, bonke balala ubuthongo obufanayo, ₁₄manje sebexoshwa zithunzi ezesabisayo, sebefana nezinkubela ngenxa yokuphela amandla komphefumulo; ngokuba ukwesaba novalo olukhulu kwabakhungatha. ₁₅Nobani owayelapho wawa phansi, ngaleyo ndlela bahlala bevalelwe esitokisini esingakhiwanga ngansimbi; ₁₆nakuba babengabalimi noma abelusi, noma izisebenzi ezisebenza ehlane, babanjwa, nabo behlelwa ngokwehlele abanye; bonke baboshwa ngaketango linye lobumnyama. ₁₇Nakuba kuqhamuka umoya oshwezayo, izwi elimtoti lezinyoni emagatsheni abanzi emithi, nomdumo wamanzi amaningi, ukuqhuma kwamatshe edilika ezintabeni, ₁₈nokugxumagxuma kwezilwane zitshekula ekusithekeni, ukubhonga kwezilwane ezesabisayo, nomsindo onkeneza ezintabeni, konke lokhu kwabakhehleza amadolo, bagcwala uvalo.

₁₉Ngokuba nakuba umhlaba wonke wakhanyiswa ngukukhanya okubengezelayo, waqhubeka nomsebenzi wawo ungaphazanyisiwe, ₂₀laba bantu babegutshuzelwe ngobumnyama obusindayo, obungumfanekiso wobumnyama obabulindele ukubamukela; kodwa okwakusinda kakhulu kunobumnyama kwakuyibo uqobo lwabo.