Inhlakanipho kaSolomoni 3

₁Kepha imiphefumulo yabalungileyo isesandleni sikaNkulunkulu, kabasoze bathintwa nangobunjani ubuhlungu. ₂Emehlweni eziwula babonakala sengathi bafa, nokuhamba kwabo kwabonakala njengeshwa elikhulu, ₃nokususwa kwabo kithi kwakungathi incithakalo kodwa basekuthuleni. ₄Nakuba emehlweni abanye kwabonakala sengathi bayajeziswa, ithemba labo ligcwele ukungafi. ₅Bejezisiwe kancane, bayakwemukeliswa ubuhle obukhulu, ngokuba uNkulunkulu ubavivinyile wabafumana bemfanele yena; ₆wabavivinya njengegolide esithandweni somlilo, wabamukela njengomnikelo wokushiswa.

₇Ngesikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwabo bayakukhanya, bayakuhlakazeka njengezinhlansi emahlangeni. ₈Bayakuphatha izizwe, babuse abantu, iNkosi iyakubusa phezu kwabo phakade. ₉Labo abethembela kuyo bayakuliqonda iqiniso, abakholekayo bayakuhlala naye othandweni, ngokuba ubabalo nesihawu kuphezu kwabangcwele, futhi uyabalinda abakhethiweyo bakhe.

₁₀Kepha abangalungile bayakujeziswa njengokufanelene nokucabanga kwabo, labo ababebashaya indiva abalungileyo, bephambana neNkosi; ₁₁bebukela phansi ukuhlakanipha nokufundisa kabanayo intokozo. Ithemba labo liyize, nomsebenzi wabo awunanzuzo, nomsebenzi wabo uyize leze. ₁₂Abafazi babo bayiziwula, nezingane zabo zigcwele ububi, inzalo yabo iqalekisiwe.

₁₃Ngokuba ubusisiwe owesifazane oyinyumba ongangcoliswanga, ongabanga nobudlelwano obuyisono, uyakuba nesithelo lapho uNkulunkulu ehlola umphefumulo wakhe. ₁₄Kanjalo ubusisiwe nomthenwa ozandla zakhe engazelulelanga kokubi, futhi ongazange acebe izinto ezimbi ngoNkulunkulu. Ngokuba uyakukhonjiswa umusa omkhulu ngenxa yokwethembeka kwakhe, athole nendawo yokuthokoza okukhulu ethempelini likaSimakade. ₁₅Ngokuba umvuzo womsebenzi omuhle ludumo, nempande yokuqonda ayehluleki.

₁₆Kepha abantwana bokuphingwa kabasoze bakhule bavuthwe, kanjalo nabantwana abazalwe ebudlelwaneni obungekho emthethweni bayobhubha. ₁₇Noma bephila, bayakushaywa indiva, nasebudaleni babo abayikuba nakuhlonishwa. ₁₈Uma befa bebancane, abayikuba nathemba, kabayikuba nanduduzo ngosuku lokwahlulelwa. ₁₉Ngokuba isiphetho sesizukulwane esingalungile sibi.