IZaga 3

3 ¹Ndodana yami, ungakhohlwa imfundiso yami, kodwa inhliziyo yakho mayigcine imiyalo yami, ²ngokuba ziyakwandisa kuwe ubude bezinsuku neminyaka yokuphila nokuthula. ³Umusa nokwethembeka makungakushiyi; kubophele entanyeni yakho, kubhale esibhebheni senhliziyo yakho. ⁴Ngalokho uyakuthola umusa negama elihle kuBaba wethu nakubantu.

⁵Themba kuBaba wethu ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, ungenciki ekuqondeni kwakho. ⁶Ezindleleni zakho zonke mazi, yena uyakuqondisa izindlela zakho.

⁷Ungabi nokuhlakanipha emehlweni akho; yesaba uBaba wethu, ufulathele okubi. ⁸Lokhu kuyakuletha ukuphulukiswa emzimbeni wakho nokuqabuleka emathanjeni akho.

⁹Dumisa uBaba wethu ngengcebo yakho nangezithelo zokuqala zazo zonke izivuno zakho, ^a a v9 Izithelo zokuqala zaziyingxenye yokuqala neyinhle kunazo zonke yesivuno, zinikelwa kuBaba wethu ngaphambi kokuba kusetshenziswe lutho kuzo. ¹⁰khona-ke izinqolobane zakho ziyakugcwala inala, nezikhamo zakho ziyakuphuphuma iwayini elisha.

¹¹Ndodana yami, ungasideleli isiyalo sikaBaba wethu, ungadinwa ngukusola kwakhe, ¹²ngokuba uBaba wethu uyamyala lowo inhliziyo yakhe emthandayo, njengoba uyise eyala indodana ethokoza ngayo.

¹³Ubusisiwe umuntu othola ukuhlakanipha, nalowo ozuza ukuqonda, ¹⁴ngokuba inzuzo yayo ingcono kunenzuzo yesiliva, nenzuzo yayo ingcono kunegolide. ¹⁵Ingcono kunamatshe ayigugu, akukho okufisayo okungalinganiswa nayo. ¹⁶Ubude bokuphila busesandleni sayo sokunene; esandleni sayo sokhohlo kukhona ingcebo nodumo. ¹⁷Izindlela zayo ziyathokozisa, nemikhondo yayo yonke ingukuthula. ¹⁸Ingumuthi wokuphila kulabo abayibambayo; abayibambisisayo kuthiwa babusisiwe.

¹⁹UBaba wethu wasekela umhlaba ngokuhlakanipha; wamisa amazulu ngokuqonda; ²⁰ngolwazi lwakhe izinziki zaqhekeka, namafu athontisa amazolo.

²¹Ndodana yami, lokhu makungemuki emehlweni akho; londoloza ukuhlakanipha okuqotho nokuqondisisa, ²²kuyakuba ngukuphila kumphefumulo wakho, kube ngumhlobiso entanyeni yakho. ²³Khona-ke uyakuhamba endleleni yakho uvikelekile, unyawo lwakho alusayikukhubeka. ²⁴Uma ulala, awusayikwesaba; lapho ulala, ubuthongo bakho buyakuba mnandi. ²⁵Ungesabi ukwethuka okuzumayo, nokubhujiswa kwababi lapho kufika, ²⁶ngokuba uBaba wethu uyakuba yithemba lakho, agcine unyawo lwakho ekubanjweni.

²⁷Ungakugodli okuhle kulabo abakufaneleyo, lapho kusemandleni akho ukukwenza. ²⁸Ungasho kumakhelwane wakho ukuthi: “Hamba, ubuye, kusasa ngizakukunika,” — kanti unakho. ²⁹Ungacebi okubi ngomakhelwane wakho, ohlala eceleni kwakho ekwethemba. ³⁰Ungaxabani namuntu ngaphandle kwesizathu, lapho engakwenzanga lutho olubi.

³¹Ungamhawukeli umuntu onodlame, ungakhethi nolulodwa lwezindlela zakhe, ³²ngokuba umuntu ophambeneyo uyisinengiso kuBaba wethu, kodwa unobungane nabaqotho. ³³Isiqalekiso sikaBaba wethu sisendlini yababi, kodwa uyalibusisa ikhaya labalungileyo. ³⁴Kwabaklolodayo uyabaklolodela, kodwa abathobekileyo ubapha umusa. ³⁵Abahlakaniphileyo bayakudla ifa lodumo, kodwa iziwula zizuza ihlazo kuphela.