IZaga 4

4 ¹Lalelani, bantwana bami, imfundiso kababa; nakani, nizuze ukuqonda. ²Ngininika imfundiso enhle, ngakho ningayilahli imfundiso yami. ³Ngokuba nami ngangiyindodana kababa, ngimncane, ngiyintandokazi eyodwa kamama. ⁴Wangifundisa wathi: “Inhliziyo yakho mayibambelele emazwini ami; gcina imiyalo yami, uyokuphila. ⁵Zuza ukuhlakanipha, uzuze ukuqonda; ungakhohlwa, futhi ungaphambuki emazwini omlomo wami. ⁶Ungakudeli, kuyokuvikela; kuthande, kuyokunakekela. ⁷Isiqalo sokuhlakanipha yilokhu: zuza ukuhlakanipha; kukho konke okuzuzayo, zuza ukuqonda. ⁸Kwazise, kuyokuphakamisa; kugone, kuyokuletha udumo kuwe. ⁹Kuyokufaka umqhele womusa ekhanda lakho; kuyokwethula kuwe umqhele wenkazimulo.”

¹⁰Lalela, ndodana yami, wamukele amazwi ami, iminyaka yokuphila kwakho iyokuba miningi. ¹¹Ngikufundisile indlela yokuhlakanipha; ngikuholile ezindleleni eziqondile. ¹²Uma uhamba, izinyathelo zakho ngeke zithikaziswe; futhi uma ugijima, ngeke ukhubeke. ¹³Bambelela emfundisweni, ungayiyeki; yigcine, ngokuba ingukuphila kwakho.

¹⁴Ungabeki unyawo endleleni yababi, futhi ungahambi endleleni yabenzi bokubi. ¹⁵Yigweme, ungahambi kuyo; phambuka kuyo, udlulele phambili. ¹⁶Ngokuba abakwazi ukulala uma bengenzanga okubi; baphucwa ukuphumula uma bengakhubekisanga muntu. ¹⁷Badla isinkwa sobubi, baphuze iwayini lodlame.

¹⁸Kodwa indlela yabalungileyo injengokukhanya kokusa, okukhanya kakhulu nakakhulu kuze kube semini enkulu. ¹⁹Indlela yababi injengobumnyama obukhulu; abazi ukuthi yini ebakhubekisayo.

²⁰Ndodana yami, naka amazwi ami; lalelisisa izisho zami. ²¹Ungavumeli ukuba zinyamalale emehlweni akho; uzigcine phakathi enhliziyweni yakho. ²²Ngokuba zingukuphila kulabo abazitholayo, ziwukuphilisa emzimbeni wabo wonke.

²³Ngaphezu kwakho konke, gcina inhliziyo yakho, ngokuba konke okwenzayo kuphuma kuyo. ²⁴Susa inkulumo egwegwile emlonyeni wakho, uqhelise izindebe ezikhohlisayo kuwe. ²⁵Amehlo akho mawabheke ngqo phambili; umbono wakho uqonde ngqo phambi kwakho. ²⁶Cabangisisa ngendlela yezinyawo zakho, zonke izindlela zakho ziyoqina. ²⁷Ungaphambukeli ngakwesokudla noma ngakwesokhohlo; ugcine unyawo lwakho lukude nobubi.