IZAFOBE 23

₁Xa uthe wahlala phantsi ukuba udle nesikhulu,

yaneliswa yiloo nto ibekwe phambi kwakho.

₂Xa ngaba ungumntu otya gqitha

wubambe umqala wakho.

₃Musa ukuzibawela izimuncu-muncu zakhe,

hleze uzibizele ingozi ngazo.

₄Musa ukuziqoba amandla ufunana nobutyebi,

ungaphulukani nengqondo yakho ngenxa yabo.

₅Kaloku ubutyebi busuka buthi shwaka ngephanyazo;

ungáde ucinge ukuba busuke bantshula amaphiko bantinga njengokhozi.

₆Musa ukutya ukudla komntu ovimbayo,

ungazibaweli izimuncu-muncu zakhe.

₇Kaloku yena ngumntu apha osoloko ebala indleko.

Noba angathi: “Yitya, usele,” akathethi loo nto entliziyweni yakhe.

₈Ewe, iya kubuya yonke loo ntwana uyityileyo,

ube uwalahlile naloo mazwi akho okuncoma.

₉Musa ukulahla amazwi akho kumntu osisityhakala;

kaloku uya kubudela ubulumko bamazwi akho.

₁₀Ungaze uwugudlule umlima-ndlela wakudala,

nomhlaba weenkedama musa ukuwohlutha.

₁₁Kaloku uMkhululi wazo unamandla;

nguye oya kubambana nawe ngenxa yazo.

₁₂Zimisele ukuyiphulaphula ingqeqesho,

uyibazele iindlebe yonke into oyifundiswayo.

₁₃Sukuyekelela ukumqeqesha umntwana;

ukuba uyamohlwaya ngoswazi akayi kufa.

₁₄Kaloku ngokumohlwaya umntwana

uhlangula ubomi bakhe ekufeni.

₁₅Mfo wam, ndingonwaba kakhulu

xa ingqondo yakho idlamkile.

₁₆Ewe, ndingatsho ndibe nebhongo

xa ndikuva uthetha izinto ezithe ngqo.

₁₇Sukuziduba intliziyo ngabenzi bobugwenxa;

nto mawuyenze wena kukuhlonela uNdikhoyo maxa onke.

₁₈Xa usenjenjalo ngenene uya kuba nekamva,

nethemba lakho aliyi kunqanyulwa.

₁₉Mfo wam, phulaphula ukuze ube sisilumko;

yigqale indlela oziphatha ngayo.

₂₀Musa ukuvana nabantu abanxilayo;

ngokunjalo nabanyolukileyo bacezele.

₂₁Kaloku wona amanxila nezidla-kudla bayahlwempuzeka,

namathongorha ambatha amadlavu.

₂₂Mntwana wam, mphulaphule uyihlo owakuzalayo,

ungamdeli nonyoko ekwaluphaleni kwakhe.

₂₃Wakuyifumana inyaniso sukuthengisa ngayo;

ewe, sukwahlukana nobulumko, ingqeqesho, kwanokuqonda.

₂₄Unebhongo umzali womntwana olilungisa;

ewe, umntwana osisilumko uligugu kubazali bakhe.

₂₅Ngenene uyihlo nonyoko mabavuye ngawe –

menze abe nemihlali lowo wakuzalayo.

₂₆Yinikezele kum intliziyo yakho, mntwan' am;

indlela endiziphethe ngayo mayibe semehlweni akho.

₂₇Kaloku ihenyukazi ngumhadi onzulu,

nomfazi oziphethe kakubi liqula elimxinwa.

₂₈Ewe, uncathama oku kwesikrelemnqa,

alongeze inani labakrexezi.

₂₉Nguwuphi umntu osezintsizini nonesingqala,

osoloko esezingxwaba-ngxwabeni ekhalaza;

nditsho ofumana enzakale nje ngelize,

umntu ongafik' etyofu-tyofu amehlo?

₃₀Lowo ke ngulo mntu ungafika ejikelezana newayini,

esoloko ezingelana newayini exutyiweyo.

₃₁Inkangeleko ebomvu yewayini mayingakukhangi, noba ingade imenyezele endebeni –

ewe, nditsho seyinambitheka, isihla kamnandi!

₃₂Ekugqibeleni iwayini iluma njengenyoka,

ibinza njengerhamba.

₃₃Ikutsho ubone izinto ezingekhoyo,

ushwaqe ubhude yonk' into.

₃₄Ewe, ikutsho ube ngathi uphakathi elwandle,

ube ngathi ujinga epalini ebamba iseyile yesikhephe.

₃₅Uya kubuza uthi: “Ingathi ndibethiwe nje phofu?

Hayi suka, ndingakhange ndive nje!

Akwaba bendinganako ukuphinda ndiphakame,

khe ndithi nje intwana ndiziqabule!”