Inhlakanipho kaSolomoni 13

₁Bonke ababengamazi uNkulunkulu bayizilima ngokwemvelo; labo yibo ababuka izinto ezinhle ezibazungezile, kodwa behluleke ukubona Ophilayo, behluleka ukubona uchwepheshe wemisebenzi ababeyicwaninga; ₂kodwa bacabanga ukuthi kumbe umlilo noma umoya osheshayo, noma isiyingi sezinkanyezi, noma amanzi azamazamayo, noma izinkanyiso zezulu, yikho okungonkulunkulu ababusa umhlaba. ₃Uma kuthe ngokuthokoziswa ngubuhle balezi zinto, abantu bazithatha njengonkulunkulu, mabazi ukuthi oyiNkosi yabo ungcono kangakanani kunalokhu, ngokuba ongumthombo wobuhle uzidalile zonke lezi zinto.

₄Uma abantu bebemangaliswa amandla nokusebenza kwazo, mababone kuzo ukuthi unamandla angakanani lowo ozenzileyo lezi zinto. ₅Ngokuba ebukhulwini nasebuhleni bezinto ezidaliweyo kuvela ngokunjalo ukwazi ngonguMdali wazo. ₆Nokho laba bantu bangesolwe ngokungako, ngokuba kunokwenzeka ukuba baduka nje bazama futhi bafisa ukuthola uNkulunkulu. ₇Ngokuba nanxa behlala phakathi kwemisebenzi yakhe, bayaqhubeka nokufuna, bethembela kwabakubonayo, ngokuba abakubonayo kuhle. ₈Nokho nabo abanakuthethelelwa; ₉Ngokuba uma benamandla okuba nolwazi olungaka, kangangokuba bangacwaninga umhlaba, yini ebenze behluleka ukufumana ngokushesha oyiNkosi yalezi zinto na?

₁₀Kepha badabukisa kakhulu labo bantu abathi bebeke ithemba labo ezintweni ezifile, bazibize nangamagama okuthi ngonkulunkulu besho izinto eziyimisebenzi yezandla zabantu: igolide nesiliva elibunjwe ngobuciko, kanye nemifanekiso yezilwane noma itshe elingenamsebenzi, umsebenzi wesandla sasendulo.

₁₁Umgawuli onekhono, unokugawula umuthi olula kuye ukuba awuthwale, awuxebule amaxolo ngobuciko, bese kuthi ngobuchule obumangalisayo enze isitsha sokwenelisa izidingo zempilo, ₁₂bese eshisa onke amabazela elungisa ngawo ukudla, adle asuthe. ₁₃Kepha kuthi ingxenyana phakathi kwalamabazela engenalusizo lwalutho, induku egobile egcwele amaqhuzu, ayithathe ayibaze ngobuciko ngesikhathi sakhe sokuphumula, ayilolonge ngobuciko abuthole ekungenzini lutho, ayenze ibe ngumfanekiso womuntu, ₁₄noma ibe ngumfanekiso wesilwane esingenamsebenzi, ayipende ngopende obomvu, enze nobuso bayo bube bomvu, agcike noma sici sini esinye ngopende; ₁₅ayenzele isihibe esihle, ayichome obondeni, ayibophele khona ngensimbi. ₁₆Ukwenza konke lokhu ukuqikekela ukuba ingawi, ngokuba uyazi ukuthi ayikwazi ukuzisiza iyisithombe nje esidinga ukusizwa. ₁₇Lapho ekhuleka ngempahla yakhe, ngomshado, nangabantabakhe kanamahloni okukhuluma nalento engenampilo. ₁₈Ucela impilo entweni engenamandla; akhulekele ukuphila kwakhe entweni efile; acele nosizo entweni engezwa lutho; acele nendlela enhle, entweni engakwazi nokuphakamisa unyawo nolulodwa nje; ₁₉acele ukwenza imali, nomsebenzi, nempumelelo ngezandla zakhe, ucela namandla entweni ezingalo zayo zingenamandla.