Inhlakanipho kaSolomoni 7

₁Nami ngingofayo njengawo wonke umuntu, ngiyisizukulwane sezibulo lezidalwa zomhlaba; ngabunjwa esizalweni sikamame ngabayinyama. ₂Ezinyangeni eziyishumi ngabe sengigcwele igazi, ngivela embewini yowesilisa nasentokozweni yomendo. ₃Lapho ngizalwa ngaphefumula umoya ophefumulwa yibo bonke, futhi ngawela kulo mhlaba wokhokho; umsindo wokuqala engawenzayo kwaba ngukukhala, njengoba kunjalo kuwo wonke umuntu. ₄Ngagonwa, ngembeswa ngezinofonofo, ₅ngokuba akukho nkosi eyavela ngendlela eyahlukile; ₆inye indlela sonke esingena ngayo kulokhu kuphila, futhi inye nesihamba ngayo.

₇Ngakho-ke ngakhuleka, ngase nginikezwa ukuqonda; ngabiza uNkulunkulu, umoya wokuhlakanipha wehlela kimi. ₈Wawungcono kunentengo nesihlalo sobukhosi, ngayibala ingcebo njengento engelutho uma iqhathaniswa nokuhlakanipha. ₉Futhi akukho nalinye itshe lentengo ephakeme engake ngaliqhathanisa nakho, ngokuba lonke igolide lifana nesihlabathi nje emehlweni akho; nesiliva liyakufana nobumba phambi kwakho.

₁₀Ngakuthanda ukwedlula impilo nobuhle, ngakhetha ukuba nakho kunokukhanya, ngokuba ukucwazimula kwakho akupheli. ₁₁Zonke izinto ezinhle zeza kanye nakho kimi, futhi ezandleni zakho kuyingcebo engenakulinganiswa. ₁₂Ngathokoza kukho konke lokhu ngokuba ukuhlakanipha kukuhola konke; kodwa ngangingazi ukuthi kungunina wakho konke. ₁₃Ngafunda ngokuchophelela, ngikudlulisa ngokungagodli; futhi angiyifihli nengcebo yakho, ₁₄ngokuba ukuhlakanipha kuyingcebo engunaphakade kubantu; abakutholayo bafumana ubuhlobo noNkulunkulu, becoliwe ngezipho ezivela ekufundisweni.

₁₅Sengathi uNkulunkulu angangipha ukwahlukanisa lapho ngikhuluma, nokuba ngibe nemicabango efakazela engikwamukele; ngokuba umgumqondisi wokuhlakanipha nomeluleki wabahlakaniphileyo. ₁₆Ngokuba amazwi, ukuqonda nobuciko beminwe yethu kusesandleni sakhe. ₁₇Nguye owanginika ulwazi oluphelele ngalokho okukhona, ngisho ukwazi umumo womhlaba nalokho okwenzeka kuwo; ₁₈isiqalo nesiphelo kanye nephakathi lezikhathi, ukuguquka kwezikhathi zelanga kanye nokuguquka kwezikhathi zonyaka. ₁₉Nguye owanginika ulwazi lwezikhathi zonyaka kanye nomumo wezinkanyezi, ₂₀imvelo yezilwane kanye neyezilwane zasendle, amandla emimoya kanye nemicabango yabantu, ukwahlukana kwezitshalo nokuceba kwezimpande. ₂₁Ngafunda lokho okufihlakele nalokho okwambuliwe, ₂₂ngokuba ukuhlakanipha okuqondisa zonke izinto kwangifundisa.

Kukhona kukho umoya wokuhlakanipha, nobungcwele, ongenakuqhathaniswa, obanzi, osebenza ngokufihlakele, onenqubekelaphambili, osobala, ongangcolisiwe, onomehluko, ongathinteki kalula, othanda okuhle, olangazelelayo, ongabalekeleki, ₂₃onobubele, onobuntu, obhekakade, oqinisekileyo, ongenatwetwe, onamandla onke, owengamele konke, ohlaziya yonke imimoya nephusile. ₂₄Ngokuba ukuhlakanipha kukhawulezisa okonyazi, kwedlula konke okunyakazayo; ngenxa yokuhlanzeka kwakho kuvunguza kuchushe futhi kugcwalise konke; ₂₅kungukuphefumula kwamandla kaNkulunkulu, kuyinhlanzeko ephuma enkazimulweni kaSomandla; ngakho-ke akukho lutho olungcolile olungena kukho.

₂₆Ukuhlakanipha kungumfanekiso wokukhanya kwaphakade, isibuko esingenasici sokusebenza kukaNkulunkulu, kungumfanekiso wokulunga kwakhe. ₂₇Nakuba kukunye nje, kodwa kungakwenza konke, kuthi kanti kuhlala kuyikho kube namandla okuvuselela kwenze busha zonke izinto kuzo zonke izizukulwane; kwedlulela emiphefumulweni engcwele kuyenze abangani noNkulunkulu kanye nabaphrofethi; ₂₈ngokuba akukho okuthandwa kakhulu nguNkulunkulu kunomuntu ohlala nokuhlakanipha. ₂₉Kuhle kunelanga kwedlula izinkanyezi zonke. Nanxa kuqhathaniswa nokukhanya kufumaniseka kuseqophelweni eliphezulu, ₃₀ukukhanya kulandelwa ubusuku, kodwa ububi abunakumelana nokuhlakanipha.