UmShumayeli 7

₁Igama elihle lingcono kunamafutha amahle,

nosuku lokufa lungcono kunosuku lokuzalwa.

₂Kungcono ukuya endlini yokulila

kunokuya endlini yedili,

ngokuba lokho kungukuphela kwabantu bonke;

nophilayo makakubeke enhliziyweni yakhe.

₃Usizi lungcono kunokuhleka,

ngokuba ngokudabuka kobuso

inhliziyo yenzelwa okuhle.

₄Inhliziyo yabahlakaniphileyo isendlini yokulila,

kepha inhliziyo yeziwula isendlini yentokozo.

₅Kungcono ukuzwa ukukhuza kohlakaniphileyo

kunokuba umuntu ezwe ukuhlabelela kweziwula.

₆Njengokucacamba kwezintathawe eziphansi kwekhanzi,

kunjalo ukuhleka kweziwula.

Nalokho kuyize.

₇Impela ukucindezela kuyamhlanyisa ohlakaniphileyo,

nokuthengwa ngomvuzo kuchitha ingqondo.

₈Kungcono ukuphela kwendaba kunokuqala kwayo;

onomoya obekezelayo ungcono kunoziphakamisayo.

₉Ungasheshi ukuthukuthela emoyeni wakho,

ngokuba ulaka luhlala ezifubeni zeziwula.

₁₀Ungasho ukuthi:

“Kwenziwa kanjani ukuba izinsuku zokuqala

zazizinhle kunalezi na?”

Ngokuba awubuzi kanjalo ngokuhlakanipha.

₁₁Ukuhlakanipha kuhle njengefa,

yebo, kunenzuzo kwabalibonayo ilanga,

₁₂ngokuba kusemthunzini wokuhlakanipha

njengasemthunzini wemali,

kepha inzuzo yokwazi

ingeyokuba ukuhlakanipha

kulondoloza ukuphila kwalowo onakho.

₁₃Bona umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu,

ngokuba ngubani ongelula lokho akugobileyo na?

₁₄Yenama ngosuku lwenhlanhla,

kepha ngosuku olubi qonda ukuthi

nalolu uNkulunkulu ulwenzile njengalolo,

ukuze umuntu angafumani lutho

oluyakuba khona emva kwakhe.

kukhona olungileyo obhubhile ekulungeni kwakhe,

kukhona nomubi owelula ukuphila kwakhe ebubini bakhe.

₁₆Ungabi ngolungileyo ngokudluleleyo,

ungazenzi ohlakaniphileyo kakhulu;

uzichithelani na?

₁₇Ungabi mubi ngokudluleleyo,

ungabi yisiwula;

uyakufelani kungakabi yisikhathi na?

₁₈kuhle ukuba ubambelele kulokhu,

yebo, ungabuyisi isandla sakho nakulokho,

ngokuba owesaba uNkulunkulu

uyakuphumelela kukho konke.

₁₉Ukuhlakanipha kumenza ohlakaniphileyo

ukuba abe namandla kunababusi abayishumi abasemzini.

₂₀Ngokuba akukho muntu emhlabeni

olungileyo kangaka ukuba enze okuhle, angoni.

₂₁Ungabeki inhliziyo yakho

emazwini onke akhulunywayo,

funa uzwe inceku yakho ikuthuka,

₂₂ngokuba kaninginingi inhliziyo yakho

iyazi ukuba nawe ubathukile abanye.

“Ngiyakuhlakanipha,”

kepha kwakusala kude nami.

₂₄Okude nokujulile kakhulu,

ngubani ongakufumana na?

₂₅Ngase ngiphenduka

ukuba inhliziyo yami yazi, ihlole,

ifune ukuhlakanipha nendikimba yezindaba

ukuyokwazi ububi ukuthi bungubuwula,

nobuwula ukuthi bungubuhlanya.

₂₆Ngase ngifumana okubaba kunokufa:

owesifazane onhliziyo yakhe iyizingibe namanetha,

nezandla zakhe ziyizibopho;

omuhle phambi kukaNkulunkulu uyakuphunyuka kuye,

kepha isoni siyakubanjwa nguye.

“Ngibeka okunye kokunye

ukuba ngithole indikimba yezindaba,

₂₈nokusafunwa ngumphefumulo wami,

ngingakakufumani kodwa:

indoda inye phakathi kwenkulungwane ngiyifumene,

kepha owesifazane phakathi kwabo bonke labo angimfumananga.

₂₉Bheka, lokhu kuphela ngikufumene

ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamenza umuntu waba qotho,

kepha bona bafunile amacebo amaningi.”