Warning Against Folly

¹Ndodana yami, lalela ukuhlakanipha kwami, ubeke indlebe yakho ekuqondeni kwami

²ukuba ugcine amasu, nezindebe zakho zilonde ukwazi.

³Ngokuba izindebe zowesifazane ondindayo ziconsa izinyosi; umlomo wakhe ubushelezi kunamafutha.

⁴Kepha ekugcineni umunyu njengomhlonyane, ubukhali njengenkemba enezinhlangothi ezimbili.

⁵Izinyawo zakhe ziyehlela ekufeni; izinyathelo zakhe zibambelela endaweni yabafileyo.

⁶Akanaki umkhondo wokuphila; imikhondo yakhe iyaguquguquka, engazi.

⁷Ngalokho, madodana ami, ngizweni, ningachezuki emazwini omlomo wami.

⁸Dedisela kude naye indlela yakho, ungasondeli emnyango wendlu yakhe,

⁹funa unike abanye udumo lwakho, naye ononya iminyaka yakho,

¹⁰funa abezizwe basuthe ngamandla akho, umshikashika wakho ube sendlini yomfokazi,

¹¹uze ububule ekugcineni, lapho umzimba wakho nenyama yakho kuqediwe,

¹²ngokuthi: “Yeka ukuzonda kwami ukulaywa nokudelela kwenhliziyo yami ukusolwa!

¹³Angilalelanga izwi labafundisi bami, angibekanga indlebe yami kubo abangifundisayo.

¹⁴Ngacishe ngaba sebubini bonke phakathi kwebandla nasemhlanganweni.”

¹⁵Phuza amanzi emgodini wakho, amanzi agobhozayo emthonjeni wakho.

¹⁶Imithombo iyaphalala ngaphandle yini, nemifula yamanzi ezigcawini, na?

¹⁷Mayibe ngeyakho wena wedwa, ingabi ngeyabafokazi kanye nawe.

¹⁸Mawubusiswe umthombo wakho, uthokoze ngomfazi wobusha bakho.

¹⁹Uyindluzelekazi ethandayo negogokazi elihle; amabele akhe mawakudelise ngesikhathi sonke, weqiwe njalo luthando lwakhe.

²⁰Ubuyakweqelwani ngowesifazane ondindayo, ndodana yami, ugone isifuba somfokazi, na?

²¹Ngokuba izindlela zomuntu ziphambi kwamehlo kaNkulunkulu; uyenza yonke imikhondo yakhe ukuba ilingane.

²²Omubi uyakubanjwa ngububi bakhe, abhajwe ngezintambo zezono zakhe.

²³Uyakufa yena ngokuswela ukulaywa, nangobuningi bobuwula bakhe uyakuduka.