UmShumayeli

7 Igama elihle* lingcono kunamafutha amahle, + nosuku lokufa lungcono kunosuku lokuzalwa. 2 Kungcono ukuya endlini yokulila kunokuya endlini yedili, + ngoba lokho kuyisiphetho sawo wonke umuntu; abaphilayo kufanele bakufake enhliziyweni lokho. 3 Kungcono ukukhathazeka kunokuhleka, + ngoba ubuso obudabukile benza inhliziyo ibe ngcono. + 4 Inhliziyo yabahlakaniphile isendlini yokulila, kodwa inhliziyo yeziphukuphuku isendlini yokujabula. +

5 Kungcono ukulalela lapho umuntu ohlakaniphile ekukhuza + kunokulalela ingoma yeziphukuphuku. 6 Ngoba njengomsindo wameva avutha ngaphansi kwembiza, kunjalo ukuhleka kwesiphukuphuku; + nalokhu futhi kuyize. 7 Kodwa ukucindezelwa kungenza ohlakaniphile asangane, nesifumbathiso sonakalisa inhliziyo. +

8 Kungcono ukuphela kwendaba kunokuqala kwayo. Kungcono ukubekezela kunokuba nomoya ozidlayo. + 9 Ungasheshi ukucasuka, + ngoba ukucasuka kuhlala esifubeni seziphukuphuku. *+

10 Ungasho ukuthi, “Kungani izinsuku zangaphambili zazingcono kunalezi?” ngoba usuke ungahlakaniphile uma ubuza lokho. +

11 Ukuhlakanipha okuhambisana nefa kuyinto enhle newusizo kulabo ababona ilanga.* 12 Ngoba ukuhlakanipha kuyisivikelo + njengoba nje nemali iyisivikelo, + kodwa inzuzo yolwazi yile: Ukuhlakanipha kuyakulonda ukuphila komniniko. +

13 Cabanga ngomsebenzi kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, ngoba ubani okwazi ukuqondisa lokho akwenze kwagwegwa? + 14 Ngosuku oluhle bonisa ubuhle, + kodwa ngosuku lwenhlekelele khumbula* ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulwenzile lolu njengoba enze naloluya, + ukuze abantu bangaqiniseki* ngokuzokwenzeka kubo esikhathini esizayo. +

15 Ngikubone konke ngezinsuku zokuphila kwami okuyize +—kusukela kolungile oshabalala ekulungeni kwakhe + kuya komubi ophila isikhathi eside naphezu kobubi bakhe. +

16 Ungabi olunge ngokwedlulele, + noma uzibonise uhlakaniphe ngokweqile. + Kungani kufanele uzilethele inhlekelele? + 17 Ungabi mubi ngokwedlulele, noma ube isiwula. + Kungani kufanele ufe kungakabi isikhathi sakho? + 18 Kuhle kakhulu ukubamba isixwayiso sokuqala* kodwa ungasidedeli nalesi sesibili; *+ ngoba owesaba uNkulunkulu uyozilalela zombili.

19 Ukuhlakanipha kwenza umuntu ohlakaniphile abe namandla kunamadoda anamandla ayishumi edolobheni. + 20 Ngoba akekho umuntu olungile emhlabeni owenza okuhle njalo ongalokothi one. +

21 Ungawafaki enhliziyweni wonke amazwi abantu abawashoyo; + ngaphandle kwalokho ungase uzwe inceku yakho ikuqalekisa;* 22 ngoba wazi kahle enhliziyweni yakho ukuthi nawe uye wabaqalekisa abanye izikhathi eziningi. +

23 Konke lokhu ngiye ngakuvivinya ngokuhlakanipha, ngase ngithi: “Ngizohlakanipha.” Kodwa ukuhlakanipha kwakukude nami. 24 Lokho okuye kwaba khona akufinyeleleki futhi kujule ngokwedlulele. Ubani ongakuqonda? + 25 Ngaqondisa inhliziyo yami ukuba yazi, ihlole futhi ifune ukuhlakanipha nezimbangela zezinto, nokuba iqonde ububi bobuphukuphuku nobuwula balabo abenzisa okwezinhlanya. + 26 Ngabe sengithola lokhu: Into embi* kunokufa ngowesifazane onjengenethi lomzingeli, onenhliziyo enjengamanethi okudoba, nonezandla ezinjengamaketanga asejele. Umuntu ojabulisa uNkulunkulu weqiniso uyophunyuka kulona wesifazane, + kodwa oyisoni uyambamba. +

27 “Bheka! Nakhu engikutholile,” kusho umshumayeli. + “Ngihlole zonke izinto ukuze ngifinyelele isiphetho, 28 kodwa ebengilokhu ngikufuna, angikakutholi. Kubantu abayinkulungwane ngiyitholile indoda eyodwa eqotho, kodwa angikamtholi owesifazane oqotho phakathi kwabo. 29 Yilokhu kuphela engikutholile: UNkulunkulu weqiniso wenza abantu baba qotho, + kodwa bona balandele awabo amacebo.” +