Ukudabuka nokuthokoza; ukulunga nokungalungi

1 Igama elihle lingcono kunamafutha amahle,

nosuku lokufa lungcono kunosuku lokuzalwa.

2 Kungcono ukuya endlini yokulila

kunokuya endlini yedili,

ngokuba lokho kungukuphela kwabantu bonke;

nophilayo makakubeke enhliziyweni yakhe.

3 Usizi lungcono kunokuhleka,

ngokuba ngokudabuka kobuso

inhliziyo yenzelwa okuhle.

4 Inhliziyo yabahlakaniphileyo isendlini yokulila,

kepha inhliziyo yeziwula isendlini yentokozo.

5 Kungcono ukuzwa ukukhuza kohlakaniphileyo

kunokuba umuntu ezwe ukuhlabelela kweziwula.

6 Njengokucacamba kwezintathawe eziphansi kwekhanzi,

kunjalo ukuhleka kweziwula.

Nalokho kuyize.

7 Impela ukucindezela kuyamhlanyisa ohlakaniphileyo,

nokuthengwa ngomvuzo kuchitha ingqondo.

8 Kungcono ukuphela kwendaba kunokuqala kwayo;

onomoya obekezelayo ungcono kunoziphakamisayo.

9 Ungasheshi ukuthukuthela emoyeni wakho,

ngokuba ulaka luhlala ezifubeni zeziwula.

10 Ungasho ukuthi:

“Kwenziwa kanjani ukuba izinsuku zokuqala

zazizinhle kunalezi na?”

Ngokuba awubuzi kanjalo ngokuhlakanipha.

11 Ukuhlakanipha kuhle njengefa,

yebo, kunenzuzo kwabalibonayo ilanga,

12 ngokuba kusemthunzini wokuhlakanipha

njengasemthunzini wemali,

kepha inzuzo yokwazi

ingeyokuba ukuhlakanipha

kulondoloza ukuphila kwalowo onakho.

13 Bona umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu,

ngokuba ngubani ongelula lokho akugobileyo na?

14 Yenama ngosuku lwenhlanhla,

kepha ngosuku olubi qonda ukuthi

nalolu uNkulunkulu ulwenzile njengalolo,

ukuze umuntu angafumani lutho

oluyakuba khona emva kwakhe.

15 Konke ngikubonile emihleni yami eyize:

kukhona olungileyo obhubhile ekulungeni kwakhe,

kukhona nomubi owelula ukuphila kwakhe ebubini bakhe.

16 Ungabi ngolungileyo ngokudluleleyo,

ungazenzi ohlakaniphileyo kakhulu;

uzichithelani na?

17 Ungabi mubi ngokudluleleyo,

ungabi yisiwula;

uyakufelani kungakabi yisikhathi na?

18 kuhle ukuba ubambelele kulokhu,

yebo, ungabuyisi isandla sakho nakulokho,

ngokuba owesaba uNkulunkulu

uyakuphumelela kukho konke.

19 Ukuhlakanipha kumenza ohlakaniphileyo

ukuba abe namandla kunababusi abayishumi abasemzini.

20 Ngokuba akukho muntu emhlabeni

olungileyo kangaka ukuba enze okuhle, angoni.

21 Ungabeki inhliziyo yakho

emazwini onke akhulunywayo,

funa uzwe inceku yakho ikuthuka,

22 ngokuba kaninginingi inhliziyo yakho

iyazi ukuba nawe ubathukile abanye.

23 Konke lokho ngikuvivinyile ngokuhlakanipha, ngathi:

“Ngiyakuhlakanipha,”

kepha kwakusala kude nami.

24 Okude nokujulile kakhulu,

ngubani ongakufumana na?

25 Ngase ngiphenduka

ukuba inhliziyo yami yazi, ihlole,

ifune ukuhlakanipha nendikimba yezindaba

ukuyokwazi ububi ukuthi bungubuwula,

nobuwula ukuthi bungubuhlanya.

26 Ngase ngifumana okubaba kunokufa:

owesifazane onhliziyo yakhe iyizingibe namanetha,

nezandla zakhe ziyizibopho;

omuhle phambi kukaNkulunkulu uyakuphunyuka kuye,

kepha isoni siyakubanjwa nguye.

27 “Bheka, nakhu engikufumene,” uthi uMshumayeli:

“Ngibeka okunye kokunye

ukuba ngithole indikimba yezindaba,

28 nokusafunwa ngumphefumulo wami,

ngingakakufumani kodwa:

indoda inye phakathi kwenkulungwane ngiyifumene,

kepha owesifazane phakathi kwabo bonke labo angimfumananga.

29 Bheka, lokhu kuphela ngikufumene

ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamenza umuntu waba qotho,

kepha bona bafunile amacebo amaningi.”