1 Ndodana yami, nxa wenzele umakhelwane wakho isibambiso,

nxa libambene izandla ukuba uzamhlawulela imilandu yakhe,

2 aluba usuzihilele ngalokho okutshiloyo,

wazibambisa ngamazwi omlomo wakho,

3 lapho-ke yenza lokhu, ndodana yami, ukuzikhulula,

njengoba usuwele ezandleni zakhe umakhelwane wakho:

Hamba ufike uzehlise;

mncengancenge umakhelwane wakho!

4 Ungabuvumeli ubuthongo emehlweni akho,

ungavumeli ukuwozela enkopheni zakho.

5 Zikhulule njengempala ezandleni zomzingeli,

njengenyoni esifini somthiyi.

6 Khangela ubunyonyo, wena vila;

hlolisisa ukwenza kwabo uhlakaniphe!

7 Kabulamphathi,

kabula mkhangeli loba umbusi,

8 kodwa buyaqoqa umphako wabo ehlobo

bubuthe ukudla kwabo nxa kuvunwa.

9 Uzalala khonapho kuze kube nini, vila ndini?

Uzavuka nini ebuthongweni bakho?

10 Ukulala okuncane, ukuwozela okuncane,

ukugoqa izandla kancane uphumula,

11 ubuyanga buzafika kuwe njengesela

lokuswela njengesigebenga.

12 Isigangi lesixhwali

esihamba sikhuluma amanyala,

13 esiqhweba ngelihlo

sitshengise ngezinyawo zaso

njalo sitshengise ngeminwe yaso,

14 esiceba ububi ngenkohliso enhliziyweni yaso

sithanda ukuvusa inkani kokuphela.

15 Ngakho lowo uzawelwa yingozi ngokuphazima;

uzabhidlizwa ngokuphangisa

kungasekho okungenziwa.

16 Ziyisithupha izinto uThixo azizondayo,

eziyisikhombisa eziyisinengiso kuye:

17 amehlo atshengisa ukudelela,

ulimi oluqamba amanga,

izandla ezichitha igazi elingelacala,

18 inhliziyo egaya izibozi,

inyawo eziphangisa ukuya ebubini,

19 umfakazi wamanga, okhuluma inkohliso

lomuntu oletha ukuxabana kubazalwane.

20 Ndodana yami, gcina imilayo kayihlo

ungadeli imfundiso kanyoko.

21 Kubophele enhliziyweni yakho nini lanini;

kugqize entanyeni yakho.

22 Nxa uhamba, lezizinto zizakukhokhela;

lanxa ulele zizakulinda;

uthi uvuka zikukhulumise.

23 Ngoba imilayo le iyisibane,

imfundiso le iyikukhanya,

leziqondiso zokuzithiba ziyindlela yokuphila,

24 zikuvikela kowesifazane ongaziphathanga,

laselimini olumnandi lomfazi ongelambeko.

25 Ungasuki umfise ngenhliziyo yakho ngenxa yobuhle bakhe

kumbe akuhuge ngamehlo akhe.

26 Ngoba isifebe siyakululazisa ufane lesinkwa,

kodwa umfazi womuntu uyayibhidliza impilo yakho uqobo.

27 Kambe umuntu angokhela umlilo emathangazini akhe na

zingaze zatsha izigqoko zakhe?

28 Kambe umuntu angahamba phezu kwamalahle

inyawo zakhe zingaze zatsha na?

29 Kunjalo kulowo olala lomfazi wenye indoda;

kakho omthintayo ongayikujeziswa.

30 Abantu kabalithuki isela

nxa lintshontsha ngoba lifuqwa liphango.

31 Kodwa lingabanjwa lihlawuliswa kasikhombisa,

lanxa inhlawulo ilithathela yonke impahla yendlu yalo.

32 Kodwa indoda efebayo kayilangqondo;

lowo okwenzayo lokho uyazibulala yena ngokwakhe.

33 Izidutshulo lehlazo kuyisabelo sakhe,

ukuyangeka kwakhe kakusoze kwafa kwaphela.

34 Ngoba ubukhwele bendoda yalowomfazi buyiqubula ulaka,

ingabe isaba lozwelo lapho isiphindisela.

35 Kayizukuvuma inhlawulo;

kayiyikwamukela isivalamlomo loba singakanani.