1Konke lokhu ngakucabangisisa enhliziyweni yami, ngihlola ukuthi kungani abalungileyo nabahlakaniphileyo nemisebenzi yabo kusesandleni sikaNkulunkulu; noma luthando noma yinzondo, akekho umuntu okwazi konke okuphambi kwakhe.
2Isiphetho sabo bonke siyefana: abalungile nabangalungile, abahle nababi, abahlanzekile nabangcolile, abethula imihlatshelo nabangayethuli. Njengoba enjalo umuntu olungileyo, sinjalo nesoni; nanjengoba enjalo ofungayo, unjalo nobalekela isifungo.
3Nabu ububi obukukho konke okwenzeka phansi komthunzi welanga: bonke behlelwa yinto efanayo; izinhliziyo zabo bonke abantu zigcwele ububi, ukuhlanya kukuzo besaphila, emuva kwalokho baya kwabafileyo.
4Kodwa osabalelwa kwabaphilayo usenethemba, ngokuba inja ephilayo ingcono kunebhubesi elifileyo.
5Abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bazokufa, kodwa abafileyo abasazi lutho, futhi abasenamvuzo; abasakhunjulwa nakukhunjulwa.
6Kubo uthando nenzondo nomona sekuphelile, abasenaso isabelo nanini kukho konke okwenziwa phansi komthunzi welanga.
7Hamba, udle ukudla kwakho ngentokozo, uphuze iwayini lakho uthokozile enhliziyweni yakho, ngokuba uNkulunkulu uvele ukuvumele lokhu okwenza manje.
8Izingubo zakho azihlale zimhlophe, nekhanda lakho lihlale ligcotshwe ngamafutha.
9Jabulela impilo nomkakho omthandayo, zonke izinsuku zempilo yakho eyize akunike yona phansi komthunzi welanga, ngoba yisona sabelo sempilo yakho emshikashikeni wakho owushikashika phansi komthunzi welanga.
10Noma yini isandla sakho esiyitholayo yenze ngamandla akho wonke, ngokuba akukho msebenzi, namcabango, nakwazi, nakuhlakanipha endaweni yabafileyo, lapho uya khona.
11Kukhona okunye engakubona phansi komthunzi welanga: umncintiswano wokugijima awuyi ngajubane, nempi akusiyo eyabanamandla, nakudla kohlakaniphileyo, namcebo, nampumelelo kwabanamakhono, kodwa isikhathi nethuba kubehlela bonke.
12Ngokuba umuntu akasazi isikhathi sakhe; kunjengezinhlanzi ezibanjwa enethini elinonya, nezinyoni ezibanjwa ogibeni; kanjalo nabantu babanjwa ogibeni olubi, oluyisikhathi esibafikela bengazelele.
13Ngabuye ngabona okunye phansi komthunzi welanga, okube yisibonelo esikhulu sokuhlakanipha kimi.
14Kwakukhona umuzi omncane owawunabantu abayingcosana; kwase kufika inkosi enkulu yawuhlasela, yawuvimbezela, yakha izindunduma ezinkulu zokuhlasela.
15Kulowo muzi kwakukhona indoda empofu ehlakaniphile, yona ngokuhlakanipha kwayo yawuhlenga, kodwa akekho oyikhumbulayo leyo ndoda empofu.
16Ngase ngithi: “Ukuhlakanipha kungcono kunamandla,” ngisho noma ukuhlakanipha komuntu ompofu kwedeleleka, namazwi akhe engashaywa mkhuba.
17Ukukhulumela phansi kwabahlakaniphile kuyalalelwa kunokumemeza kombusi phakathi kwezilima.
18Ukuhlakanipha kungcono kunezikhali zokulwa, kodwa isikhohlakali sisinye sibhubhisa okuhle okuningi.