Ecclesiastes 5
1 Keep thy foot when thou go to the house of God, for to draw near to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools. For they know not that they do evil.
Gcina unyawo lwakho nxa usiya endlini kaNkulunkulu; sondelela ukulalela kulokunikela umhlatshelo wezithutha, ngoba kazazi ukuthi zenza okubi.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth. Therefore let thy words be few.
Ungabi lamawala ngomlomo wakho, lenhliziyo yakho ingaphangisi ukukhupha ilizwi phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngoba uNkulunkulu usemazulwini, wena-ke usemhlabeni, ngakho amazwi akho kawabe malutshwana.
3 For a dream comes with a multitude of business, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.
Ngoba iphupho liza ngobunengi bomsebenzi, lelizwi lesithutha ngobunengi bamazwi.
4 When thou vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou vow.
Lapho ufunga isifungo kuNkulunkulu, ungaphuzi ukusikhokha, ngoba kakulantokozo kuziwula; khokha lokho okufungileyo.
5 Better is it that thou should not vow, than that thou should vow and not pay.
Kungcono ukuthi ungafungi kulokuthi ufunge ungakhokhi.
6 Do not allow thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say thou before the agent, that is was an error. Why should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
Ungavumeli umlomo wakho ukuthi wenze inyama yakho yone, futhi ungatsho phambi kwengilosi ukuthi bekuyisiphosiso; uNkulunkulu uzathukuthelelani ilizwi lakho, achithe umsebenzi wezandla zakho?
7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words. But fear thou God.
Ngoba ebunengini bamaphupho lamazwi kukhona lokuyize okunengi, kodwa mesabe uNkulunkulu.
8 If thou see the oppression of a poor man, and the violent wresting of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter. For a man higher than the high is observing, and there are higher men than they.
Uba ubona ucindezelo lomyanga lokuphanjulwa kokulunga lesahlulelo ngodlakela esabelweni, ungamangali ngalinto, ngoba ophezulu kophezulu uyananzelela, njalo kulabaphezulu phezu kwabo.
9 Moreover the abundance of the land is for all. The king himself is served by the field.
Lenzuzo yomhlabathi ngeyabo bonke; inkosi isetshenzelwa yinsimu.
10 He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
Othanda imali kayikweneliswa yimali, njalo othanda okunengi kayikweneliswa yikwanda; lokhu lakho kuyize.
11 When goods increase, they are increased who eat them. And what advantage is there to the owner of it, except the beholding of them with his eyes?
Ekwandeni kokuhle, bayanda abakudlayo; njalo kulenzuzo bani kubanini bakho, ngaphandle kokukubuka ngamehlo abo?
12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the fullness of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
Bumnandi ubuthongo besisebenzi loba sisidla okulutshwana loba okunengi; kodwa ukusutha kwesinothi kakusivumeli ukulala.
13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches were kept by the owner of it to his hurt.
Kukhona ububi obubuhlungu esengibubonile ngaphansi kwelanga: Inotho egcinelwe abaniniyo kube yibubi kibo.
14 And those riches perish in a bad venture. And if he has begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
Kodwa leyonotho ichitheka ngomsebenzi omubi: Esezala umntwana, kungaselalutho esandleni sakhe.
15 As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.
Njengokuphuma kwakhe esiswini sikanina, uzabuyela eze ehamba njengokuza kwakhe; njalo kayikuthatha lutho lomtshikatshika wakhe angahamba lalo esandleni sakhe.
16 And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he that he labored for the wind?
Lokhu lakho kuyibubi obubuhlungu, kukho konke njengokufika kwakhe ngokunjalo uzahamba. Njalo ulenzuzo bani owatshikatshikela umoya?
17 All his days also he eats in gloom, and he is greatly troubled, and has depression and anger.
Njalo insuku zakhe zonke udlela emnyameni, elosizi olukhulu, lomkhuhlane wakhe, lokuthukuthela?
18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be fitting is for a man to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor in which he labors under the sun all the days of his life which God has given him, for this is his portion.
Khangela, engikubonileyo mina, kulungile okuhle ukudla lokunatha lokubona okuhle emtshikatshikeni wakhe wonke awutshikatshikayo ngaphansi kwelanga, enanini lensuku zempilo yakhe uNkulunkulu amnike zona, ngoba kuyisabelo sakhe.
19 Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor-this is the gift of God.
Laye wonke umuntu, uNkulunkulu amnike inotho lengcebo, wamnika amandla okudla kukho, lokuthatha isabelo sakhe, lokuthokoza emtshikatshikeni wakhe - lokhu kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God answers him in the joy of his heart.
Ngoba kayikukhumbula kakhulu insuku zempilo yakhe, ngoba uNkulunkulu umphendula ngentokozo yenhliziyo yakhe.
