Ecclesiastes 3
1 To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
Zonke izinto zilesikhathi sazo, konke okwenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga kulesibanga sakho:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
isikhathi sokuzalwa lesikhathi sokufa, isikhathi sokuhlanyela lesikhathi sokusiphuna,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build,
isikhathi sokubulala lesikhathi sokuphilisa, isikhathi sokubhidliza lesikhathi sokwakha,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
isikhathi sokukhala lesikhathi sokuhleka, isikhathi sokulila lesikhathi sokugida,
5 a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
isikhathi sokuchithiza amatshe lesikhathi sokuwabutha, isikhathi sokugona lesikhathi sokunina,
6 a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,
isikhathi sokudinga lesikhathi sokukhalala, isikhathi sokugcina lesikhathi sokulahla,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
isikhathi sokudabula lesikhathi sokuthunga, isikhathi sokuthula lesikhathi sokukhuluma,
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
isikhathi sokuthanda lesikhathi sokuzonda, isikhathi sempi lesikhathi sokuthula.
9 What does the worker gain from his toil?
Umuntu osebenzayo uzuzani na ngokusadalala kwakhe?
10 I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them.
Sengiwubonile umthwalo uNkulunkulu awethese abantu.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end.
Yonke into uyenze yabanhle ngesikhathi sayo. Wamupha umuntu iphakade enhliziyweni yakhe; kodwa abantu bangeke bafinyelele kulokho uNkulunkulu asakwenzayo kwasekuqaleni kusiya ekupheleni.
12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,
Ngiyakwazi ukuthi kakukho okungcono ebantwini kulokuthi bajabule njalo benze okuhle besaphila.
13 and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor—this is the gift of God.
Ukuthi wonke umuntu adle, anathe asuthiseke ekusebenzeni kwakhe gadalala, lokhu kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
14 I know that everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear Him.
Ngiyazi yonke into eyenziwa nguNkulunkulu izakuba khona kokuphela; akulalutho olungengezwa kukho loba kususwe kukho. UNkulunkulu uyenza lokho ukuze abantu bamkhonze.
15 What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed.
Loba yini ekhona seyake yaba khona, kulalokho okuzakuba khona sekwaba khona ngaphambili; njalo uNkulunkulu uzakubalisa okwedlulayo.
16 Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.
Njalo ngabona okunye ngaphansi kwelanga: endaweni yokwahlulela, ububi babukhona, endaweni yokulungisa, ububi babukhona.
17 I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”
Ngacabanga ngenhliziyo yami, “UNkulunkulu uzabehlulela bonke abalungileyo lababi, ngoba sizaba khona isikhathi sezenzakalo zonke, isikhathi sawo wonke umsebenzi.”
18 I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”
Ngacabanga njalo ngathi, “UNkulunkulu uyabahlola abantu ukuze babone ukuthi banjengezinyamazana.
19 For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.
Isiphetho somuntu siyafana lesezinyamazana; isiphetho sinye sibalindele bonke: njengoba lokhu kuyafa, kanjalo lokunye kuyafa. Konke kokubili kulomphefumulo munye; umuntu kangcono kulenyamazana. Konke kuyize.
20 All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.
Konke kuya ndawo yinye; konke kuvela othulini, yikho konke kubuyela othulini.
21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth?
Ngubani owaziyo ingabe umphefumulo womuntu uyakhwela uye phezulu kuthi owenyamazana wehlele phansi phakathi emhlabathini?”
22 I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?
Yikho ngabona ukuthi kakukho okungcono emuntwini ngaphandle kokuthi akholise umsebenzi wakhe ngoba leso yiso isabelo sakhe. Ngoba kambe ngubani ongamenza ukuthi abone lokho okuzakwenzakala yena esedlule?
