Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
Ibizo elihle lingcono kulamafutha amahle; losuku lokufa kulosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe.
2 It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.
Kungcono ukuya endlini yokulila kulokuya endlini yedili; ngoba lokhu kuyisiphetho sakhe wonke umuntu; lophilayo uzakubeka enhliziyweni yakhe.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
Usizi lungcono kulohleko, ngoba ngokudana kobuso inhliziyo yenziwa ngcono.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
Inhliziyo yabahlakaniphileyo isendlini yokulila, kodwa inhliziyo yezithutha isendlini yentokozo.
5 It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
Kungcono ukuzwa ukukhuza kohlakaniphileyo kulokuthi umuntu ezwe ingoma yezithutha.
6 For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
Ngoba njengokuchachamba kwameva ngaphansi kwembiza lunjalo uhleko lwesithutha. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
7 Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
Isibili ucindezelo lwenza ohlakaniphileyo abe luhlanya, lesipho siyayichitha inhliziyo.
8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
Singcono isiphetho sento kulokuqala kwayo; kungcono ukubekezela komoya kulokuziphakamisa komoya.
9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
Ungaphangisi emoyeni wakho ukuthukuthela, ngoba ukuthukuthela kuhlala esifubeni sezithutha.
10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
Ungatsho ukuthi: Kwenziwa yini ukuthi insuku zakuqala zibe ngcono kulalezi? Ngoba kawubuzi ngenhlakanipho ngalokhu.
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
Inhlakanipho yinhle ilelifa, njalo kulenzuzo kwabalibonayo ilanga.
12 For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
Ngoba inhlakanipho iyisivikelo, imali iyisivikelo; kodwa ubungcono bolwazi yikuthi lunika impilo kubaninilo.
13 Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
Nakana umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu; ngoba ngubani olakho ukwelula akugobisileyo?
14 In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him.
Thokoza ngosuku lokuphumelela, kodwa ngosuku lobubi nakana: UNkulunkulu ulwenzile lalolu lwaba njengalolo, ukuze umuntu angatholi lutho oluzakuba khona emva kwakhe.
15 In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
Konke ngikubonile ensukwini zokuyize kwami: Kukhona olungileyo obhubhela ekulungeni kwakhe, njalo kukhona omubi owelula impilo yakhe ebubini bakhe.
16 Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Ungabi ngolungileyo ngokudlulisayo, futhi ungahlakaniphi okwedlulisileyo; uzichithelani?
17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
Ungabi ngomubi ngokudlulisayo, futhi ungabi yisiwula; uzafelani kungakabi yisikhathi sakho?
18 It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.
Kuhle ukuthi ubambelele kulokhu, yebo, ungabuyisi isandla sakho lakulokho; ngoba omesabayo uNkulunkulu uzaphepha kukho konke.
19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
Inhlakanipho iyamqinisa ohlakaniphileyo okwedlula ababusi abalitshumi abasemzini.
20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
Ngoba kakulamuntu olungileyo emhlabeni owenza okuhle angoni.
21 Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
Futhi ungabeki inhliziyo yakho emazwini wonke akhulunywayo, ukuze ungezwa ukuthi inceku yakho iyakuthuka.
22 For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
Ngoba ngezikhathi ezinengi lenhliziyo yakho iyakwazi ukuthi lawe uqobo ubathukile abanye.
23 All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
Konke lokhu ngikuhlolile ngenhlakanipho, ngathi: Ngizahlakanipha; kodwa kwakukhatshana lami.
24 What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
Okukhatshana, lokujule kakhulu, ngubani ozakufumana?
25 I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
Ngaphenduka mina lenhliziyo yami ukwazi lokuhlola lokudinga inhlakanipho, lesizatho sezinto, lokwazi inkohlakalo yobuwula, lobuthutha bobuhlanya.
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.
Ngasengithola okubaba kulokufa: Owesifazana onhliziyo yakhe iyimijibila lamambule, lezandla zakhe ziyizibopho. Olungileyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu uzaphepha kuye, kodwa isoni sizabanjwa nguye.
27 “Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
Khangela, yilokhu engikutholileyo, utsho umTshumayeli, ngibeka okunye kokunye, ukuthola isizatho sezinto,
28 While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.
umphefumulo wami osasidinga kodwa kangisitholanga. Indoda eyodwa phakathi kwenkulungwane ngayithola, kodwa owesifazana phakathi kwabo bonke labo kangimtholanga.
29 Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
Khangela, yilokhu kuphela engikutholileyo, ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamenza umuntu waqonda; kodwa bona sebedinge amacebo amanengi.
