Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;
Kukhona ububi esengibubonile ngaphansi kwelanga, njalo buvamile ebantwini:
2 A man to whom God gives money, wealth, and honour so that he has all his desires but God does not give him the power to have joy of it, and a strange man takes it. This is to no purpose and an evil disease.
Umuntu uNkulunkulu amnike inotho lengcebo lodumo ukuze angasweleli umphefumulo wakhe ulutho kukho konke akufisayo, kodwa uNkulunkulu angamniki amandla ukuthi adle kukho, kodwa owemzini uyakudla; lokhu kuyize, njalo kuyisifo esibi.
3 If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.
Uba umuntu ezala abantwana abalikhulu, aphile iminyaka eminengi, ukuze insuku zeminyaka yakhe zibe zinengi, kodwa umphefumulo wakhe ungasuthiswa ngokuhle, futhi angabi lakungcwatshwa, ngithi umphunzo ungcono kulaye.
4 In wind it came and to the dark it will go, and with the dark will its name be covered.
Ngoba uza ngeze, uye emnyameni, lebizo lawo lisitshekelwe emnyameni;
5 Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.
futhi kawulibonanga ilanga, kawulalwazi; lo ulokuphumula kulaye.
6 And though he goes on living a thousand years twice over and does not see good, are not the two going to the same place?
Yebo, lanxa ephila iminyaka eyinkulungwane, ephindwe kabili, kanti engabonanga okuhle; bonke kabayi yini endaweni eyodwa?
7 All the work of man is for his mouth, and still he has a desire for food.
Wonke umtshikatshika womuntu ngowomlomo wakhe, kube kanti inkanuko kayisuthi.
8 What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?
Ngoba ohlakaniphileyo ulani okwedlula isithutha? Ulani umyanga owazi ukuhamba phambi kwabaphilayo?
9 What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.
Kungcono ukubona kwamehlo kulokuzulazula kwenkanuko. Lokhu lakho kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
10 That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge. He has no power against one stronger than he.
Osekukhona sekuke kwathiwa ibizo lakho, njalo kuyaziwa ukuthi kungumuntu, lokuthi kalakho ukuphikisana lolamandla kulaye.
11 There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?
Ngoba zinengi izinto ezandisa ize; kuyinzuzo bani emuntwini?
12 Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?
Ngoba ngubani okwaziyo okulungele umuntu empilweni, enanini lensuku zempilo yakhe eyize ayichitha njengesithunzi? Ngoba ngubani ongatshela umuntu lokho okuzakuba khona emva kwakhe ngaphansi kwelanga?
