Ecclesiastes 3
1 All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval.
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 pull up what was planted.
isikhathi sokuzalwa lesikhathi sokufa, isikhathi sokuhlanyela lesikhathi sokusiphuna,
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build up.
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 scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
isikhathi sokuchithiza amatshe lesikhathi sokuwabutha, isikhathi sokugona lesikhathi sokunina,
6 A time to gain, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.
isikhathi sokudinga lesikhathi sokukhalala, isikhathi sokugcina lesikhathi sokulahla,
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to be silent, and a time to speak.
isikhathi sokudabula lesikhathi sokuthunga, isikhathi sokuthula lesikhathi sokukhuluma,
8 A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace.
isikhathi sokuthanda lesikhathi sokuzonda, isikhathi sempi lesikhathi sokuthula.
9 What more does a man have from his labor?
Umuntu osebenzayo uzuzani na ngokusadalala kwakhe?
10 I have seen the affliction that God has given to the sons of men, in order that they may be occupied by it.
Sengiwubonile umthwalo uNkulunkulu awethese abantu.
11 He has made all things good in their time, and he has handed over the world to their disputes, so that man may not discover the work which God made from the beginning, even until the end.
Yonke into uyenze yabanhle ngesikhathi sayo. Wamupha umuntu iphakade enhliziyweni yakhe; kodwa abantu bangeke bafinyelele kulokho uNkulunkulu asakwenzayo kwasekuqaleni kusiya ekupheleni.
12 And I realize that there is nothing better than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.
Ngiyakwazi ukuthi kakukho okungcono ebantwini kulokuthi bajabule njalo benze okuhle besaphila.
13 For this is a gift from God: when each man eats and drinks, and sees the good results of his labor.
Ukuthi wonke umuntu adle, anathe asuthiseke ekusebenzeni kwakhe gadalala, lokhu kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
14 I have learned that all the works which God has made continue on, in perpetuity. We are not able to add anything, nor to take anything away, from those things which God has made in order that he may be feared.
Ngiyazi yonke into eyenziwa nguNkulunkulu izakuba khona kokuphela; akulalutho olungengezwa kukho loba kususwe kukho. UNkulunkulu uyenza lokho ukuze abantu bamkhonze.
15 What has been made, the same continues. What is in the future, has already existed. And God restores what has passed away.
Loba yini ekhona seyake yaba khona, kulalokho okuzakuba khona sekwaba khona ngaphambili; njalo uNkulunkulu uzakubalisa okwedlulayo.
16 I saw under the sun: instead of judgment, impiety, and instead of justice, iniquity.
Njalo ngabona okunye ngaphansi kwelanga: endaweni yokwahlulela, ububi babukhona, endaweni yokulungisa, ububi babukhona.
17 And I said in my heart: “God will judge the just and the impious, and then the time for each matter shall be.”
Ngacabanga ngenhliziyo yami, “UNkulunkulu uzabehlulela bonke abalungileyo lababi, ngoba sizaba khona isikhathi sezenzakalo zonke, isikhathi sawo wonke umsebenzi.”
18 I said in my heart, about the sons of men, that God would test them, and reveal them to be like wild animals.
Ngacabanga njalo ngathi, “UNkulunkulu uyabahlola abantu ukuze babone ukuthi banjengezinyamazana.
19 For this reason, the passing away of man and of beasts is one, and the condition of both is equal. For as a man dies, so also do they die. All things breathe similarly, and man has nothing more than beast; for all these are subject to vanity.
Isiphetho somuntu siyafana lesezinyamazana; isiphetho sinye sibalindele bonke: njengoba lokhu kuyafa, kanjalo lokunye kuyafa. Konke kokubili kulomphefumulo munye; umuntu kangcono kulenyamazana. Konke kuyize.
20 And all things continue on to one place; for from the earth they were made, and unto the earth they shall return together.
Konke kuya ndawo yinye; konke kuvela othulini, yikho konke kubuyela othulini.
21 Who knows if the spirit of the sons of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?
Ngubani owaziyo ingabe umphefumulo womuntu uyakhwela uye phezulu kuthi owenyamazana wehlele phansi phakathi emhlabathini?”
22 And I have discovered nothing to be better than for a man to rejoice in his work: for this is his portion. And who shall add to him, so that he may know the things that will occur 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?
