Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Amazwi omTshumayeli, indodana kaDavida, inkosi eJerusalema.
2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
Ize leze, kutsho umTshumayeli, ize leze, konke kuyize.
3 What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
Kuyinzuzoni emuntwini emtshikatshikeni wakhe wonke awutshikatshika ngaphansi kwelanga?
4 [One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
Isizukulwana siyedlula, lesizukulwana size, kodwa umhlaba umi kuze kube nininini.
5 The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
Lelanga liyaphuma, lelanga litshone, litshetshela endaweni lapho eliphuma khona.
6 The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
Umoya uya eningizimu, ujikele enyakatho, ujikajike uhambe, lomoya ubuyele ekubhodeni kwawo.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
Yonke imifula iya olwandle, kodwa ulwandle kalugcwali; endaweni lapho imifula evela khona, ibuyele iye khona.
8 All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
Zonke izinto ziyadinisa; kakulamuntu olakho ukukukhuluma. Ilihlo kalisuthi ngokubona, lendlebe kayigcwaliswa yikuzwa.
9 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.
Okwake kwaba khona yilokho okuzakuba khona, lokwake kwenziwa yilokho okuzakwenziwa; njalo kakulalutho olutsha ngaphansi kwelanga.
10 Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.
Kungaba khona ulutho yini okungathiwa ngalo: Khangela, lokhu kutsha! Kwakuvele kukhona endulo engaphambi kwethu.
11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
Kakukho ukukhunjulwa kwezinto zakuqala; njalo lezinto ezizayo ezizakuba khona kakuyikuba khona ukukhunjulwa kwazo lalabo abazakuba khona emva kwalokho.
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Mina mTshumayeli ngangiyinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli eJerusalema.
13 And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
Ngasenginikela inhliziyo yami ukudinga lokuhlolisisa ngokuhlakanipha ngakho konke okwenziwayo ngaphansi kwamazulu; lumtshikatshika onzima uNkulunkulu uwunike abantwana babantu ukuthi baphatheke ngawo.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
Ngiyibonile yonke imisebenzi eyenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga; khangela-ke, konke kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Okugobileyo kakulakuqondiswa; lokuswelekayo kakulakubalwa.
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.
Ngakhuluma mina lenhliziyo yami ngisithi: Khangela, mina ngikhulile ngandisa inhlakanipho phezu kwabo bonke ababephambi kwami eJerusalema; njalo inhliziyo yami ibonile kakhulu inhlakanipho lolwazi.
17 And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
Nganginikela inhliziyo yami ukwazi inhlakanipho, lokwazi ukuhlanya lobuthutha, ngabona ukuthi lalokhu yikukhathazeka komoya.
18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Ngoba kunhlakanipho enengi kulokukhathazeka okunengi, lowandisa ulwazi wandisa usizi.
