Ecclesiastes 8
1 Who is as the wise? and who knoweth the explanation of things? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.
Ngubani onjengohlakaniphileyo? Ngubani-ke owazi ukuchasiswa kolutho? Inhlakanipho yomuntu iyakhanyisa ubuso bakhe, lobulukhuni bobuso bakhe buyaguqulwa.
2 I [say], Keep the king's commandment, and [that] on account of the oath of God.
Ngithi: Gcina umlayo wenkosi, lanjengokwesifungo sikaNkulunkulu.
3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatever pleaseth him,
Ungaphangisi ukusuka phambi kwayo, ungemi edabeni olubi, ngoba yenza konke ekuthandayo.
4 because the word of a king is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
Lapho okulelizwi lenkosi khona kulamandla; njalo ngubani ongathi kuyo: Wenzani?
5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart knoweth time and manner.
Lowo ogcina umlayo kayikwazi into embi, lenhliziyo yohlakaniphileyo iyasazi isikhathi lokwahlulela.
6 For to every purpose there is time and manner. For the misery of man is great upon him;
Ngoba kulo lonke udaba kulesikhathi lokwahlulela, ngoba ububi bomuntu bukhulu phezu kwakhe.
7 for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?
Ngoba kakwazi ukuthi kuzakuba yini, ngoba ngubani ongamtshela ukuthi kuzakuba nini?
8 There is no man who hath control over the spirit to retain the spirit; and no one hath control over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war, neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
Kakulamuntu olamandla phezu komoya ukubamba umoya, njalo kalamandla osukwini lokufa; njalo kakukho ukukhululwa kuleyompi, lobubi kabuyikukhulula abaninibo.
9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time when man ruleth man to his hurt.
Konke lokhu ngikubonile, nganikela inhliziyo yami emsebenzini wonke owenziwa ngaphansi kwelanga; kulesikhathi lapho umuntu abusa khona umuntu kube yikulimala kwakhe.
10 And I have also seen the wicked buried and going away; and such as had acted rightly went from [the] holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.
Ngokunjalo-ke ngabona ababi bengcwatshwa, ababevela njalo baye endaweni engcwele, abasebekhohlakele emzini lapho ababenze khona okunjalo. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.
Ngoba isigwebo ngesenzo esibi singenziwa masinyane, ngenxa yalokho inhliziyo yabantwana babantu igcwele ngaphakathi kwabo ukwenza okubi.
12 Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his [days], yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, because they fear before him;
Lanxa isoni sisenza okubi izikhathi ezilikhulu, lensuku zaso zelulwe, kube kanti sibili ngiyazi ukuthi kuzabalungela labo abamesabayo uNkulunkulu, abesabayo phambi kwakhe.
13 but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days as a shadow, because he feareth not before God.
Kodwa omubi kakuyikumlungela; futhi kayikwelula insuku zakhe; unjengesithunzi ngoba kesabi phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there are righteous [men] unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; and there are wicked [men] to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.
Kukhona okuyize okwenziwayo emhlabeni, ukuthi bakhona abalungileyo abehlelwa njengokomsebenzi wababi, bakhona lababi abehlelwa njengokomsebenzi wabalungileyo. Ngathi: Lokhu lakho kuyize.
15 And I commended mirth, because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry; for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God hath given him under the sun.
Ngakho mina ngababaza intokozo; ngoba umuntu kalalutho oluhle ngaphansi kwelanga, ngaphandle kokudla lokunatha lokuthokoza, ngoba lokhu kuzahlala laye ekutshikatshikeni kwakhe ensukwini zempilo yakhe uNkulunkulu amnike zona ngaphansi kwelanga.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes),
Lapho nganikela inhliziyo ukwazi inhlakanipho lokubona umsebenzi owenziwa emhlabeni, (ngoba futhi ukhona ongaboni ubuthongo ngamehlo akhe emini lebusuku)
17 then I saw that all [is] the work of God, [and] that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however man may labour to seek [it] out, yet doth he not find [it]; and even, if a wise [man] think to know [it], he shall not be able to find [it] out.
ngasengibona wonke umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu ukuthi umuntu kalakho ukufumana umsebenzi owenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga; ngoba lanxa umuntu etshikatshika ukukudinga, kube kanti kayikukufumana; yebo futhi, lanxa ohlakaniphileyo angathi uyazi, kayikuba lakho ukukuthola.
