Ecclesiastes 5
1 Keep thy foot, when thou goest into the house of God, and draw nigh to hear. For much better is obedience, than the victims of fools, who know not what evil they do.
Gcina unyawo lwakho nxa usiya endlini kaNkulunkulu; sondelela ukulalela kulokunikela umhlatshelo wezithutha, ngoba kazazi ukuthi zenza okubi.
2 Speak not any thing rashly, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
Ungabi lamawala ngomlomo wakho, lenhliziyo yakho ingaphangisi ukukhupha ilizwi phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngoba uNkulunkulu usemazulwini, wena-ke usemhlabeni, ngakho amazwi akho kawabe malutshwana.
3 Dreams follow many cares: and in many words shall be found folly.
Ngoba iphupho liza ngobunengi bomsebenzi, lelizwi lesithutha ngobunengi bamazwi.
4 If thou hast vowed any thing to God, defer not to pay it: for an unfaithful and foolish promise displeaseth him: but whatsoever thou hast vowed, pay it.
Lapho ufunga isifungo kuNkulunkulu, ungaphuzi ukusikhokha, ngoba kakulantokozo kuziwula; khokha lokho okufungileyo.
5 And it is much better not to vow, than after a vow not to perform the things promised.
Kungcono ukuthi ungafungi kulokuthi ufunge ungakhokhi.
6 Give not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin: and say not before the angel: There is no providence: lest God be angry at thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands.
Ungavumeli umlomo wakho ukuthi wenze inyama yakho yone, futhi ungatsho phambi kwengilosi ukuthi bekuyisiphosiso; uNkulunkulu uzathukuthelelani ilizwi lakho, achithe umsebenzi wezandla zakho?
7 Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number: but do thou fear God.
Ngoba ebunengini bamaphupho lamazwi kukhona lokuyize okunengi, kodwa mesabe uNkulunkulu.
8 If thou shalt see the oppressions of the poor, and violent judgments, and justice perverted in the province, wonder not at this matter: for he that is high hath another higher, and there are others still higher than these:
Uba ubona ucindezelo lomyanga lokuphanjulwa kokulunga lesahlulelo ngodlakela esabelweni, ungamangali ngalinto, ngoba ophezulu kophezulu uyananzelela, njalo kulabaphezulu phezu kwabo.
9 Moreover there is the king that reigneth over all the land subject to him.
Lenzuzo yomhlabathi ngeyabo bonke; inkosi isetshenzelwa yinsimu.
10 A covetous man shall not be satisfied with money: and he that loveth riches shall reap no fruit from them: so this also is vanity.
Othanda imali kayikweneliswa yimali, njalo othanda okunengi kayikweneliswa yikwanda; lokhu lakho kuyize.
11 Where there are great riches, there are also many to eat them. And what doth it profit the owner, but that he seeth the riches with his eyes?
Ekwandeni kokuhle, bayanda abakudlayo; njalo kulenzuzo bani kubanini bakho, ngaphandle kokukubuka ngamehlo abo?
12 Sleep is sweet to a labouring man, whether he eat little or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
Bumnandi ubuthongo besisebenzi loba sisidla okulutshwana loba okunengi; kodwa ukusutha kwesinothi kakusivumeli ukulala.
13 There is also another grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of the owner.
Kukhona ububi obubuhlungu esengibubonile ngaphansi kwelanga: Inotho egcinelwe abaniniyo kube yibubi kibo.
14 For they are lost with very great affliction: he hath begotten a son, who shall be in extremity of want.
Kodwa leyonotho ichitheka ngomsebenzi omubi: Esezala umntwana, kungaselalutho esandleni sakhe.
15 As he came forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and shall take nothing away with him of his labour.
Njengokuphuma kwakhe esiswini sikanina, uzabuyela eze ehamba njengokuza kwakhe; njalo kayikuthatha lutho lomtshikatshika wakhe angahamba lalo esandleni sakhe.
16 A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?
Lokhu lakho kuyibubi obubuhlungu, kukho konke njengokufika kwakhe ngokunjalo uzahamba. Njalo ulenzuzo bani owatshikatshikela umoya?
17 All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow.
Njalo insuku zakhe zonke udlela emnyameni, elosizi olukhulu, lomkhuhlane wakhe, lokuthukuthela?
18 This therefore hath seemed good to me, that a man should eat and drink, and enjoy the fruit of his labour, wherewith he hath laboured under the sun, all the days of his life, which God hath given him: and this is his portion.
Khangela, engikubonileyo mina, kulungile okuhle ukudla lokunatha lokubona okuhle emtshikatshikeni wakhe wonke awutshikatshikayo ngaphansi kwelanga, enanini lensuku zempilo yakhe uNkulunkulu amnike zona, ngoba kuyisabelo sakhe.
19 And every man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to enjoy his portion, and to rejoice of his labour: this is the gift of God.
Laye wonke umuntu, uNkulunkulu amnike inotho lengcebo, wamnika amandla okudla kukho, lokuthatha isabelo sakhe, lokuthokoza emtshikatshikeni wakhe - lokhu kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God entertaineth his heart with delight,
Ngoba kayikukhumbula kakhulu insuku zempilo yakhe, ngoba uNkulunkulu umphendula ngentokozo yenhliziyo yakhe.
