Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
Njengoba impukane ezifele phakathi kwamakha ziwenza anuke kubi, kunjalo lobuwula obuncinyane bugabhela ukuhlakanipha lodumo.
2 The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
Inhliziyo yolungileyo ikhungathekela ekulungeni, kodwa inhliziyo yesiwula ikhungathekela ebubini.
3 Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
Loba ehamba nje emgwaqweni oyisiwula kalangqondo, utshengisa loba ngubani ubuphukuphuku bakhe.
4 If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
Aluba umbusi ekuthukuthelela, ungasuki esikhundleni sakho; ukuthobeka kungathoba umonakalo obungaba khona.
5 I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
Bukhona ububi esengibubonile ngaphansi kwelanga, kuliphutha elenziwa ngumbusi:
6 when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
Iziwula ziphakanyiselwa ezikhundleni ezinengi eziphezulu, kodwa abanothileyo belezikhundla eziphansi.
7 I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
Sengibone izichaka zigade amabhiza, kuthi amakhosana ahambe ngezinyawo njengezichaka.
8 If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
Lowo ogebha umgodi angawela kuwo; odiliza umduli angalunywa yinyoka.
9 If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
Oqhekeza amatshe angalinyazwa yiwo; obanda inkuni angaba sengozini yazo.
10 If your ax is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to use a lot more force. Conclusion: being wise brings good results.
Lapho ihloka libuthundu ubukhali balo bungalolwanga, kudingeka amandla amanengi kodwa ubungcitshi buyaphumelelisa.
11 If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
Nxa inyoka ihle ilume ingakalunjwa, umlumbi kaselanzuzo.
12 Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
Amazwi aphuma emlonyeni wesihlakaniphi amnandi, kodwa isiwula sichithwa yizindebe zaso.
13 Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
Ekuqaleni amazwi aso ayibuwula; ekucineni aseyikuwumana okubi
14 Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
njalo isiwula sanda ngamazwi. Kakho okwaziyo okuzayo ngubani ongamazisa okuzakwenzakala ngemva kwakhe na?
15 Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
Umtshikatshika wesiwula uyasidinisa; kasiyazi indlela eya edolobheni.
16 You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
Maye kuwe, wena lizwe onkosi yalo yayiyisichaka, amakhosana akho azitika ngamadili ekuseni.
17 You're fortunate if your king comes from a noble family, and your leaders feast at the proper time to give themselves energy, and not to get drunk.
Ubusisiwe wena, wena lizwe onkosi yalo izalwa esikhosini amakhosana alo adla ngezikhathi eziqondileyo edlela ukuqina hatshi ukudakwa.
18 Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
Nxa indoda ilivila intungo ziyabhensa; nxa izandla zayo ziyekethisa indlu iyavuza.
19 A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
Idili lenzelwa ukujabula, lewayini lenza impilo ibe mnandi, kodwa imali yiyo impendulo yakho konke.
20 Don't talk badly about the king, not even in your thoughts. Don't talk badly about leaders, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird may hear what you say and fly away to tell them.
Ungayithuki inkosi lasemicabangweni yakho, loba uqalekise abanothileyo loba usendlini yakho yokulala, ngoba mhlawumbe inyoni yasemoyeni ingawathwala amazwi akho, loba inyoni ephaphayo ingayabika okutshoyo.
