Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember your Creator while you are young, before days of trouble come and you grow old, saying, “I'm not enjoying life anymore.”
Khumbula uMdali wakho ngezinsuku zobutsha bakho, kungakafiki insuku zokuhlupheka njalo kusondele leminyaka lapho ozakuthi, “Angizuzi kuthokoza kuyo”
2 Before the light fades—sun, moon, and stars—and rain clouds return to darken the skies.
andubana ilanga lokukhanya kanye lenyanga lezinkanyezi kufiphale, lamayezi achitheke ngemva kwezulu;
3 Before the guards of the house tremble and the strong men are bent over, the grinders stop working because there are only a few left, and the ones looking through the windows only see dimly,
lapho abalindi bendlu bezathuthumela, amadoda aqinileyo akhokhobe, labacholi batshiye umsebenzi ngoba sebebalutshwana, kuthi labalunguzayo ngamawindi sebebona lufifi;
4 and the doors to the street are shut. Before the sound of the grinding mill grows low, and you wake up early when the birds are singing, but you can hardly hear them.
lapho iminyango ephumela emigwaqweni isivaliwe lomsindo wokuchola usufiphala; lapho abantu besethuswa yikukhala kwenyoni, lezingoma zazo zincipha;
5 Before you develop a fear of heights and worry about going out on the streets; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper crawls along, and desire fails, for everyone has to go to their eternal home as the mourners go up and down the street.
lapho abantu sebesesaba izindawo eziphakemeyo lezingozi emigwaqweni; lapho isihlahla se-alimondi sesiqhakaza lentethe isihamba ngokuzihudula nje njalo kungasekho ukulangazelela. Lapho-ke umuntu usesiya ekhaya lakhe laphakade njalo abalilayo bagcwale emigwaqweni.
6 Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken; before the water jug is smashed at the spring, or the pulley is broken at the well.
Mkhumbule intambo yesiliva ingakaqamuki, kumbe umganu wegolide ungakabhidlizwa; lodiwo lungakahlikizwa emthonjeni, loba ivili lephulwe emgodini wamanzi,
7 Then the dust returns to the earth from which it came, and the breath of life returns to God who gave it.
kuthi umhlabathi ubuyele emhlabathini lapho owavela khona, lomphefumulo ubuyele kuNkulunkulu onguye owawuphayo.
8 “Everything passes! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
“Ize! Ize!” kutsho uMtshumayeli, “Konke kuyize!”
9 Not only was the Teacher a wise man, he also taught what he knew to others. He thought about many proverbs, studying them and arranging them.
UMtshumayeli wayehlakaniphile, njalo esabela abantu ulwazi. Wazidla ingqondo wadingisisa wamisa kuhle izaga ezinengi.
10 The Teacher looked for the best way to explain things, writing truthfully and honestly.
UMtshumayeli wadingisisa ukuze azuze amazwi ayiwonawona, kwathi-ke konke akulobayo kwaqonda njalo kuliqiniso.
11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods. Their collected sayings are like nails driven home, given by one shepherd.
Amazwi abahlakaniphileyo anjengenswazi zokwethusa izimvu, izitsho zabo eziqoqiweyo zinjengezipikili ezibethelwe zatshona, zivela kuMalusi munye.
12 In addition, my student, take care, for there's no end to book writing, and too much study wears you out.
Limuka, ndodana yami, loba kuyini okudlula lapho. Ukulotshwa kwezincwadi ezinengi akulamkhawulo, njalo ukufunda kakhulu kuhlukuluza umzimba.
13 To sum up now that everything has been discussed: Respect God by keeping his commandments, for that's what everyone should do.
Manje-ke konke sekuzwakele; nansi isiphetho sendaba: Mesabe uNkulunkulu ugcine imiyalo yakhe, ngoba lo yiwo wonke umlandu womuntu.
14 God is going to judge us for everything we do, including what we do secretly, whether good or bad.
Ngoba uNkulunkulu uzazahlulela zonke izenzo, lalokho okufihliweyo loba kuhle loba kubi.
