Ecclesiastes 5
1 Be careful when you go into God's house. It's better to listen and respond rather than offer meaningless sacrifices. People who do that don't even know they are doing wrong.
Qaphela izinyathelo zakho nxa usiya endlini kaNkulunkulu. Sondela ulalele kulokuthi wenze imihlatshelo yeziwula ezingaziyo ukuthi ziyona.
2 Don't say rash things, and think before you speak to God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so keep it short.
Ungawalazeli ngomlomo wakho, ungabi lephaphu uphange uthembise kuNkulunkulu. UNkulunkulu usezulwini ikanti wena usemhlabeni, ngakho kawabe malutshwana amazwi akho.
3 When you worry too much, you get nightmares; when you talk too much, you say foolish things.
Njengephupho elifika nxa kulezinkathazo ezinengi, injalo inkulumo yesiwula nxa ilamazwi amanengi.
4 When you make a vow to God, with a curse on you if you don't keep it, don't be slow in keeping it, for he is not happy with foolish behavior. So do what you promised!
Nxa usenza isifungo kuNkulunkulu, ungaphuzi ukusigcwalisa. Kathokozi ngeziwula; gcwalisa isifungo sakho.
5 Better not to make any vows at all than to make vow you don't keep.
Kungcono ukungafungi kulokwenza isifungo ungabe usasigcwalisa.
6 Don't let your mouth cause you to sin. And don't tell the priest that your vow was a mistake, for why would you antagonize God by breaking your promise? He could bring your own curse down on you.
Ungavumeli umlomo wakho ukungenise esonweni. Njalo ungatshingeli isithunywa sethempelini usithi, “Isifungo sami besiyisiphosiso.” UNkulunkulu angakuthukuthelelani lokho okutshoyo abesebhidliza umsebenzi wezandla zakho na?
7 There are certainly many dreams, questions of meaning, and lots of different ideas, but you are to follow God.
Ukuphupha kanengi lamazwi amanengi kuyize. Ngakho mesabe uNkulunkulu.
8 If you see poor people somewhere being oppressed, or truth and justice violated, don't be shocked at it, for every official is responsible to others higher up, and there are officials over them as well.
Nxa ubona abayanga esiqintini bencindezelwa, bencitshwa ukwahlulelwa okuhle kanye lamalungelo, ungamangaliswa yilezozinto; ngoba phela induna nganye ikhangelwe ngomunye ongaphezu kwayo, kuthi ngaphezu kwabo bonke kube labanye njalo abangaphezulu.
9 However, what the land produces is for everyone—even the king benefits from what is grown.
Inala elizweni ngeyomuntu wonke; inkosi ngokwayo ithola inzuzo ngalokho okuvela emasimini.
10 People who love money never have enough money; those who love wealth never have enough income. This too is so temporary and makes little sense.
Lowo othanda imali akaneliswa yiloba yimalini; lowo othanda inotho akasuthiswa yilokho akuzuzayo. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
11 The more you earn, the more you have eating into your income. It only looks like you have more!
Nxa inotho isanda, bayanda lalabo abayisebenzisayo. Imsiza ngani umniniyo ngaphandle kokuyithapha ngamehlo nje kuphela?
12 Those who work hard sleep well, whether they have a little to eat or plenty, but the rich own so much they don't get any rest.
Bumnandi ubuthongo besisebenzi, loba sisidla okuncane loba okunengi, kodwa isinothi asilali ngenxa yenotho yaso.
13 I observed something here that is really sickening: people who hoard money damage themselves.
Sengibone ububi obudanisayo ngaphansi kwelanga: ubuhaga ngenotho okulimaza umnikazi,
14 They put their money into bad investments and lose everything. Now when we're born, we don't bring anything into the world.
loba inotho esuke yachitheka ngomnyama othile, okuthi nxa umuntu elendodana ayisayikuthola lutho.
15 When we die, we leave just as naked as when we were born, taking nothing with us from all we've worked for.
Umuntu uphuma esiswini sikanina engelalutho, njengokufika kwakhe ubuyela enjalo. Kazuzi lutho olusuka emsebenzini wakhe angaluphatha ezandleni zakhe.
16 This also makes me sick! What do people gain, working for the wind?
Lobu labo yibubi obudanisayo: Njengokufika kwakhe, umuntu uzabuyela enjalo, ngakho uzuzani, njengoba esebenza esadalalela umoya?
17 They live their lives in darkness, very frustrated, sick, and resentful.
Zonke insuku zakhe udlela emnyameni, ekhathazekile, ehluphekile, ezondile.
18 But I observed that what is good and right is to eat, drink, and to find enjoyment in the work God gives us here in this life. This is God's gift to us.
Ngasengibona ukuthi kuhle kuqondile ukuthi umuntu adle njalo anathe, njalo azuze ukusuthiseka ekutshikatshikeni kwakhe ngomsebenzi ngaphansi kwelanga ngalezonsuku ezilutshwane ezokuphila uNkulunkulu asamuphe zona ngoba lesi yisabelo sakhe.
19 In addition, everyone to whom God gives wealth and possessions he also gives the ability to enjoy these gifts, to be grateful for what they are given, and to enjoy the work they do. This is also God's gift to us.
Kunjalo futhi ukuthi nxa uNkulunkulu esipha umuntu inotho lempahla, amvumele ukuthi akholise ngazo, emukele isabelo sakhe athokoze emsebenzini wakhe, lesi yisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
20 In fact such people have little time to think about life because God keeps them busy with all that makes them happy.
Kahlali ekhumbula ngezinsuku zempilo yakhe ngoba uNkulunkulu umenza ahlale ngenjabulo enhliziyweni.
