Ecclesiastes 1
1 Here are the words of the Teacher, the king of Jerusalem, David's son.
Amazwi oMtshumayeli, indodana kaDavida inkosi yaseJerusalema:
2 “Everything passes—it's so temporary! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
“Ize! Ize!” kutsho uMtshumayeli. “Ize elipheleleyo! Konke kuyize.”
3 What benefit do you get for slaving away in this life?
Umuntu uzuzani ngawo wonke umsebenzi wakhe awusebenza nzima ngaphansi kwelanga?
4 People come, and people go, but the earth lasts forever!
Izizukulwane ziyafika, izizukulwane ziyedlula, kodwa umhlaba umi lanini.
5 The sun comes up, and the sun goes down, and then rushes to its place to rise again.
Ilanga liyaphuma njalo ilanga liyatshona, liphinde liphange libuyele lapho eliphuma khona.
6 The wind blows south, and then turns to the north. Round and round it spins, finally coming full circle.
Umoya uphephethela eningizimu ujike uye enyakatho; uyabhoda, ubhode njalo ujinge ubuyela endleleni yawo.
7 Streams all flow into the sea, but the sea never becomes full. The streams return to the place from where they came.
Zonke izifula zigelezela olwandle, kodwa ulwandle kalugcwali. Endaweni lapho izifula ezidabuka khona zicina zibuyela khona njalo.
8 Everything just keeps on going. You can't say all there is to say. You can't see all there is to see. You can't hear all there is to hear.
Zonke izinto ziyadina, lokho okungelandiswe muntu. Ilihlo kalidinwa yikubona, lendlebe layo kayigcwali ngokuzwa.
9 Everything that was will continue to be; everything that has been done will be done again. Nothing new ever happens here.
Lokho okwake kwaba khona kuzakuba khona njalo; okwake kwenziwa kuzakwenziwa njalo; akulalutho olutsha ngaphansi kwelanga.
10 There's nothing anyone can point to and say, “Look! Here's something new.” In fact it's been around for ages, long before our time.
Kukhona yini umuntu angathi ngakho, “Khangela! Lolulutho lutsha?” Selwake lwaba khona ngaphambili, kudala; lwalukhona singakabi khona.
11 The problem is we don't remember people from the past, and people in the future won't remember those who came before them.
Kayikho imikhumbulo ngabantu bakudala, njalo lalabo abezayo abayikukhunjulwa yilabo abalandelayo.
12 I am the Teacher, and I was king over Israel, reigning from Jerusalem.
Mina Mtshumayeli, ngangiyinkosi yako-Israyeli eJerusalema.
13 I decided to focus my mind to explore, using wisdom, everything that happens here on earth. This is a tough assignment that God has given people to keep them busy!
Ngazinikela ekufundeni lokudingisisa ngolwazi konke okwenziwayo ngaphansi kwezulu. Unzima kangakanani umthwalo uNkulunkulu awethese abantu!
14 I examined everything people do here on earth, and discovered that it's all so temporary—trying to understand it is like trying to pin down the wind!
Sengizibonile zonke izinto ezenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga; zonke kazitsho lutho, kuyikuxotshana lomoya.
15 You can't straighten what is twisted, and you can't count what isn't there.
Okutshileneyo kungaze kwaqondiswa; okungekho kungaze kwabalwa.
16 I thought to myself, “I've become very wise, wiser than all the kings of Jerusalem before me. My mind has gained a great deal of wisdom and knowledge.”
Ngacabanga ngedwa ngathi, “Khangela, sengikhulile njalo kwanda ukuhlakanipha kwami okudlula bonke asebake babusa eJerusalema ngaphambi kwami; sengibe lakho ukuhlakanipha okukhulu lolwazi.”
17 So I decided to use my mind to learn everything about wisdom, and madness and foolishness as well. But I found out that this is as hard as trying to catch hold of the wind.
Ngasengizimisela ukuzwisisa ukuhlakanipha, njalo lokuphambana ingqondo lobuwula, kodwa ngafunda ukuthi lokhu lakho kuyikuxotshana lomoya.
18 For with great wisdom comes great frustration. The greater the knowledge, the greater the pain.
Phela ngokwanda kokuhlakanipha kuyanda lokukhathazeka; ukwandisa ulwazi yikwandisa usizi.
