Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember nowe thy Creator in the daies of thy youth, whiles the euill daies come not, nor the yeeres approche, wherein thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them:
Khumbula uMdali wakho ngezinsuku zobutsha bakho, kungakafiki insuku zokuhlupheka njalo kusondele leminyaka lapho ozakuthi, “Angizuzi kuthokoza kuyo”
2 Whiles the sunne is not darke, nor ye light, nor the moone, nor the starres, nor the cloudes returne after the raine:
andubana ilanga lokukhanya kanye lenyanga lezinkanyezi kufiphale, lamayezi achitheke ngemva kwezulu;
3 When the keepers of ye house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow them selues, and the grinders shall cease, because they are few, and they waxe darke that looke out by ye windowes:
lapho abalindi bendlu bezathuthumela, amadoda aqinileyo akhokhobe, labacholi batshiye umsebenzi ngoba sebebalutshwana, kuthi labalunguzayo ngamawindi sebebona lufifi;
4 And the doores shall be shut without by the base sound of the grinding, and he shall rise vp at the voice of the birde: and all the daughters of singing shall be abased.
lapho iminyango ephumela emigwaqweni isivaliwe lomsindo wokuchola usufiphala; lapho abantu besethuswa yikukhala kwenyoni, lezingoma zazo zincipha;
5 Also they shalbe afraide of the hie thing, and feare shalbe in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grassehopper shall be a burden, and concupiscence shall be driuen away: for man goeth to the house of his age, and the mourners goe about in the streete.
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 Whiles the siluer coarde is not lengthened, nor the golden ewer broken, nor the pitcher broken at the well, nor the wheele broken at the cisterne:
Mkhumbule intambo yesiliva ingakaqamuki, kumbe umganu wegolide ungakabhidlizwa; lodiwo lungakahlikizwa emthonjeni, loba ivili lephulwe emgodini wamanzi,
7 And dust returne to the earth as it was, and the spirit returne to God that gaue it.
kuthi umhlabathi ubuyele emhlabathini lapho owavela khona, lomphefumulo ubuyele kuNkulunkulu onguye owawuphayo.
8 Vanitie of vanities, saieth the Preacher, all is vanitie.
“Ize! Ize!” kutsho uMtshumayeli, “Konke kuyize!”
9 And the more wise the Preacher was, the more he taught the people knowledge, and caused them to heare, and searched foorth, and prepared many parables.
UMtshumayeli wayehlakaniphile, njalo esabela abantu ulwazi. Wazidla ingqondo wadingisisa wamisa kuhle izaga ezinengi.
10 The Preacher sought to finde out pleasant wordes, and an vpright writing, euen the wordes of trueth.
UMtshumayeli wadingisisa ukuze azuze amazwi ayiwonawona, kwathi-ke konke akulobayo kwaqonda njalo kuliqiniso.
11 The wordes of the wise are like goads, and like nailes fastened by the masters of the assemblies, which are giuen by one pastour.
Amazwi abahlakaniphileyo anjengenswazi zokwethusa izimvu, izitsho zabo eziqoqiweyo zinjengezipikili ezibethelwe zatshona, zivela kuMalusi munye.
12 And of other things beside these, my sone, take thou heede: for there is none ende in making many bookes, and much reading is a wearines of the flesh.
Limuka, ndodana yami, loba kuyini okudlula lapho. Ukulotshwa kwezincwadi ezinengi akulamkhawulo, njalo ukufunda kakhulu kuhlukuluza umzimba.
13 Let vs heare the end of all: feare God and keepe his commandements: for this is the whole duetie of man.
Manje-ke konke sekuzwakele; nansi isiphetho sendaba: Mesabe uNkulunkulu ugcine imiyalo yakhe, ngoba lo yiwo wonke umlandu womuntu.
14 For God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement, with euery secret thing, whether it be good or euill.
Ngoba uNkulunkulu uzazahlulela zonke izenzo, lalokho okufihliweyo loba kuhle loba kubi.
