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-ke uMdali wakho ensukwini zobutsha bakho zingakafiki insuku ezimbi, kumbe kusondele iminyaka, lapho ozakuthi: Kangilantokozo ngayo.
2 Whiles the sunne is not darke, nor ye light, nor the moone, nor the starres, nor the cloudes returne after the raine:
Kungakafiphali ilanga lokukhanya lenyanga lezinkanyezi, kumbe amayezi abuyele emva 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:
Ngosuku lapho abagcini bendlu bezathuthumela, lamadoda alamandla akhokhobe, labacholayo beme ngoba bebalutshwana, lalabo abalunguza ngamawindi bafiphazeke,
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.
lezivalo zivalwe esitaladini, lapho umsindo wokuchola usuncipha, lapho ezavuka ekukhaleni kwenyoni, lamadodakazi wonke engoma ezathotshiswa,
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.
lalapho bezakwesaba okuphakemeyo lezesabiso endleleni, lapho isihlahla se-alimondi sesilempoko, lentothoviyane izakuba ngumthwalo kuyo, lesiloyiso sizaphela. Ngoba umuntu uya ekhaya lakhe elilaphakade, labalilayo bazazulazula esitaladeni.
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:
Kungakathukululwa intambo yesiliva, lomganu wegolide uphahlazwe, lembiza iphahlazeke emthonjeni, lendirayo yephuke emgodini wamanzi,
7 And dust returne to the earth as it was, and the spirit returne to God that gaue it.
lothuli lubuyele emhlabathini njengoba lwalunjalo, lomoya ubuyela kuNkulunkulu owawunikayo.
8 Vanitie of vanities, saieth the Preacher, all is vanitie.
Ize leze, 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.
Phezu kwalokho-ke, ngoba umTshumayeli wayehlakaniphile, wayelokhu efundisa abantu ulwazi, yebo wazindla, wadingisisa, wamisa kuhle izaga ezinengi.
10 The Preacher sought to finde out pleasant wordes, and an vpright writing, euen the wordes of trueth.
UmTshumayeli wadinga ukuthola amazwi akholisisayo, lokwabhalwayo kwakuqondile, amazwi eqiniso.
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 anjengezincijo, lanjengezipikili ezibethelwe zatshona, amakhosi emihlangano, enikwa ngumelusi 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.
Phezu kwalokho-ke, ndodana yami, xwayiseka: Ekwenzeni ingwalo ezinengi kakulasiphelo, lokufunda okunengi kuyikudinisa inyama.
13 Let vs heare the end of all: feare God and keepe his commandements: for this is the whole duetie of man.
Isiphetho sodaba konke sekuzwakele yilesi: Mesabe uNkulunkulu, ugcine imilayo yakhe; ngoba lokho yimfanelo yonke yomuntu.
14 For God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement, with euery secret thing, whether it be good or euill.
Ngoba uNkulunkulu uzaletha wonke umsebenzi kusahlulelo, layo yonke into efihliweyo, loba kuhle laloba kubi.
