Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart: 'Come now, I will try thee with mirth, and enjoy pleasure'; and, behold, this also was vanity.
Ngathi mina enhliziyweni yami: Woza-ke, ngizakuzama ngentokozo, njalo kholisa okuhle. Khangela-ke, lalokhu kwakuyize.
2 I said of laughter: 'It is mad'; and of mirth: 'What doth it accomplish?'
Ngokuhleka ngathi: Kuyibuhlanya! Langentokozo: Kwenzani?
3 I searched in my heart how to pamper my flesh with wine, and, my heart conducting itself with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on folly, till I might see which it was best for the sons of men that they should do under the heaven the few days of their life.
Ngadinga enhliziyweni yami ukuthokozisa inyama yami ngewayini (kodwa ngakhokhela inhliziyo yami ngenhlakanipho), lokubambelela ebuthutheni, ngize ngibone ukuthi kuyini lokho okulungele abantwana babantu, abangakwenza ngaphansi kwamazulu, ngenani lensuku zempilo zabo.
4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;
Ngazenzela imisebenzi emikhulu; ngazakhela izindlu; ngazihlanyelela izivini;
5 I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;
ngazenzela izivande lezivande zezihlahla; ngahlanyela kuzo izihlahla zezithelo zohlobo lonke;
6 I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the wood springing up with trees;
ngazenzela amachibi amanzi okuthelela ngawo ihlathi lokukhulisa izihlahla;
7 I acquired men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;
ngathenga izigqili lezigqilikazi, ngaba labazalelwe endlini; njalo ngaba lemfuyo enengi yenkomo lezimvu okwedlula bonke ababekhona ngaphambi kwami eJerusalema;
8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and treasure such as kings and the provinces have as their own; I got me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, women very many.
ngazibuthela futhi isiliva legolide lemfuyo ekhethekileyo yamakhosi leyamazwe; ngazizuzela abahlabeleli labahlabelelikazi, lentokozo zabantwana babantu, amantombazana emihlobo yonke.
9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom stood me in stead.
Ngakho ngaba mkhulu nganda okwedlula wonke owayekhona ngaphambi kwami eJerusalema, lenhlakanipho yami yema lami.
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart had joy of all my labour; and this was my portion from all my labour.
Lakho konke amehlo ami akufisayo kangiwancitshanga khona, kangigodlanga inhliziyo yami lakuyiphi intokozo; ngoba inhliziyo yami yathokoza ekutshikatshikeni kwami konke; lalokhu kwaba yisabelo sami somtshikatshika wami wonke.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
Mina ngasengikhangela yonke imisebenzi izandla zami eziyenzileyo, lomtshikatshika engangitshikatshike ukuwenza; khangela-ke, konke kwakuyize lokukhathazeka komoya, njalo kwakungekho nzuzo ngaphansi kwelanga.
12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.
Mina ngasengibuyela ukubona inhlakanipho lobuhlanya lobuthutha. Ngoba angenzani umuntu olandela inkosi? Lokho okuvele sekwenziwe.
13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.
Mina ngasengibona ukuthi inhlakanipho ingcono kulobuthutha njengokukhanya kungcono kulomnyama.
14 The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.
Ohlakaniphileyo, amehlo akhe asekhanda lakhe, kodwa isithutha sihamba emnyameni; ngasengisazi lami ukuthi isehlakalo sinye sehlela bonke.
15 Then said I in my heart: 'As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?' Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
Mina ngasengisithi enhliziyweni yami: Njengoba kusehlela isithutha kuzangehlela lami; pho, kungani-ke mina ngangihlakaniphe okwedlulisileyo? Ngasengikhuluma enhliziyweni yami ukuthi lokhu lakho kuyize.
16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will long ago have been forgotten. And how must the wise man die even as the fool!
Ngoba kakukho ukukhunjulwa kohlakaniphileyo okwedlula koyisithutha phakade; ngoba lokhu okukhona khathesi ensukwini ezizayo konke kuzakhohlakala. Ohlakaniphileyo ufa njani? Njengesithutha.
17 So I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
Ngasengizonda impilo, ngoba umsebenzi owenziwa ngaphansi kwelanga wawubuhlungu kimi; ngoba konke kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
18 And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
Yebo, mina ngawuzonda wonke umtshikatshika wami engawutshikatshika ngaphansi kwelanga, ngoba ngizawutshiyela umuntu ozakuba khona ngemva kwami.
19 And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.
Ngubani-ke owaziyo ukuthi uzakuba ngohlakaniphileyo kumbe oyisithutha? Kanti uzabusa phezu kwawo wonke umtshikatshika wami engawutshikatshikayo lengiwenze ngenhlakanipho ngaphansi kwelanga. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
20 Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
Mina ngasengiphenduka ngadangalisa inhliziyo yami ngomtshikatshika wonke engangiwutshikatshika ngaphansi kwelanga.
21 For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.
Ngoba kulomuntu omtshikatshika wakhe ukunhlakanipho lakulwazi lakubuqotho, kanti uzawunika umuntu ongatshikatshikanga kuwo ube yisabelo sakhe. Lokhu lakho kuyize, lobubi obukhulu.
22 For what hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth under the sun?
Ngoba ulani umuntu ngomtshikatshika wakhe wonke langokukhathazeka kwenhliziyo yakhe akutshikatshike ngaphansi kwelanga?
23 For all his days are pains, and his occupation vexation; yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. This also is vanity.
Ngoba insuku zakhe zonke zizinsizi, lomsebenzi wakhe uyikudabuka; lebusuku inhliziyo yakhe kayiphumuli. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy pleasure for his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
Kakukho okungcono emuntwini kulokuthi adle anathe abonise umphefumulo wakhe okuhle emtshikatshikeni wakhe. Lokhu lakho mina ngabona ukuthi kuvela esandleni sikaNkulunkulu.
25 For who will eat, or who will enjoy, if not I?
Ngoba ngubani ongadla kumbe ngubani ongakholisa kulami?
26 For to the man that is good in His sight He giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He giveth the task, to gather and to heap up, that he may leave to him that is good in the sight of God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Ngoba yena uyamnika umuntu olungileyo phambi kobuso bakhe inhlakanipho lolwazi lentokozo; kodwa isoni uyasinika umsebenzi wokubutha lokubuthelela ukunika olungileyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Lokhu lakho kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
