Ecclesiastes 5
1 Guard thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be ready to hearken: it is better than when fools give sacrifices; for they know not that they do evil.
Qaphela izinyathelo zakho nxa usiya endlini kaNkulunkulu. Sondela ulalele kulokuthi wenze imihlatshelo yeziwula ezingaziyo ukuthi ziyona.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.
Ungawalazeli ngomlomo wakho, ungabi lephaphu uphange uthembise kuNkulunkulu. UNkulunkulu usezulwini ikanti wena usemhlabeni, ngakho kawabe malutshwana amazwi akho.
3 For a dream cometh through a multitude of business; and a fool's voice through a multitude of words.
Njengephupho elifika nxa kulezinkathazo ezinengi, injalo inkulumo yesiwula nxa ilamazwi amanengi.
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou vowest.
Nxa usenza isifungo kuNkulunkulu, ungaphuzi ukusigcwalisa. Kathokozi ngeziwula; gcwalisa isifungo sakho.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Kungcono ukungafungi kulokwenza isifungo ungabe usasigcwalisa.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to bring thy flesh into guilt, neither say thou before the messenger, that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
Ungavumeli umlomo wakho ukungenise esonweni. Njalo ungatshingeli isithunywa sethempelini usithi, “Isifungo sami besiyisiphosiso.” UNkulunkulu angakuthukuthelelani lokho okutshoyo abesebhidliza umsebenzi wezandla zakho na?
7 For through the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but fear thou God.
Ukuphupha kanengi lamazwi amanengi kuyize. Ngakho mesabe uNkulunkulu.
8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent perverting of justice and righteousness in the state, marvel not at the matter; for one higher than the high watcheth, and there are higher than they.
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 But the profit of a land every way is a king that maketh himself servant to the field.
Inala elizweni ngeyomuntu wonke; inkosi ngokwayo ithola inzuzo ngalokho okuvela emasimini.
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase; this also is vanity.
Lowo othanda imali akaneliswa yiloba yimalini; lowo othanda inotho akasuthiswa yilokho akuzuzayo. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, saving the beholding of them with his eyes?
Nxa inotho isanda, bayanda lalabo abayisebenzisayo. Imsiza ngani umniniyo ngaphandle kokuyithapha ngamehlo nje kuphela?
12 Sweet is the sleep of a labouring man, whether he eat little or much; but the satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
Bumnandi ubuthongo besisebenzi, loba sisidla okuncane loba okunengi, kodwa isinothi asilali ngenxa yenotho yaso.
13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt;
Sengibone ububi obudanisayo ngaphansi kwelanga: ubuhaga ngenotho okulimaza umnikazi,
14 and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
loba inotho esuke yachitheka ngomnyama othile, okuthi nxa umuntu elendodana ayisayikuthola lutho.
15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he go back as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
Umuntu uphuma esiswini sikanina engelalutho, njengokufika kwakhe ubuyela enjalo. Kazuzi lutho olusuka emsebenzini wakhe angaluphatha ezandleni zakhe.
16 And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go; and what profit hath he that he laboureth for the wind?
Lobu labo yibubi obudanisayo: Njengokufika kwakhe, umuntu uzabuyela enjalo, ngakho uzuzani, njengoba esebenza esadalalela umoya?
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much vexation and sickness and wrath.
Zonke insuku zakhe udlela emnyameni, ekhathazekile, ehluphekile, ezondile.
18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good, yea, it is comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy pleasure for all his labour, wherein he laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him; for this is his portion.
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 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour — this is the gift of God.
Kunjalo futhi ukuthi nxa uNkulunkulu esipha umuntu inotho lempahla, amvumele ukuthi akholise ngazo, emukele isabelo sakhe athokoze emsebenzini wakhe, lesi yisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
20 For let him remember the days of his life that they are not many; for God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
Kahlali ekhumbula ngezinsuku zempilo yakhe ngoba uNkulunkulu umenza ahlale ngenjabulo enhliziyweni.
