Ecclesiastes 3
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Zonke izinto zilesikhathi sazo, konke okwenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga kulesibanga sakho:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
isikhathi sokuzalwa lesikhathi sokufa, isikhathi sokuhlanyela lesikhathi sokusiphuna,
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
isikhathi sokubulala lesikhathi sokuphilisa, isikhathi sokubhidliza lesikhathi sokwakha,
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
isikhathi sokukhala lesikhathi sokuhleka, isikhathi sokulila lesikhathi sokugida,
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
isikhathi sokuchithiza amatshe lesikhathi sokuwabutha, isikhathi sokugona lesikhathi sokunina,
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
isikhathi sokudinga lesikhathi sokukhalala, isikhathi sokugcina lesikhathi sokulahla,
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
isikhathi sokudabula lesikhathi sokuthunga, isikhathi sokuthula lesikhathi sokukhuluma,
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
isikhathi sokuthanda lesikhathi sokuzonda, isikhathi sempi lesikhathi sokuthula.
9 What profit has he that works in that wherein he labors?
Umuntu osebenzayo uzuzani na ngokusadalala kwakhe?
10 I have seen the travail, which God has given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
Sengiwubonile umthwalo uNkulunkulu awethese abantu.
11 He has made every thing beautiful in his time: also he has set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end.
Yonke into uyenze yabanhle ngesikhathi sayo. Wamupha umuntu iphakade enhliziyweni yakhe; kodwa abantu bangeke bafinyelele kulokho uNkulunkulu asakwenzayo kwasekuqaleni kusiya ekupheleni.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
Ngiyakwazi ukuthi kakukho okungcono ebantwini kulokuthi bajabule njalo benze okuhle besaphila.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.
Ukuthi wonke umuntu adle, anathe asuthiseke ekusebenzeni kwakhe gadalala, lokhu kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
14 I know that, whatever God does, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God does it, that men should fear before him.
Ngiyazi yonke into eyenziwa nguNkulunkulu izakuba khona kokuphela; akulalutho olungengezwa kukho loba kususwe kukho. UNkulunkulu uyenza lokho ukuze abantu bamkhonze.
15 That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past.
Loba yini ekhona seyake yaba khona, kulalokho okuzakuba khona sekwaba khona ngaphambili; njalo uNkulunkulu uzakubalisa okwedlulayo.
16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
Njalo ngabona okunye ngaphansi kwelanga: endaweni yokwahlulela, ububi babukhona, endaweni yokulungisa, ububi babukhona.
17 I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
Ngacabanga ngenhliziyo yami, “UNkulunkulu uzabehlulela bonke abalungileyo lababi, ngoba sizaba khona isikhathi sezenzakalo zonke, isikhathi sawo wonke umsebenzi.”
18 I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
Ngacabanga njalo ngathi, “UNkulunkulu uyabahlola abantu ukuze babone ukuthi banjengezinyamazana.
19 For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; yes, they have all one breath; so that a man has no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Isiphetho somuntu siyafana lesezinyamazana; isiphetho sinye sibalindele bonke: njengoba lokhu kuyafa, kanjalo lokunye kuyafa. Konke kokubili kulomphefumulo munye; umuntu kangcono kulenyamazana. Konke kuyize.
20 All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Konke kuya ndawo yinye; konke kuvela othulini, yikho konke kubuyela othulini.
21 Who knows the spirit of man that goes upward, and the spirit of the beast that goes downward to the earth?
Ngubani owaziyo ingabe umphefumulo womuntu uyakhwela uye phezulu kuthi owenyamazana wehlele phansi phakathi emhlabathini?”
22 Why I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
Yikho ngabona ukuthi kakukho okungcono emuntwini ngaphandle kokuthi akholise umsebenzi wakhe ngoba leso yiso isabelo sakhe. Ngoba kambe ngubani ongamenza ukuthi abone lokho okuzakwenzakala yena esedlule?
