Ecclesiastes 9
1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred [by] all [that is] before them.
Ngoba konke lokhu ngakubeka enhliziyweni yami ukuhlolisisa konke lokhu, ukuthi abalungileyo labahlakaniphileyo lezenzo zabo kusesandleni sikaNkulunkulu; loba uthando kumbe inzondo, kakho umuntu okwaziyo, konke okuphambi kwabo.
2 All [things come] alike to all: [there is] one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as [he] that feareth an oath.
Konke kwehla ngokufananayo kubo bonke; sinye isehlakalo kolungileyo lakomubi, komuhle, lakohlambulukileyo lakongahlambulukanga, lakonikela umhlatshelo lakonganikeli umhlatshelo; njengolungileyo sinjalo isoni, ofungayo njengowesaba isifungo.
3 This [is] an evil among all [things] that are done under the sun, that [there is] one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.
Yilobu ububi phakathi kwakho konke okwenziwa ngaphansi kwelanga, ukuthi sinye isehlakalo kukho konke, futhi lenhliziyo yabantwana babantu igcwele ububi, lobuhlanya busenhliziyweni yabo besaphila, lemva kwalokhu baya kwabafileyo.
4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Ngoba kulowo ohlanganiswe labo bonke abaphilayo kulethemba, ngoba inja ephilayo ingcono kulesilwane esifileyo.
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ngoba abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bazakufa, kodwa abafileyo kabazi lutho, njalo kabaselawo umvuzo, ngoba ukukhunjulwa kwabo sekukhohlakele.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the sun.
Futhi uthando lwabo lenzondo yabo lomona wabo sekubhubhile, njalo kabasayikuba lesabelo laphakade kukho konke okwenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga.
7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Hamba, udle ukudla kwakho ngentokozo, unathe iwayini lakho ngenhliziyo elenjabulo, ngoba uNkulunkulu usethokozile ngemisebenzi yakho.
8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Izigqoko zakho kazibe ngezimhlophe ngesikhathi sonke, lamafutha angasweleki ekhanda lakho.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that [is] thy portion in [this] life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
Kholisa impilo lomkakho omthandayo zonke izinsuku zempilo yakho eyize akunike yona ngaphansi kwelanga, zonke izinsuku zakho eziyize, ngoba lesi yisabelo sakho empilweni, lemtshikatshikeni owutshikatshika ngaphansi kwelanga.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)
Loba kuyini isandla sakho esikutholayo ukukwenza kwenze ngamandla akho, ngoba kawukho umsebenzi lecebo lolwazi lenhlakanipho engcwabeni lapho oya khona. (Sheol h7585)
11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race [is] not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Ngaphenduka ngabona ngaphansi kwelanga ukuthi umjaho kawusiwabalejubane, lempi kayisiyamaqhawe, futhi lesinkwa kasisabahlakaniphileyo, futhi lenotho kayisiyabalolwazi, futhi lomusa kawusiwezingcitshi, kodwa isikhathi lesehlakalo kwehlela bonke.
12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so [are] the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Ngoba futhi umuntu kasazi isikhathi sakhe; njengenhlanzi ezibanjwa embuleni elibi, lanjengezinyoni ezibanjwa emjibileni, njengazo abantwana babantu bayabanjwa esikhathini esibi, lapho sibajuma.
13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it [seemed] great unto me:
Lale inhlakanipho ngayibona ngaphansi kwelanga, njalo yaba nkulu kimi.
14 [There was] a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Kwakukhona umuzi omncinyane, okwakulabantu abalutshwana phakathi kwawo; kwasekusiza inkosi enkulu kuwo, yawuvimbezela, yawakhela amadundulu amakhulu okuvimbezela.
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Kwasekutholakala phakathi kwawo umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ongumyanga, yena-ke ngenhlakanipho yakhe wawukhulula lowomuzi. Kanti kakho owake wamkhumbula lowomuntu ongumyanga.
16 Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard.
Mina ngasengisithi: Inhlakanipho ingcono kulamandla, lanxa ukuhlakanipha komyanga kuseyiswa lamazwi akhe engalalelwa.
17 The words of wise [men are] heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
Amazwi abahlakaniphileyo azwiwa ekupholeni ngcono kulokumemeza kobusayo phakathi kwezithutha.
18 Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Inhlakanipho ingcono kulezikhali zempi, kodwa isoni esisodwa sichitha ubuhle obunengi.
