Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove you with mirth, and behold you good: and, behold, this is also vanity.
Ngacabanga ngenhliziyo ngathi, “Kulungile, ake ngizame ukuzithokozisa ngibone ingabe kuhle yini.” Kodwa lokho lakho kwakhanya kuyize.
2 I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why do you this:
Ngathi, “Ukuhleka kuyibuthutha. Ukuzithokozisa khona kusizani?”
3 And I examined whether my heart would excite my flesh as [with] wine, (though my heart guided [me] in wisdom, ) and [I desired] to lay hold of mirth, until I should see of what kind is the good to the sons of men, which they should do under the sun all the days of their life.
Ngazama ukuzithabisa ngewayini, ngisenza ubuwula kodwa ingqondo yami ilokhu ingikhokhela ngokuhlakanipha. Ngangifuna ukubona ukuthi kuyini okumlungeleyo umuntu ukuthi akwenze lapha ngaphansi kwezulu ngezinsukwana lezo zokuphila kwakhe.
4 I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.
Ngaqalisa imisebenzi emikhulu: ngazakhela izindlu ngahlanyela amavini.
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them every kind of fruit tree.
Ngasungula izivande lezigcawu zokubukwa ngahlanyela kuzo yonke imihlobo yezihlahla lezithelo.
6 I made me pools of water, to water from them the timber-bearing wood.
Ngenza iziziba zamanzi okuthelela izihlahla ezazikhula kuhle.
7 I got servants and maidens, and servants were born to me in the house: also I had abundant possession of flocks and herds, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
Ngathenga izigqili zesilisa lezesifazane, ngilezinye futhi izigqili ezazalelwa emzini wami. Ngaba lemihlambihlambi yenkomo lezimvu okwedlula bonke abake babakhona eJerusalema ngaphambi kwami.
8 Moreover I collected for myself both silver and gold also, and the peculiar treasures of kings and provinces: I procured me singing men and singing women, and delights of the sons of men, a butler and female cupbearers.
Ngabuthelela isiliva legolide, kanye lempahla yamakhosi eligugu ivela ezigodini. Ngazidingela abahlabeleli besilisa labesifazane, lesithembo esikhulu, khona okujabulisa inhliziyo yendoda.
9 So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.
Ngaba mkhulu ngokwedluleyo kulaloba ngubani owaba seJerusalema ngaphambi kwami. Phakathi kwayo yonke inyakanyaka le ukuhlakanipha kwami kwahlala kukhona.
10 And whatever mine eyes desired, I withheld not from them, I withheld not my heart from all my mirth: for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my portion of all my labor.
Angizincitshanga lutho olwalufiswa ngamehlo ami; inhliziyo yami angiyalelanga layiphi intokozo. Inhliziyo yami yathokoza ngawo wonke umsebenzi wami, lokhu kwaba ngumvuzo wezithukuthuku zami.
11 And I looked on all my works which my hands had wrought, and on my labor which I laboured to perform: and behold, all was vanity and waywardness of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun.
Kanti lanxa ngahlolisisa konke okwenziwa yizandla zami lalokho engangibhensela ukukuzuza, konke kwakuyize, yikuxotshana lomoya; kwakungela nzuzo ngaphansi kwelanga.
12 Then I looked on to see wisdom, and madness, and folly: for who is the man who will follow after counsel, in all things where in he employs it?
Ngasengigxilisa imicabango yami ekuhlolisiseni ukuhlakanipha, njalo lobuhlanya kanye lobuwula. Kambe angenzani othatha isikhundla senkosi ngaphandle kwalokho obekuvele sekwenziwe?
13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly, as much as light excels darkness.
Ngabona ukuhlakanipha kungcono kulobuwula, njengokukhanya kungcono kulomnyama.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I perceived, even I, that one event shall happen to them all.
Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ulamehlo ekhanda, ikanti isiwula sihamba ebumnyameni; kodwa ngacina sengibona ukuthi isiphetho sabo bonke sinye.
15 And I said in my heart, As the event of the fool is, so shall it be to me, even to me: and to what purpose have I gained wisdom? I said moreover in my heart, This is also vanity, because the fool speaks of his abundance.
Ngasengicabanga enhliziyweni yami ngathi, “Isiphetho sesiwula sizangehlela lami. Pho, ngizuzani ngokuhlakanipha?” Ngathi ngenhliziyo yami, “Lokhu lakho kuyize.”
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever; forasmuch as now [in] the coming days all things are forgotten: and how shall the wise man die with the fool?
Ngoba umuntu ohlakaniphileyo, njengesiwula, akazukukhunjulwa kokuphela; ngezinsuku ezizayo bobabili bazakhohlakala. Njengesiwula, umuntu ohlakaniphileyo laye uzakufa!
17 So I hated life; because the work that was wrought under the sun was evil before me: for all is vanity and waywardness of spirit.
Yikho-ke ngasengikuzonda ukuphila, ngoba umsebenzi owenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga wawubuhlungu kimi. Wonke uyize, yikuxotshana lomoya.
18 And I hated the whole of my labor which I took under the sun; because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
Ngazizonda zonke izinto engangiziginqele ngaphansi kwelanga, ngoba ngimele ngitshiyele lowo oza ngemva kwami.
19 And who knows whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? and whether he will have power over all my labor in which I laboured, and wherein I grew wise under the sun? this is also vanity.
Njalo ngubani owaziyo ingabe uzakuba ngumuntu ohlakaniphileyo loba isiwula? Kodwa nguye ozalawula wonke umsebenzi wamaginqo ami lobungcitshi bami. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
20 so I went about to dismiss from my heart all my labor wherein I had laboured under the sun.
Ngalokho inhliziyo yami yaqalisa ukuphela amandla ngikhumbula konke lokho engakuginqelayo ngaphansi kwelanga.
21 For there is [such] a man that his labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in fortitude; [yet] this man shall give his portion to one who has not laboured therein. This is also vanity and great evil.
Ngoba umuntu angenza umsebenzi wakhe ngokuhlakanipha, ngolwazi langamasu, kodwa utshiyela konke alakho komunye ongazange akusebenzele. Lokhu lakho kuyize, kungumnyama.
22 For it happens to a man in all his labor, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labors under the sun.
Umuntu uzuzani ngakho konke ukusebenza nzima langokutshikatshika kabuhlungu lapha emhlabeni?
23 For all his days [are days] of sorrows, and vexation of spirit is his; in the night also his heart rests not. This is also vanity.
Ubuhlungu umsebenzi wakhe awenzayo kuzozonke insuku zokuphila kwakhe; kwala kanye lebusuku umkhumbulo wakhe kawuphumuli. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
24 A man has nothing [really] good to eat, and to drink, and to show his soul [as] good in his trouble. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
Akukho okungcono emuntwini ngaphandle kokuthi adle, anathe njalo azuze ukusuthiseka ngomsebenzi wakhe. Lokhu lakho ngiyakubona ukuthi kuvela kuNkulunkulu,
25 For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him?
ngoba ngaphandle kwakhe ngubani ongadla kumbe azuze intokozo?
26 For [God] has given to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but he has given to the sinner trouble, to add and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God; for this is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.
Kulowo omthokozisayo uNkulunkulu umupha ukuhlakanipha, ulwazi lokuthaba, kodwa koyisoni umupha umsebenzi wokuqoqa lokulonda inotho ukuze ayiphe lowo othokozisa uNkulunkulu. Lokhu lakho kuyize, yikuxotshana lomoya.
