Ecclesiastes 4
1 And I turned about, and beheld all the oppressed that are made so under the sun: and, behold, there are the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and from the hand of their oppressors they suffer violence; and they have no comforter.
Mina ngasengiphenduka ngabona incindezelo zonke ezenziwa ngaphansi kwelanga; khangela-ke inyembezi zabacindezelweyo, njalo babengelamduduzi; lehlangothini lwababacindezelayo kwakulamandla, kodwa babengelamduduzi.
2 Thereupon praised I the dead that are already dead, more than the living who are still alive;
Ngakho ngancoma abafileyo, abavele sebefile, okwedlula abaphilayo, abalokhu besaphila.
3 And as happier than both of them, him who hath not yet come into being, who hath not seen the evil-doing that is done under the sun.—
Yebo ungcono kulabo bobabili, ongakabi khona, ongabonanga umsebenzi omubi owenziwa ngaphansi kwelanga.
4 Again, I beheld all the toil, and all the energy in doing, that it is [from] the envy of one man of his neighbor. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
Ngasengibona mina wonke umtshikatshika lempumelelo yonke yomsebenzi, ngoba lokhu kungumhawu womuntu ovela kumakhelwane wakhe. Lokhu lakho kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Isiphukuphuku sigoqa izandla zaso sidle inyama yaso.
6 Better is a handful of quiet, than both the hands full of toil and torture of spirit.
Singcono isandla esigcwele ukuthula kulezandla ezimbili ezigcwele ukutshikatshika lokukhathazeka komoya.
7 Then I turned about, and I saw a vanity under the sun.
Mina ngasengiphenduka ngabona ize ngaphansi kwelanga.
8 There is one alone, and he hath not a companion; yea, he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end to all his toil; his eye also is not satisfied with riches. Yet for whom do I toil, and deprive my soul of good? Also this is vanity, yea, it is a bad employment.
Kukhona oyedwa, njalo kakho owesibili, yebo kalamntwana kumbe umfowabo, njalo kakulakuphela komtshikatshika wakhe wonke, lelihlo lakhe kalisuthiswa yinotho, njalo katsho ukuthi: Ngitshikatshikela bani, ngenze umphefumulo wami uswele okuhle? Lokhu lakho kuyize, yebo, kungumsebenzi omubi.
9 Two are better than one; because they will have a good reward for their toil.
Ababili bangcono kuloyedwa, ngoba balomvuzo omuhle ngokutshikatshika kwabo.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to the single one that falleth; for he hath no companion to lift him up.
Ngoba uba besiwa omunye uzamvusa umngane wakhe; kodwa maye kuye oyedwa nxa esiwa, ngoba kungekho owesibili ongamvusa.
11 Also, if two lie together, then will they become warm; but how can one person alone become warm?
Futhi uba ababili belala ndawonye, ngakho balokukhudumala; kodwa ngoyedwa angakhudumala njani?
12 And if a man could overpower him, the single one, two would stand up against him: and a threefold cord cannot quickly be torn asunder.
Njalo uba omunye engehlula oyedwa, ababili bazamelana laye; lentambo elemicu emithathu kayiqanyulwa masinyane.
13 Better is a poor and a wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to be admonished any more.
Umfana ongumyanga ohlakaniphileyo ungcono kulenkosi endala eyisithutha engasakwazi ukwelulekwa.
14 For out of the prison cometh the one to reign: whereas also in his kingdom the other becometh poor.
Ngoba uyaphuma entolongweni ukuthi abe yinkosi, lanxa futhi owayezelwe embusweni wakhe esiba ngumyanga.
15 I have seen all the living who walk under the sun, being with the second child that is to stand up in his stead.
Ngabona bonke abaphilayo abahamba ngaphansi kwelanga, lomfana wesibili ozakuma esikhundleni sakhe.
16 There was no end to all the people, [belonging] to all that have been before them: they also that come after will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a torture of the spirit.—
Kakulasiphetho sabantu bonke, sabo bonke ababephambi kwabo, lalabo abeza emva kabayikuthokoza ngaye. Isibili lokhu lakho kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
