< Ecclesiastes 11 >
1 Send forth your bread on the face of the waters, For in the multitude of the days you find it.
Phosela isinkwa sakho phezu kwamanzi, ngoba ngemva kwensuku ezinengi uzasifumana futhi.
2 Give a portion to seven, and even to eight, For you do not know what evil is on the earth.
Yabela abayisikhombisa, yebo abayisificaminwembili, ngoba kawuwazi umonakalo ongehlela elizweni.
3 If the thick clouds are full of rain, On the earth they empty [themselves]; And if a tree falls in the south or to the north, The place where the tree falls, there it is.
Nxa amayezi ethwele, anisa izulu emhlabathini. Aluba isihlahla singawela eningizimu loba enhla, silala khonapho esiwele khona.
4 Whoever is observing the wind does not sow, And whoever is looking on the thick clouds does not reap.
Lowo onanzelela umoya kayikuhlanyela; lowo okhangela amayezi akazukuvuna.
5 As you do not know what [is] the way of the spirit, How—bones in the womb of the full one, So you do not know the work of God who makes the whole.
Njengoba ungayazi indlela yomoya, loba ukubunjwa komzimba esiswini sikanina, yikho ungeke uzwisise umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu, uMenzi wezinto zonke.
6 In the morning sow your seed, And at evening do not withdraw your hand, For you do not know which is right, this or that, Or whether both of them alike [are] good.
Hlanyela inhlanyelo yakho ekuseni, kuthi ntambama uphumuze izandla zakho, ngoba kawukwazi okuzaphumelela, kumbe yilokhu loba yilokhuyana, langabe kokubili kuzalunga ngokufananayo.
7 Sweet also [is] the light, And good for the eyes to see the sun.
Ukukhanya kumnandi, njalo kuhle emehlweni ukubona ilanga.
8 But if man lives many years, In all of them let him rejoice, And remember the days of darkness, For they are many! All that is coming [is] vanity.
Umuntu angaze aphile iminyaka emingaki, kayikholise yonke. Kodwa makakhumbule insuku zobumnyama, ngoba zizabe zizinengi. Konke okuzakuza kuyize.
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your childhood, And let your heart gladden you in days of your youth, And walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes, And know that for all these, God brings you into judgment.
Jabula nsizwa usesemutsha, uvumele inhliziyo yakho ikuthokozise ensukwini zobutsha bakho. Landela izindlela zenhliziyo yakho lakho konke amehlo akho akubonayo, kodwa yazi ukuthi ngenxa yazo zonke lezizinto uNkulunkulu uzakumisa ekwahlulelweni.
10 And turn aside anger from your heart, And cause evil to pass from your flesh, For the childhood and the age [are] vanity!
Ngakho-ke, susa ukukhathazeka enhliziyweni yakho ulahlele kude inhlupheko zomzimba wakho, ngoba ubutsha lamadlabuzane kuyize.