Ecclesiastes 3
1 For every thing there is a fixed period, and an appointed time to every thing under heaven: —
Konke kulesikhathi esimisiweyo, njalo kulesikhathi sayo yonke indaba ngaphansi kwamazulu:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.
Isikhathi sokuzalwa, lesikhathi sokufa; isikhathi sokuhlanyela, lesikhathi sokusiphuna okuhlanyelweyo;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to breaking down, and a time to build up.
isikhathi sokubulala, lesikhathi sokuphilisa; isikhathi sokudiliza, lesikhathi sokwakha;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
isikhathi sokukhala inyembezi, lesikhathi sokuhleka; isikhathi sokulila, lesikhathi sokugida;
5 A time to cast stones asunder, and a time to gather stones together. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
isikhathi sokulahla amatshe, lesikhathi sokubuthelela amatshe; isikhathi sokugona, lesikhathi sokuba khatshana lokugona;
6 A time to seek, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.
isikhathi sokudinga inzuzo, lesikhathi sokuyekela kulahleke; isikhathi sokulondoloza, 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 hath he who laboreth from that with which he wearieth himself?
Ulenzuzo bani osebenzayo kwatshikatshika kikho?
10 I have seen the business which God hath given to the sons of men to exercise themselves therewith.
Ngiwubonile umsebenzi uNkulunkulu awunike abantwana babantu ukuthi baphatheke ngawo.
11 God maketh every thing good in its time; but he hath put the world into the heart of man, so that he understandeth not the work which God doeth, from the beginning to the end.
Konke ukwenze kwaba kuhle ngesikhathi sakho; wasebeka iphakade enhliziyweni yabo, ukuze kungabi lomuntu ongafumana umsebenzi uNkulunkulu awenzayo kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekucineni.
12 I know that there is nothing better for a man than that he should rejoice and enjoy good his life long.
Ngiyazi ukuthi kakukho okuhle kubo ngaphandle kokuthokoza lokwenza okuhle empilweni yakhe.
13 But when a man eateth and drinketh, and enjoyeth good through all his labor, this is the gift of God.
Futhi lokuthi wonke umuntu adle anathe akholise okuhle ngomtshikatshika wakhe wonke, kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
14 I know that whatever God doeth, that shall be for ever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it; and God doeth it that men may fear before him.
Ngiyazi ukuthi konke uNkulunkulu akwenzayo kuzakuba khona phakade; kakukho okuzakwengezelelwa kukho, njalo kakukho okuzaphungulwa kukho; uNkulunkulu wakwenza ukuze besabe phambi kwakhe.
15 That which is, was long ago; and that which is to be, hath already been; and God recalleth that which is past.
Lokho okwakukhona kukhona khathesi, lalokho okuzakuba khona sekuvele kukhona; njalo uNkulunkulu ufuna okuxotshiweyo.
16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice there was iniquity; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity.
Futhi ngasengibona ngaphansi kwelanga indawo yokwahlulela, kwakukhona ububi lapho; lendawo yokulunga, kwakukhona ububi lapho.
17 Then said I in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked.” For there shall be a time for every matter and for every work.
Ngathi mina enhliziyweni yami: UNkulunkulu uzakwahlulela olungileyo lomubi, ngoba kukhona lapho isikhathi sayo yonke indaba lesawo wonke umsebenzi.
18 I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God will prove them, in order that they may see that they are like the beasts.
Ngathi mina enhliziyweni yami ngesimo sabantwana babantu ukuthi uNkulunkulu abatshengise obala ukuthi babone ukuthi bona uqobo bazinyamazana.
19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts: one lot befalleth both. As the one dieth, so dieth the other. Yea, there is one spirit in them, and a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity.
Ngoba okwehlela abantwana babantu kwehlela lezinyamazana; njalo yinye into ebehlelayo; njengoba omunye esifa, ngokunjalo enye iyafa; yebo konke kulomoya munye, lomuntu kalakho angadlula ngakho inyamazana; ngoba konke kuyize.
20 All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Konke kuya endaweninye; konke kuvela ethulini, njalo konke kubuyela ethulini.
21 Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of a beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth?
Ngubani owazi umoya wabantwana babantu owenyukela phezulu, lomoya wenyamazana owehlela phansi emhlabathini?
22 And so I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his labors; for that is his portion. For who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
Ngakho ngabona ukuthi kakukho okungcono okwedlula ukuthi umuntu azithokozise ngemisebenzi yakhe, ngoba lokhu kuyisabelo sakhe. Ngoba ngubani ongamletha ukuthi abone lokho okuzakuba khona emva kwakhe?
