Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, or ever the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Khumbula-ke uMdali wakho ensukwini zobutsha bakho zingakafiki insuku ezimbi, kumbe kusondele iminyaka, lapho ozakuthi: Kangilantokozo ngayo.
2 or ever the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain:
Kungakafiphali ilanga lokukhanya lenyanga lezinkanyezi, kumbe amayezi abuyele emva kwezulu.
3 in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
Ngosuku lapho abagcini bendlu bezathuthumela, lamadoda alamandla akhokhobe, labacholayo beme ngoba bebalutshwana, lalabo abalunguza ngamawindi bafiphazeke,
4 and the door shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
lezivalo zivalwe esitaladini, lapho umsindo wokuchola usuncipha, lapho ezavuka ekukhaleni kwenyoni, lamadodakazi wonke engoma ezathotshiswa,
5 yea, they shall be afraid of [that which is] high, and terrors [shall be] in the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and the caper-berry shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
lalapho bezakwesaba okuphakemeyo lezesabiso endleleni, lapho isihlahla se-alimondi sesilempoko, lentothoviyane izakuba ngumthwalo kuyo, lesiloyiso sizaphela. Ngoba umuntu uya ekhaya lakhe elilaphakade, labalilayo bazazulazula esitaladeni.
6 or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern;
Kungakathukululwa intambo yesiliva, lomganu wegolide uphahlazwe, lembiza iphahlazeke emthonjeni, lendirayo yephuke emgodini wamanzi,
7 and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it.
lothuli lubuyele emhlabathini njengoba lwalunjalo, lomoya ubuyela kuNkulunkulu owawunikayo.
8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.
Ize leze, kutsho umTshumayeli, konke kuyize.
9 And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs.
Phezu kwalokho-ke, ngoba umTshumayeli wayehlakaniphile, wayelokhu efundisa abantu ulwazi, yebo wazindla, wadingisisa, wamisa kuhle izaga ezinengi.
10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, [even] words of truth.
UmTshumayeli wadinga ukuthola amazwi akholisisayo, lokwabhalwayo kwakuqondile, amazwi eqiniso.
11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are [the words of] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd.
Amazwi abahlakaniphileyo anjengezincijo, lanjengezipikili ezibethelwe zatshona, amakhosi emihlangano, enikwa ngumelusi munye.
12 And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
Phezu kwalokho-ke, ndodana yami, xwayiseka: Ekwenzeni ingwalo ezinengi kakulasiphelo, lokufunda okunengi kuyikudinisa inyama.
13 [This is] the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty] of man.
Isiphetho sodaba konke sekuzwakele yilesi: Mesabe uNkulunkulu, ugcine imilayo yakhe; ngoba lokho yimfanelo yonke yomuntu.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
Ngoba uNkulunkulu uzaletha wonke umsebenzi kusahlulelo, layo yonke into efihliweyo, loba kuhle laloba kubi.
