Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with happiness. So enjoy pleasure.” But look, this also was just a temporary breeze.
Ngacabanga ngenhliziyo ngathi, “Kulungile, ake ngizame ukuzithokozisa ngibone ingabe kuhle yini.” Kodwa lokho lakho kwakhanya kuyize.
2 I said about laughter, “It is crazy,” and about pleasure, “What use is it?”
Ngathi, “Ukuhleka kuyibuthutha. Ukuzithokozisa khona kusizani?”
3 I explored in my heart how to gratify my desires with wine. I let my mind guide me with wisdom although I was still holding on to folly. I wanted to find out what is good for people to do under heaven during the days of their lives.
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 accomplished great things. I built houses for myself and planted vineyards.
Ngaqalisa imisebenzi emikhulu: ngazakhela izindlu ngahlanyela amavini.
5 I built for myself gardens and parks; I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
Ngasungula izivande lezigcawu zokubukwa ngahlanyela kuzo yonke imihlobo yezihlahla lezithelo.
6 I created pools of water to water a forest where trees were grown.
Ngenza iziziba zamanzi okuthelela izihlahla ezazikhula kuhle.
7 I purchased male slaves and female slaves; I had slaves born in my palace. I also had large herds and flocks of livestock, much more than any king who ruled 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 I also accumulated for myself silver and gold, the treasures of kings and provinces. I got male and female singers for myself—the delights of the children of humanity—and many concubines.
Ngabuthelela isiliva legolide, kanye lempahla yamakhosi eligugu ivela ezigodini. Ngazidingela abahlabeleli besilisa labesifazane, lesithembo esikhulu, khona okujabulisa inhliziyo yendoda.
9 So I became greater and wealthier than all who were before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom remained with me.
Ngaba mkhulu ngokwedluleyo kulaloba ngubani owaba seJerusalema ngaphambi kwami. Phakathi kwayo yonke inyakanyaka le ukuhlakanipha kwami kwahlala kukhona.
10 Whatever my eyes desired, I did not withhold from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, because my heart rejoiced in all my labor and pleasure was my reward for all my work.
Angizincitshanga lutho olwalufiswa ngamehlo ami; inhliziyo yami angiyalelanga layiphi intokozo. Inhliziyo yami yathokoza ngawo wonke umsebenzi wami, lokhu kwaba ngumvuzo wezithukuthuku zami.
11 Then I looked on all the deeds that my hands had accomplished, and on the work that I had done, but again, everything was vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind. There was no profit under the sun in it.
Kanti lanxa ngahlolisisa konke okwenziwa yizandla zami lalokho engangibhensela ukukuzuza, konke kwakuyize, yikuxotshana lomoya; kwakungela nzuzo ngaphansi kwelanga.
12 Then I turned to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. For what can the next king do who comes after the king, which has not already been done?
Ngasengigxilisa imicabango yami ekuhlolisiseni ukuhlakanipha, njalo lobuhlanya kanye lobuwula. Kambe angenzani othatha isikhundla senkosi ngaphandle kwalokho obekuvele sekwenziwe?
13 Then I began to understand that wisdom has advantages over folly, just as light is better than darkness.
Ngabona ukuhlakanipha kungcono kulobuwula, njengokukhanya kungcono kulomnyama.
14 The wise man uses his eyes in his head to see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness, although I know the same event happens to all of them.
Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ulamehlo ekhanda, ikanti isiwula sihamba ebumnyameni; kodwa ngacina sengibona ukuthi isiphetho sabo bonke sinye.
15 Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool, will also happen to me. So what difference does it make if I am very wise?” I concluded in my heart, “This too is only vapor.”
Ngasengicabanga enhliziyweni yami ngathi, “Isiphetho sesiwula sizangehlela lami. Pho, ngizuzani ngokuhlakanipha?” Ngathi ngenhliziyo yami, “Lokhu lakho kuyize.”
16 For the wise man, like the fool, is not remembered for very long. In the days to come everything will have been long forgotten. The wise man dies just like the fool dies.
Ngoba umuntu ohlakaniphileyo, njengesiwula, akazukukhunjulwa kokuphela; ngezinsuku ezizayo bobabili bazakhohlakala. Njengesiwula, umuntu ohlakaniphileyo laye uzakufa!
17 So I detested life because all the work done under the sun was evil to me. This was because everything is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
Yikho-ke ngasengikuzonda ukuphila, ngoba umsebenzi owenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga wawubuhlungu kimi. Wonke uyize, yikuxotshana lomoya.
18 I hated all my accomplishments for which I had worked under the sun because I must leave them behind to the man who comes after me.
Ngazizonda zonke izinto engangiziginqele ngaphansi kwelanga, ngoba ngimele ngitshiyele lowo oza ngemva kwami.
19 For who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over everything under the sun that my work and wisdom have built. This also is vapor.
Njalo ngubani owaziyo ingabe uzakuba ngumuntu ohlakaniphileyo loba isiwula? Kodwa nguye ozalawula wonke umsebenzi wamaginqo ami lobungcitshi bami. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
20 Therefore my heart began to despair over all the work under the sun that I did.
Ngalokho inhliziyo yami yaqalisa ukuphela amandla ngikhumbula konke lokho engakuginqelayo ngaphansi kwelanga.
21 For there might be someone who works with wisdom, with knowledge, and skill, but he will leave everything he has to a man who has not made any of it. This also is vapor and a great tragedy.
Ngoba umuntu angenza umsebenzi wakhe ngokuhlakanipha, ngolwazi langamasu, kodwa utshiyela konke alakho komunye ongazange akusebenzele. Lokhu lakho kuyize, kungumnyama.
22 For what profit does the person gain who works so hard and tries in his heart to complete his labors under the sun?
Umuntu uzuzani ngakho konke ukusebenza nzima langokutshikatshika kabuhlungu lapha emhlabeni?
23 Every day his work is painful and stressful, so at night his soul does not find rest. This also is vapor.
Ubuhlungu umsebenzi wakhe awenzayo kuzozonke insuku zokuphila kwakhe; kwala kanye lebusuku umkhumbulo wakhe kawuphumuli. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
24 There is nothing better for anyone than to simply eat and drink and be satisfied with what is good in his work. I saw that this truth comes from God's hand.
Akukho okungcono emuntwini ngaphandle kokuthi adle, anathe njalo azuze ukusuthiseka ngomsebenzi wakhe. Lokhu lakho ngiyakubona ukuthi kuvela kuNkulunkulu,
25 For who can eat or who can have any kind of pleasure apart from God?
ngoba ngaphandle kwakhe ngubani ongadla kumbe azuze intokozo?
26 For to anyone who pleases him, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy. However, to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and storing up so that he may give it away to someone who pleases God. This also amounts to vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
Kulowo omthokozisayo uNkulunkulu umupha ukuhlakanipha, ulwazi lokuthaba, kodwa koyisoni umupha umsebenzi wokuqoqa lokulonda inotho ukuze ayiphe lowo othokozisa uNkulunkulu. Lokhu lakho kuyize, yikuxotshana lomoya.
