Ecclesiastes 9
1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred [by] all [that is] before them.
Yikho ngakucabanga konke lokhu ngabona ukuthi abalungileyo labahlakaniphileyo labakwenzayo kusezandleni zikaNkulunkulu, kodwa kakho owaziyo ingabe ulindelwe luthando langabe yinzondo.
2 All [things come] alike to all: [there is] one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as [he] that feareth an oath.
Bonke balesiphetho sinye, abaqondileyo labaxhwalileyo, abalungileyo lababi, abahlambulukileyo labangcolileyo, abenza imihlatshelo labangayenziyo. Njengoba kunjalo emuntwini olungileyo, kunjalo lakoyisoni; njengoba kunjalo kwabenza izifungo, kunjalo lakulabo abesaba ukuzenza.
3 This [is] an evil among all [things] that are done under the sun, that [there is] one event to all: yes, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart while they live, and after that [they go] to the dead.
Lobu yibo ububi obuvelela zonke izinto ngaphansi kwelanga: Konke kulesiphetho sinye. Njalo inhliziyo zabantu zigcwele izibozi futhi kulokubheda phakathi kwazo nxa besaphila, ikanti emva kwakho konke baya kwabafileyo.
4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Loba ngubani olethemba nxa esahlezi kwabaphilayo, yebo kambe phela inja ephilayo ingcono kulesilwane esifileyo!
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ngoba abaphilayo bayakwazi ukuthi bazakufa, kodwa abafileyo kabazi lutho; kabaselawo omunye umvuzo, ngitsho lokukhumbula ngabo kuyaphela.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, hath now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the sun.
Uthando lwabo, inzondo yabo lomona wabo sekwedlula nya; nini lanini kabasayikuba lengxenye loba kukuphi okwenzakalayo ngaphansi kwelanga.
7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Hamba nje uyezidlela ukudla kwakho uchelesile, unathe iwayini lakho ngenhliziyo emhlophe, ngoba uNkulunkulu usakuvumele okwamanje.
8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Gqoka ezimhlophe ngezikhathi zonke, ugcobe ikhanda lakho ngamafutha.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that [is] thy portion in [this] life, and in thy labor which thou takest under the sun.
Kholisa impilo lomfazi wakho omthandayo kuzozonke insuku zale impilo eyize uNkulunkulu akunike yona ngaphansi kwelanga, zonke insuku zakho eziyize. Phela lesi yiso isabelo sakho empilweni phakathi kokutshikatshika kwakho ngaphansi kwelanga.
10 Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Sheol h7585)
Lokho isandla sakho esingakwenza kwenze ngamandla akho wonke, ngoba engcwabeni lapho oya khona akusetshenzwa, akulakulungiselela, kakulalwazi kumbe ukuhlakanipha. (Sheol h7585)
11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Ngikubonile okunye njalo ngaphansi kwelanga: Ukutshiya abanye kakuyi ngesiqubu kumbe ukunqoba impi kuye ngamandla; kakutsho ukuthi ukudla kuya kwabahlakaniphileyo kumbe inotho kwabakhaliphileyo loba okuhle kwehlele abafundileyo; kodwa kuya ngesikhathi langenhlanhla kubani lobani.
12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so [are] the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Futhi kakho owaziyo ukuthi isikhathi sakhe sizafika nini: Njengezinhlanzi ezigolwa kabuhlungu ngamambule loba izinyoni zibanjwa esifini, kanjalo abantu bafikelwa yizikhathi ezimbi ezibafikela belibele.
13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it [seemed] to me great:
Ngaphinda ngabona ngaphansi kwelanga lesisibonelo sokuhlakanipha esagxila engqondweni yami:
14 [There was] a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Kwake kwaba khona idolobho elincinyane elalilabantu abalutshwana kulo. Kwasuka inkosi elamandla yalihlasela, yalihonqolozela yakha amadundulu amakhulu okuvimbezela.
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Kulelodolobho kwakuhlala indoda ethile engesulutho kodwa ihlakaniphile, ngakho yawusindisa umuzi lowo ngokuhlakanipha kwayo. Kodwa kakho loyedwa owaphinde wayikhumbula leyondoda eyayingebani.
16 Then said I, wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard.
Yikho-ke ngasengisithi, “Ukuhlakanipha kungcono kulamandla.” Kodwa ukuhlakanipha komuntukazana kuyeyiswa lamazwi akhe akasanakwa.
17 The words of wise [men are] heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
Amazwi apholileyo abahlakaniphileyo afanele alalelwe ngcono kulokumemeza kombusi weziwula.
18 Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Ukuhlakanipha kungcono kulezikhali zempi, umoni oyedwa uyabuchitha bonke ubuhle.
