Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom — By reason of honour — a little folly!
Impukane ezifileyo zinukisa zibilise amagcobo omthaki; ubuthutha obuncinyane benza njalo kohloniphekayo ngenxa yenhlakanipho lodumo.
2 The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
Inhliziyo yohlakaniphileyo ingakwesokunene sakhe, kodwa inhliziyo yesithutha ingakwesokhohlo saso.
3 And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he hath said to every one, 'He [is] a fool.'
Yebo-ke lapho oyisithutha ehamba endleleni, ingqondo yakhe iyasilela, uthi kuye wonke uyisithutha.
4 If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.
Uba umoya wombusi ukuvukela, ungatshiyi indawo yakho, ngoba ukuthobeka kuyathulisa iziphambeko ezinkulu.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,
Kulobubi engibubone ngaphansi kwelanga, njengesiphosiso esiphuma ebusweni bombusi:
6 He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
Ubuwula bubekwa ezindaweni eziphakemeyo kakhulu, labanothileyo bahlala endaweni ephansi.
7 I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
Ngibonile izigqili zigade amabhiza, leziphathamandla zihamba njengezigqili emhlabeni.
8 Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
Ogebha umgodi uzawela kuwo; lodiliza umthangala, inyoka izamluma.
9 Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
Osusa amatshe uzalinyazwa yiwo; obanda izigodo uzakuba sengozini ngazo.
10 If the iron hath been blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
Uba insimbi ibuthundu njalo engaloli ubukhali, ngakho ufanele engezelele amandla; kodwa inhlakanipho yinhle ukulungisa.
11 If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
Uba inyoka iluma kungelakulunjwa, kakulanzuzo kungcitshi yolimi.
12 Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
Amazwi omlomo ohlakaniphileyo alomusa, kodwa indebe zesithutha ziyasiginya.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
Ukuqala kwamazwi omlomo waso kuyibuthutha, lokucina kwenkulumo yaso kuyibuhlanya obubi,
14 And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'
njalo isithutha sandisa amazwi. Umuntu kazi okuzakuba khona; lalokho okuzakuba khona emva kwakhe, ngubani ongamtshela khona?
15 The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
Umtshikatshika wesithuthandini uyasidinisa, ngoba kasazi ukuya emzini.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
Maye kuwe, lizwe, onkosi yakho ingumntwana, leziphathamandla zakho zidla ekuseni!
17 Happy art thou, O land, When thy king [is] a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
Ubusisiwe, lizwe, onkosi yakho iyindodana yabakhulu, leziphathamandla zakho zidla ngesikhathi esifaneleyo, zidlela ukuqina, hatshi ukudakwa.
18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
Ngobuvila obukhulu intungo ziyabhensa, langokuyekethisa izandla indlu iyanethela.
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
Idili lenzelwa uhleko, lewayini lithokozisa impilo; kodwa imali iyimpendulo yakho konke.
20 Even in thy mind a king revile not, And in the inner parts of thy bed-chamber Revile not the rich: For a fowl of the heavens causeth the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declareth the word.
Lemcabangweni wakho ungayithuki inkosi, lekamelweni lakho lokulala ungamthuki onothileyo; ngoba inyoni yamazulu izathwala ilizwi, lokulamaphiko kubike udaba.
