Ecclesiastes 11
1 Send forth thy bread on the face of the waters, For in the multitude of the days thou dost find it.
Phosela isinkwa sakho phezu kwamanzi, ngoba ngemva kwensuku ezinengi uzasifumana futhi.
2 Give a portion to seven, and even to eight, For thou knowest not what evil is on the earth.
Yabela abayisikhombisa, yebo abayisificaminwembili, ngoba kawuwazi umonakalo ongehlela elizweni.
3 If the thick clouds are full of rain, On the earth they empty [themselves]; And if a tree doth fall in the south or to the north, The place where the tree falleth, there it is.
Nxa amayezi ethwele, anisa izulu emhlabathini. Aluba isihlahla singawela eningizimu loba enhla, silala khonapho esiwele khona.
4 Whoso is observing the wind soweth not, And whoso is looking on the thick clouds reapeth not.
Lowo onanzelela umoya kayikuhlanyela; lowo okhangela amayezi akazukuvuna.
5 As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit, How — bones in the womb of the full one, So thou knowest not the work of God who maketh the whole.
Njengoba ungayazi indlela yomoya, loba ukubunjwa komzimba esiswini sikanina, yikho ungeke uzwisise umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu, uMenzi wezinto zonke.
6 In the morning sow thy seed, And at even withdraw not thy hand, For thou knowest not which is right, this or that, Or whether both of them alike [are] good.
Hlanyela inhlanyelo yakho ekuseni, kuthi ntambama uphumuze izandla zakho, ngoba kawukwazi okuzaphumelela, kumbe yilokhu loba yilokhuyana, langabe kokubili kuzalunga ngokufananayo.
7 Sweet also [is] the light, And good for the eyes to see the sun.
Ukukhanya kumnandi, njalo kuhle emehlweni ukubona ilanga.
8 But, if man liveth many years, In all of them let him rejoice, And remember the days of darkness, For they are many! all that is coming [is] vanity.
Umuntu angaze aphile iminyaka emingaki, kayikholise yonke. Kodwa makakhumbule insuku zobumnyama, ngoba zizabe zizinengi. Konke okuzakuza kuyize.
9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy childhood, And let thy heart gladden thee in days of thy youth, And walk in the ways of thy heart, And in the sight of thine eyes, And know thou that for all these, Doth God bring thee into judgment.
Jabula nsizwa usesemutsha, uvumele inhliziyo yakho ikuthokozise ensukwini zobutsha bakho. Landela izindlela zenhliziyo yakho lakho konke amehlo akho akubonayo, kodwa yazi ukuthi ngenxa yazo zonke lezizinto uNkulunkulu uzakumisa ekwahlulelweni.
10 And turn aside anger from thy heart, And cause evil to pass from thy flesh, For the childhood and the age [are] vanity!
Ngakho-ke, susa ukukhathazeka enhliziyweni yakho ulahlele kude inhlupheko zomzimba wakho, ngoba ubutsha lamadlabuzane kuyize.
