Ecclesiastes 5
1 Keep thy feet when thou goest unto a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know they do evil.
Qaphela izinyathelo zakho nxa usiya endlini kaNkulunkulu. Sondela ulalele kulokuthi wenze imihlatshelo yeziwula ezingaziyo ukuthi ziyona.
2 Cause not thy mouth to hasten, and let not thy heart hasten to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and thou on the earth, therefore let thy words be few.
Ungawalazeli ngomlomo wakho, ungabi lephaphu uphange uthembise kuNkulunkulu. UNkulunkulu usezulwini ikanti wena usemhlabeni, ngakho kawabe malutshwana amazwi akho.
3 For the dream hath come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words.
Njengephupho elifika nxa kulezinkathazo ezinengi, injalo inkulumo yesiwula nxa ilamazwi amanengi.
4 When thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which thou vowest — complete.
Nxa usenza isifungo kuNkulunkulu, ungaphuzi ukusigcwalisa. Kathokozi ngeziwula; gcwalisa isifungo sakho.
5 Better that thou do not vow, than that thou dost vow and dost not complete.
Kungcono ukungafungi kulokwenza isifungo ungabe usasigcwalisa.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger, that 'it [is] an error,' why is God wroth because of thy voice, and hath destroyed the work of thy hands?
Ungavumeli umlomo wakho ukungenise esonweni. Njalo ungatshingeli isithunywa sethempelini usithi, “Isifungo sami besiyisiphosiso.” UNkulunkulu angakuthukuthelelani lokho okutshoyo abesebhidliza umsebenzi wezandla zakho na?
7 For, in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear thou God.
Ukuphupha kanengi lamazwi amanengi kuyize. Ngakho mesabe uNkulunkulu.
8 If oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness thou seest in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones [are] over them.
Nxa ubona abayanga esiqintini bencindezelwa, bencitshwa ukwahlulelwa okuhle kanye lamalungelo, ungamangaliswa yilezozinto; ngoba phela induna nganye ikhangelwe ngomunye ongaphezu kwayo, kuthi ngaphezu kwabo bonke kube labanye njalo abangaphezulu.
9 And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.
Inala elizweni ngeyomuntu wonke; inkosi ngokwayo ithola inzuzo ngalokho okuvela emasimini.
10 Whoso is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [is] vanity.
Lowo othanda imali akaneliswa yiloba yimalini; lowo othanda inotho akasuthiswa yilokho akuzuzayo. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
11 In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?
Nxa inotho isanda, bayanda lalabo abayisebenzisayo. Imsiza ngani umniniyo ngaphandle kokuyithapha ngamehlo nje kuphela?
12 Sweet [is] the sleep of the labourer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not suffering him to sleep.
Bumnandi ubuthongo besisebenzi, loba sisidla okuncane loba okunengi, kodwa isinothi asilali ngenxa yenotho yaso.
13 There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.
Sengibone ububi obudanisayo ngaphansi kwelanga: ubuhaga ngenotho okulimaza umnikazi,
14 And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!
loba inotho esuke yachitheka ngomnyama othile, okuthi nxa umuntu elendodana ayisayikuthola lutho.
15 As he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turneth back to go as he came, and he taketh not away anything of his labour, that doth go in his hand.
Umuntu uphuma esiswini sikanina engelalutho, njengokufika kwakhe ubuyela enjalo. Kazuzi lutho olusuka emsebenzini wakhe angaluphatha ezandleni zakhe.
16 And this also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goeth, and what advantage [is] to him who laboureth for wind?
Lobu labo yibubi obudanisayo: Njengokufika kwakhe, umuntu uzabuyela enjalo, ngakho uzuzani, njengoba esebenza esadalalela umoya?
17 Also all his days in darkness he consumeth, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.
Zonke insuku zakhe udlela emnyameni, ekhathazekile, ehluphekile, ezondile.
18 Lo, that which I have seen: [It is] good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one's labour that he laboureth at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God hath given to him, for it [is] his portion.
Ngasengibona ukuthi kuhle kuqondile ukuthi umuntu adle njalo anathe, njalo azuze ukusuthiseka ekutshikatshikeni kwakhe ngomsebenzi ngaphansi kwelanga ngalezonsuku ezilutshwane ezokuphila uNkulunkulu asamuphe zona ngoba lesi yisabelo sakhe.
19 Every man also to whom God hath given wealth and riches, and hath given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labour, this is a gift of God.
Kunjalo futhi ukuthi nxa uNkulunkulu esipha umuntu inotho lempahla, amvumele ukuthi akholise ngazo, emukele isabelo sakhe athokoze emsebenzini wakhe, lesi yisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
20 For he doth not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.
Kahlali ekhumbula ngezinsuku zempilo yakhe ngoba uNkulunkulu umenza ahlale ngenjabulo enhliziyweni.
