UmTshumayeli 12
1 Khumbula uMdali wakho ngezinsuku zobutsha bakho, kungakafiki insuku zokuhlupheka njalo kusondele leminyaka lapho ozakuthi, “Angizuzi kuthokoza kuyo”
Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, or ever the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 andubana ilanga lokukhanya kanye lenyanga lezinkanyezi kufiphale, lamayezi achitheke ngemva kwezulu;
or ever the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain:
3 lapho abalindi bendlu bezathuthumela, amadoda aqinileyo akhokhobe, labacholi batshiye umsebenzi ngoba sebebalutshwana, kuthi labalunguzayo ngamawindi sebebona lufifi;
in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
4 lapho iminyango ephumela emigwaqweni isivaliwe lomsindo wokuchola usufiphala; lapho abantu besethuswa yikukhala kwenyoni, lezingoma zazo zincipha;
and the door shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
5 lapho abantu sebesesaba izindawo eziphakemeyo lezingozi emigwaqweni; lapho isihlahla se-alimondi sesiqhakaza lentethe isihamba ngokuzihudula nje njalo kungasekho ukulangazelela. Lapho-ke umuntu usesiya ekhaya lakhe laphakade njalo abalilayo bagcwale emigwaqweni.
yea, they shall be afraid of [that which is] high, and terrors [shall be] in the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and the caper-berry shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
6 Mkhumbule intambo yesiliva ingakaqamuki, kumbe umganu wegolide ungakabhidlizwa; lodiwo lungakahlikizwa emthonjeni, loba ivili lephulwe emgodini wamanzi,
or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern;
7 kuthi umhlabathi ubuyele emhlabathini lapho owavela khona, lomphefumulo ubuyele kuNkulunkulu onguye owawuphayo.
and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it.
8 “Ize! Ize!” kutsho uMtshumayeli, “Konke kuyize!”
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.
9 UMtshumayeli wayehlakaniphile, njalo esabela abantu ulwazi. Wazidla ingqondo wadingisisa wamisa kuhle izaga ezinengi.
And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs.
10 UMtshumayeli wadingisisa ukuze azuze amazwi ayiwonawona, kwathi-ke konke akulobayo kwaqonda njalo kuliqiniso.
The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, [even] words of truth.
11 Amazwi abahlakaniphileyo anjengenswazi zokwethusa izimvu, izitsho zabo eziqoqiweyo zinjengezipikili ezibethelwe zatshona, zivela kuMalusi munye.
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are [the words of] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd.
12 Limuka, ndodana yami, loba kuyini okudlula lapho. Ukulotshwa kwezincwadi ezinengi akulamkhawulo, njalo ukufunda kakhulu kuhlukuluza umzimba.
And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Manje-ke konke sekuzwakele; nansi isiphetho sendaba: Mesabe uNkulunkulu ugcine imiyalo yakhe, ngoba lo yiwo wonke umlandu womuntu.
[This is] the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty] of man.
14 Ngoba uNkulunkulu uzazahlulela zonke izenzo, lalokho okufihliweyo loba kuhle loba kubi.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
