UmTshumayeli 3
1 Zonke izinto zilesikhathi sazo, konke okwenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga kulesibanga sakho:
For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.
2 isikhathi sokuzalwa lesikhathi sokufa, isikhathi sokuhlanyela lesikhathi sokusiphuna,
A time for birth and a time for death; a time for planting and a time for uprooting;
3 isikhathi sokubulala lesikhathi sokuphilisa, isikhathi sokubhidliza lesikhathi sokwakha,
A time to put to death and a time to make well; a time for pulling down and a time for building up;
4 isikhathi sokukhala lesikhathi sokuhleka, isikhathi sokulila lesikhathi sokugida,
A time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for sorrow and a time for dancing;
5 isikhathi sokuchithiza amatshe lesikhathi sokuwabutha, isikhathi sokugona lesikhathi sokunina,
A time to take stones away and a time to get stones together; a time for kissing and a time to keep from kissing;
6 isikhathi sokudinga lesikhathi sokukhalala, isikhathi sokugcina lesikhathi sokulahla,
A time for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away;
7 isikhathi sokudabula lesikhathi sokuthunga, isikhathi sokuthula lesikhathi sokukhuluma,
A time for undoing and a time for stitching; a time for keeping quiet and a time for talk;
8 isikhathi sokuthanda lesikhathi sokuzonda, isikhathi sempi lesikhathi sokuthula.
A time for love and a time for hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
9 Umuntu osebenzayo uzuzani na ngokusadalala kwakhe?
What profit has the worker in the work which he does?
10 Sengiwubonile umthwalo uNkulunkulu awethese abantu.
I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.
11 Yonke into uyenze yabanhle ngesikhathi sayo. Wamupha umuntu iphakade enhliziyweni yakhe; kodwa abantu bangeke bafinyelele kulokho uNkulunkulu asakwenzayo kwasekuqaleni kusiya ekupheleni.
He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.
12 Ngiyakwazi ukuthi kakukho okungcono ebantwini kulokuthi bajabule njalo benze okuhle besaphila.
I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.
13 Ukuthi wonke umuntu adle, anathe asuthiseke ekusebenzeni kwakhe gadalala, lokhu kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
And for every man to take food and drink, and have joy in all his work, is a reward from God.
14 Ngiyazi yonke into eyenziwa nguNkulunkulu izakuba khona kokuphela; akulalutho olungengezwa kukho loba kususwe kukho. UNkulunkulu uyenza lokho ukuze abantu bamkhonze.
I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him.
15 Loba yini ekhona seyake yaba khona, kulalokho okuzakuba khona sekwaba khona ngaphambili; njalo uNkulunkulu uzakubalisa okwedlulayo.
Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.
16 Njalo ngabona okunye ngaphansi kwelanga: endaweni yokwahlulela, ububi babukhona, endaweni yokulungisa, ububi babukhona.
And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.
17 Ngacabanga ngenhliziyo yami, “UNkulunkulu uzabehlulela bonke abalungileyo lababi, ngoba sizaba khona isikhathi sezenzakalo zonke, isikhathi sawo wonke umsebenzi.”
I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.
18 Ngacabanga njalo ngathi, “UNkulunkulu uyabahlola abantu ukuze babone ukuthi banjengezinyamazana.
I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.
19 Isiphetho somuntu siyafana lesezinyamazana; isiphetho sinye sibalindele bonke: njengoba lokhu kuyafa, kanjalo lokunye kuyafa. Konke kokubili kulomphefumulo munye; umuntu kangcono kulenyamazana. Konke kuyize.
Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.
20 Konke kuya ndawo yinye; konke kuvela othulini, yikho konke kubuyela othulini.
All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.
21 Ngubani owaziyo ingabe umphefumulo womuntu uyakhwela uye phezulu kuthi owenyamazana wehlele phansi phakathi emhlabathini?”
Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth?
22 Yikho ngabona ukuthi kakukho okungcono emuntwini ngaphandle kokuthi akholise umsebenzi wakhe ngoba leso yiso isabelo sakhe. Ngoba kambe ngubani ongamenza ukuthi abone lokho okuzakwenzakala yena esedlule?
So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work — because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?
