UmTshumayeli 3
1 Zonke izinto zilesikhathi sazo, konke okwenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga kulesibanga sakho:
To everything—a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens:
2 isikhathi sokuzalwa lesikhathi sokufa, isikhathi sokuhlanyela lesikhathi sokusiphuna,
A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted.
3 isikhathi sokubulala lesikhathi sokuphilisa, isikhathi sokubhidliza lesikhathi sokwakha,
A time to slay, And a time to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up.
4 isikhathi sokukhala lesikhathi sokuhleka, isikhathi sokulila lesikhathi sokugida,
A time to weep, And a time to laugh. A time to mourn, And a time to skip.
5 isikhathi sokuchithiza amatshe lesikhathi sokuwabutha, isikhathi sokugona lesikhathi sokunina,
A time to cast away stones, And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from embracing.
6 isikhathi sokudinga lesikhathi sokukhalala, isikhathi sokugcina lesikhathi sokulahla,
A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away.
7 isikhathi sokudabula lesikhathi sokuthunga, isikhathi sokuthula lesikhathi sokukhuluma,
A time to tear, And a time to sew. A time to be silent, And a time to speak.
8 isikhathi sokuthanda lesikhathi sokuzonda, isikhathi sempi lesikhathi sokuthula.
A time to love, And a time to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace.
9 Umuntu osebenzayo uzuzani na ngokusadalala kwakhe?
What advantage does the doer have in that which he is laboring at?
10 Sengiwubonile umthwalo uNkulunkulu awethese abantu.
I have seen the travail that God has given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
11 Yonke into uyenze yabanhle ngesikhathi sayo. Wamupha umuntu iphakade enhliziyweni yakhe; kodwa abantu bangeke bafinyelele kulokho uNkulunkulu asakwenzayo kwasekuqaleni kusiya ekupheleni.
The whole He has made beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He has put in their heart without which man does not find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.
12 Ngiyakwazi ukuthi kakukho okungcono ebantwini kulokuthi bajabule njalo benze okuhle besaphila.
I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life,
13 Ukuthi wonke umuntu adle, anathe asuthiseke ekusebenzeni kwakhe gadalala, lokhu kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
indeed, even every man who eats and has drunk and seen good by all his labor, it [is] a gift of God.
14 Ngiyazi yonke into eyenziwa nguNkulunkulu izakuba khona kokuphela; akulalutho olungengezwa kukho loba kususwe kukho. UNkulunkulu uyenza lokho ukuze abantu bamkhonze.
I have known that all that God does is for all time, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God has worked that they fear before Him.
15 Loba yini ekhona seyake yaba khona, kulalokho okuzakuba khona sekwaba khona ngaphambili; njalo uNkulunkulu uzakubalisa okwedlulayo.
What is that which has been? Already it is, and that which [is] to be has already been, and God requires that which is pursued.
16 Njalo ngabona okunye ngaphansi kwelanga: endaweni yokwahlulela, ububi babukhona, endaweni yokulungisa, ububi babukhona.
And again, I have seen under the sun the place of judgment—there [is] the wicked; and the place of righteousness—there [is] the wicked.
17 Ngacabanga ngenhliziyo yami, “UNkulunkulu uzabehlulela bonke abalungileyo lababi, ngoba sizaba khona isikhathi sezenzakalo zonke, isikhathi sawo wonke umsebenzi.”
I said in my heart, “The righteous and the wicked God judges, for a time [is] to every matter and for every work there.”
18 Ngacabanga njalo ngathi, “UNkulunkulu uyabahlola abantu ukuze babone ukuthi banjengezinyamazana.
I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves [are] 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.
For an event [is to] the sons of man, and an event [is to] the beasts, even one event [is] to them; as the death of this, so [is] the death of that; and one spirit [is] to all, and the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole [is] vanity.
20 Konke kuya ndawo yinye; konke kuvela othulini, yikho konke kubuyela othulini.
The whole are going to one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back to the dust.
21 Ngubani owaziyo ingabe umphefumulo womuntu uyakhwela uye phezulu kuthi owenyamazana wehlele phansi phakathi emhlabathini?”
Who knows the spirit of the sons of man that is going up on high, and the spirit of the beast that is going down below 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?
And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it [is] his portion; for who brings him to look on that which is after him?
