UmTshumayeli 6
1 Sengibone obunye ububi ngaphansi kwelanga engibona ukuthi bunzima kakhulu ebantwini:
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is hard on men;
2 UNkulunkulu upha umuntu inotho lempahla lodumo ukuze angasileli lutho oluloyiswa yinhliziyo yakhe, kodwa uNkulunkulu kamniki amandla okuthi azikholise lezozinto, zikholiswa ngowemzini. Lokhu kuyize, ububi obudanisayo.
A man to whom God gives money, wealth, and honour so that he has all his desires but God does not give him the power to have joy of it, and a strange man takes it. This is to no purpose and an evil disease.
3 Umuntu angaba labantwana abalikhulu aphile okweminyaka eminengi; ikanti loba angaze aphile kanganani kodwa nxa engeke akholise inotho yakhe njalo angangcwatshwa ngendlela eqondileyo, ngithi umphunzo ungcono kulaye.
If a man has a hundred children, and his life is long so that the days of his years are great in number, but his soul takes no pleasure in good, and he is not honoured at his death; I say that a birth before its time is better than he.
4 Ufika ungasilutho, unyamalale emnyameni lebizo lawo liphelele emnyameni.
In wind it came and to the dark it will go, and with the dark will its name be covered.
5 Loba lowomphunzo ungazange ulibone ilanga loba wazi ulutho usekuphumuleni okungcono kulalowomuntu
Yes, it saw not the sun, and it had no knowledge; it is better with this than with the other.
6 loba angaze aphile okweminyaka eyinkulungwane iphindwe kabili kodwa angaze akholisa inotho yakhe. Kabayi ndawonye bonke na?
And though he goes on living a thousand years twice over and does not see good, are not the two going to the same place?
7 Yonke imizamo yomuntu iya emlonyeni wakhe, kodwa iphango lakhe kaligcwali.
All the work of man is for his mouth, and still he has a desire for food.
8 Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ungcono ngani kulesiwula? Umuntu ongumyanga uzuzani ngokwazi ukuziphatha kuhle phambi kwabanye na?
What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?
9 Kungcono okubonwa lilihlo kulokuhwaywa liphango. Lokhu lakho kuyize, yikuxotshana lomoya.
What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.
10 Loba yini ekhona seyavele yethiwa ibizo, laloba yini umuntu ayiyo yona kuvele sekusaziwa; akulamuntu ongaphuthumana lomunye olamandla kulaye.
That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge. He has no power against one stronger than he.
11 Ngokwanda kwamazwi siyancipha lesisindo sawo; pho kumsiza ngani umuntu?
There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?
12 Kambe ngubani okwaziyo okulungele umuntu ekuphileni kwakhe ngensuku ezimbalwa ezingatsho lutho adlula kuzo njengethunzi na? Ngubani ongamtshela okuzakwenzeka ngaphansi kwelanga yena esedlule?
Who is able to say what is good for man in life all the days of his foolish life which he goes through like a shade? who will say what is to be after him under the sun?
