UmTshumayeli 6
1 Sengibone obunye ububi ngaphansi kwelanga engibona ukuthi bunzima kakhulu ebantwini:
I have observed another evil here on earth, and it has a great impact on humanity.
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.
God gives wealth, possessions, and honor to someone. They have everything they want. But God doesn't let them enjoy what they have. Instead somebody else does! This is hard to fathom, and is truly evil.
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.
A man could have one hundred children, and grow old, but it wouldn't matter how long his life was if he couldn't enjoy it and at the end receive a decent burial. I would say that a stillborn child would be better off than him.
4 Ufika ungasilutho, unyamalale emnyameni lebizo lawo liphelele emnyameni.
The way a stillborn child comes into the world and then leaves is painfully hard to understand—arriving and departing in darkness—and who he would have been is never known.
5 Loba lowomphunzo ungazange ulibone ilanga loba wazi ulutho usekuphumuleni okungcono kulalowomuntu
He never saw the light of day or knew what it was like to live. Yet the child finds rest, and not this man.
6 loba angaze aphile okweminyaka eyinkulungwane iphindwe kabili kodwa angaze akholisa inotho yakhe. Kabayi ndawonye bonke na?
Even if this man were to live a thousand years twice over he still wouldn't be happy. Don't we all end up in the same place—the grave?
7 Yonke imizamo yomuntu iya emlonyeni wakhe, kodwa iphango lakhe kaligcwali.
Everyone works so they can live, but they're never satisfied.
8 Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ungcono ngani kulesiwula? Umuntu ongumyanga uzuzani ngokwazi ukuziphatha kuhle phambi kwabanye na?
So then, what real advantage do wise people have over those who are fools? And do poor people really gain anything in knowing how to behave in front of others?
9 Kungcono okubonwa lilihlo kulokuhwaywa liphango. Lokhu lakho kuyize, yikuxotshana lomoya.
Be happy with what you have instead of running after what you don't! But this is also hard to do, like running after the wind.
10 Loba yini ekhona seyavele yethiwa ibizo, laloba yini umuntu ayiyo yona kuvele sekusaziwa; akulamuntu ongaphuthumana lomunye olamandla kulaye.
Everything that exists has already been described. Everyone knows what people are like, and that you can't win an argument with a superior.
11 Ngokwanda kwamazwi siyancipha lesisindo sawo; pho kumsiza ngani umuntu?
For the more words you use, the harder it is to make sense. So what's the point?
12 Kambe ngubani okwaziyo okulungele umuntu ekuphileni kwakhe ngensuku ezimbalwa ezingatsho lutho adlula kuzo njengethunzi na? Ngubani ongamtshela okuzakwenzeka ngaphansi kwelanga yena esedlule?
Who knows what's best for us and our lives? During our short lives that pass like shadows we have many unanswered questions. And who can tell us what will happen when we're gone?
