UmTshumayeli 7
1 Ibizo elihle lingcono kulamakha amnandi, lelanga lokufa lingcono kulelanga lokuzalwa.
A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.
2 Kungcono ukuya endlini yesililo kulokuya endlini yamadili, ngoba ukufa kuyisiphetho somuntu wonke; abaphilayo kabakunanzelele lokho.
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
3 Usizi lungcono kulokuhleka, ngoba ubuso obudanileyo buyayisiza inhliziyo.
Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
4 Inhliziyo yabahlakaniphileyo isendlini yokulila, kodwa inhliziyo yeziwula isendlini yokuzithokozisa.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 Kungcono ukulalela izixwayiso zomuntu ohlakaniphileyo kulokulalela ingoma yeziwula.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 Njengokuchachamba kwameva ngaphansi kwembiza, lunjalo uhleko lweziwula. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Ukuqilibezela kwenza ohlakaniphileyo abe yisiwula, lesivalamlomo siyayona inhliziyo.
Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
8 Isiphetho sendaba singcono kulokuqala kwayo, lokubekezela kungcono kulokuqinisa intamo.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Ungaphangisi ukufuthelana ngaphakathi, ngoba ulaka luhlezi lugonwe yiziwula.
Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
10 Ungaze wathi, “Kungani insuku zayizolo zazingcono kulalezi?” Ngoba kakukuhle ukubuza imibuzo enjalo.
Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.
11 Ukuhlakanipha, njengelifa, kuyinto enhle njalo kuyabasiza bonke abaphilayo.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
12 Ukuhlakanipha kuyisiphephelo njengoba imali iyisiphephelo, kodwa ubungcono bolwazi yilobu: ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kuyayilondoloza impilo yalowo olakho.
For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
13 Nakana ngalokho uNkulunkulu akwenzayo: Ngubani ongakuqondisa lokho akwenze kwagoba na?
Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight which he has made crooked?
14 Ngezikhathi konke kukuhle, thokoza; kodwa ngezikhathi zobubi, cabanga ukuthi: uNkulunkulu ukwenzile lokhu kanye lalokhuyana njalo. Ngakho-ke umuntu ngeke akwazi ukuthi ikusasa lakhe lizakuba yini.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
15 Kuyonale impilo yami eyize sengizibonile izinto lezi zombili: umuntu olungileyo uyafa elungile enjalo, lomuntu omubi uba lempilo enhle emubi enjalo.
All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Ungalungi wedlulise, futhi ungabi lokuhlakanipha okweqileyo kambe uzibulalelani na?
Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17 Ungaxhwali okudlulisileyo, njalo ungabi yisiwula kambe ufelani singakafiki isikhathi sakho?
Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
18 Kuhle ukuthi uthi ubambe lokhu ungayekeli uphunyukwe ngokunye. Umuntu owesaba uNkulunkulu kedlulisi amalawulo.
It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.
19 Ukuhlakanipha kwenza umuntu ohlakaniphileyo oyedwa abe lamandla kulababusi abalitshumi edolobheni.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Akulamuntu loyedwa olungileyo emhlabeni owenza okulungileyo ongazake enze isono.
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.
21 Ungaphiki ngokulalela wonke amazwi akhulunywa ngabantu, funa uzwe inceku yakho ikuthuka
Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
22 ngoba uyakwazi enhliziyweni yakho ukuthi wena ngokwakho uyawubathuke abanye.
for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
23 Konke lokhu ngakuhlolisisa ngokuhlakanipha ngathi, “Ngizimisele ukuhlakanipha” kodwa lokhu kwakungaphezu kwami.
All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.
24 Ukuhlakanipha okungabe kukhona, kukhatshana kakhulu njalo kuzikile kakhulu: ngubani ongakufinyelela na?
That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
25 Ngasengibeka ingqondo yami ukuthi ngizwisise, ngidingisise njalo ngichwayisise ukuhlakanipha kanye lesimo sezinto lokuzwisisa ubuphukuphuku bokuxhwala lobuhlanya lobuwula.
I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
26 Ngibona ukuthi uyingozi eyedlula ukufa umfazi ongumjibila, onhliziyo yakhe iyisithiyo njalo ozandla zakhe zingamaketane. Indoda eyesaba uNkulunkulu izaphepha kuye, kodwa isigangi uzasihilela.
I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
27 Uthi uMtshumayeli, “Khangela, nanku esengikunanzelele: Ngihlanganisa lokhu lalokhu ngizama ukubona isimo sezinto
“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find an explanation
28 ngilokhu ngisachwayisisa kodwa ngingatholi ngafumanisa indoda eyodwa elungileyo kwabayinkulungwane, kodwa ngitsho loyedwa umfazi oqondileyo kubo.
which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man amongst a thousand, but I have not found a woman amongst all those.
29 Yilokhu kuphela esengikufumene: UNkulunkulu wamenza umuntu wabaqotho, kodwa abantu basuka bazenzele okwabo.”
Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”
