UmTshumayeli 8
1 Ngubani onjengomuntu ohlakaniphileyo na? Ngubani oyaziyo ingcazelo yezinto na? Ukuhlakanipha kuyabukhanyisa ubuso bomuntu njalo kuguqula ukunyukubala kwabo.
Who is like the wise man, and who knoweth the explanation of a thing? A man's wisdom brighteneth his countenance, and the harshness of his face is changed.
2 Ngithi hlonipha umlayo wenkosi ngoba wenza isifungo phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that on account of the oath of God.
3 Ungawalazeli ukusuka phambi kwenkosi. Ungalumeli ulutho nxa lungaqondanga ngoba yona ingenza loba yini eyithandayo.
Be not in haste to depart from his presence; persist not in an evil thing; for whatever pleaseth him, that he doeth.
4 Njengoba ilizwi lenkosi lingaphikiswa ngubani ongathi kuyo, “Kanti wenzani?”
For the word of the king is powerful; and who can say to him, “What doest thou?”
5 Lowo ohlonipha imilayo yayo akayikwehlelwa ngokubi, lenhliziyo ehlakaniphileyo iyasazi isikhathi lendlela yokwenza.
He that keepeth the commandment shall experience no evil; and the heart of the wise man hath regard to time and judgment.
6 Ngoba into yonke ilesikhathi esiqondileyo lendlela yokwenza eqondileyo, lanxa umuntu eyabe esindwa yizinkathazo zakhe.
For to every thing there is a time and judgment. For the misery of man is great upon him.
7 Njengoba kungekho muntu olaziyo ikusasa, ngubani pho ongamtshela okuzayo na?
For no one knoweth what shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?
8 Njengoba kungelamuntu olamandla phezu komoyo ovunguzayo Akulamuntu olamandla phezu kosuku lwakhe lokufa. Njengoba ibutho lingakhululwa ngesikhathi sempi, kunjalo ukuxhwala akuyikubakhulula labo abaphila ngakho.
No man hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit, and no man hath power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in that war; and wickedness shall not deliver those that are guilty of it.
9 Konke lokhu ngakubona lapho ngangihlolisisa ngengqondo yami konke okwenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga. Kukhona isikhathi lapho umuntu aphatha khona abanye ngochuku kanti uyazilimaza yena.
All this have I seen, and I have given heed to all things that are done under the sun. There is a time when man ruleth over man to his hurt.
10 Ngabona njalo ababi bengcwatshwa, labo ababehlala befika bahambe endaweni engcwele bazuze udumo kulelodolobho ababeganga khona. Khona lakho kuyize.
And so I saw the wicked buried, while the righteous came and went from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity.
11 Nxa isigwebo secala singenziwanga masinyane, abantu basuka bacabange ukuqhubeka ngokuganga kwabo.
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore doth the heart of the sons of men become bold within them to do evil.
12 Loba umuntu ogangileyo engenza amacala alikhulu ajinge aphile okwesikhathi eside, ngiyazi ukuthi kuzakuba ngcono kulabo abamesabayo uNkulunkulu, abazithobayo kuNkulunkulu.
But though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and have his days prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him.
13 Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi izixhwali kazimesabi uNkulunkulu, kakuzukuzilungela, lezinsuku zazo kaziyukweluleka njengesithunzi.
But it shall not be well with the wicked: he shall be like a shadow, and shall not prolong his days, because he feareth not before God.
14 Kukhona njalo enye into eyize eyenzakalayo emhlabeni: abantu abalungileyo abazuza okufanele ababi, labantu ababi abazuza okufanele abalungileyo. Ngithi lokhu lakho kudida ingqondo.
There is a vanity which taketh place upon the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked, and that there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said, “This also is vanity!”
15 Ngakho-ke ngikhuthaza ukuzithokozisa empilweni ngoba kakukho okungcono emuntwini ngaphansi kwelanga kulokuzitika, unathe, uthokoze. Lapho-ke injabulo izahlala injalo kuye emsebenzini wakhe zonke insuku zokuphila kwakhe aziphiwe nguNkulunkulu lapha emhlabeni.
Then I commended joy; because nothing is good for a man under the sun, except to eat and to drink and to be joyful; for it is this that abideth with him for his labor during the days of his life which God giveth him under the sun.
16 Ngathi ngibeka ingqondo yami ekwazini ukuhlakanipha lokunanzelela imisebenzi yabantu emhlabeni, umuntu engalali imini lobusuku,
When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business which is done upon the earth, —that one seeth no sleep with his eyes by day or by night, —
17 ngasengibona konke uNkulunkulu akwenzileyo. Kakho ongaqedisisa okwenzakalayo ngaphansi kwelanga. Loba umuntu ohlakaniphileyo angazitshaya owaziyo, kodwa angeke akuqedisise.
then I saw the whole work of God, that a man cannot comprehend that which is done under the sun; how much soever he labor to search it out, yet shall he not comprehend it; yea, though a wise man resolve to know it, yet shall he not be able to comprehend it.
