UmTshumayeli 8
1 Ngubani onjengomuntu ohlakaniphileyo na? Ngubani oyaziyo ingcazelo yezinto na? Ukuhlakanipha kuyabukhanyisa ubuso bomuntu njalo kuguqula ukunyukubala kwabo.
Who is really a wise man, and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of a man, lighteth up his countenance, but, by defiance of countenance, one is disfigured.
2 Ngithi hlonipha umlayo wenkosi ngoba wenza isifungo phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
I [said], The bidding of the king, observe thou, even out of regard to the oath of God.
3 Ungawalazeli ukusuka phambi kwenkosi. Ungalumeli ulutho nxa lungaqondanga ngoba yona ingenza loba yini eyithandayo.
Not rashly from his presence, shouldst thou go: do not take thy stand in a vexatious thing, —for, whatsoever he pleaseth, he will do.
4 Njengoba ilizwi lenkosi lingaphikiswa ngubani ongathi kuyo, “Kanti wenzani?”
Where the word of a king is, there is power, —who then may say to him, What wouldst thou do?
5 Lowo ohlonipha imilayo yayo akayikwehlelwa ngokubi, lenhliziyo ehlakaniphileyo iyasazi isikhathi lendlela yokwenza.
He that observeth the commandment, will not notice a vexatious thing, —and, of time and manner, will the heart of the wise take note.
6 Ngoba into yonke ilesikhathi esiqondileyo lendlela yokwenza eqondileyo, lanxa umuntu eyabe esindwa yizinkathazo zakhe.
For, to every pursuit, there is a time and a manner, —when, the vexation of man, is great concerning it.
7 Njengoba kungekho muntu olaziyo ikusasa, ngubani pho ongamtshela okuzayo na?
For there is no one who knoweth what shall be, for, when it shall be, who will tell him?
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, none, hath power over the day of death, and there is no furlough in war, —neither shall lawlessness deliver them who are given thereto.
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, had I seen, and tried to apply my heart to every work which was done under the sun, —at such time as one man had power over another man, to his hurt.
10 Ngabona njalo ababi bengcwatshwa, labo ababehlala befika bahambe endaweni engcwele bazuze udumo kulelodolobho ababeganga khona. Khona lakho kuyize.
And, thereupon, I considered the lawless when buried, when they had entered, [their graves], that, from the place of the Holy One, they used to go and boast in the city that they had so done, —even this, was vanity.
11 Nxa isigwebo secala singenziwanga masinyane, abantu basuka bacabange ukuqhubeka ngokuganga kwabo.
Because sentence against a wicked work is not executed speedily—on this account, the heart of the sons of men is fully set within them, to commit wickedness.
12 Loba umuntu ogangileyo engenza amacala alikhulu ajinge aphile okwesikhathi eside, ngiyazi ukuthi kuzakuba ngcono kulabo abamesabayo uNkulunkulu, abazithobayo kuNkulunkulu.
Though a sinner be committing wickedness a hundred times, and continuing long in his own way, yet I surely know that it shall be well to them who revere God, who stand in awe before him;
13 Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi izixhwali kazimesabi uNkulunkulu, kakuzukuzilungela, lezinsuku zazo kaziyukweluleka njengesithunzi.
but, well, shall it not be to the lawless man, neither shall he lengthen out his days like a shadow, —because he standeth not in awe 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.
Here was a vain thing which was done upon the earth—that there were righteous men unto whom it happened according to the work of the lawless, and there were lawless men, unto whom it happened according to the work of the righteous, —I said, that, even this, was 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 extolled I, gladness, in that there was nothing better for a man, under the sun, than to eat and to drink, and to be glad, —since, that, should tarry with him in his toil, for the days of his life which God had given him under the sun.
16 Ngathi ngibeka ingqondo yami ekwazini ukuhlakanipha lokunanzelela imisebenzi yabantu emhlabeni, umuntu engalali imini lobusuku,
When I gave my heart, to know wisdom, and to consider the business that was done upon the earth, then surely, by day and by night, there was one who suffered not his eyes, to sleep.
17 ngasengibona konke uNkulunkulu akwenzileyo. Kakho ongaqedisisa okwenzakalayo ngaphansi kwelanga. Loba umuntu ohlakaniphileyo angazitshaya owaziyo, kodwa angeke akuqedisise.
Then I considered all the work of God, that man could not find out the work that was done under the sun, inasmuch as man toileth in seeking and yet cannot find, —yea, even though the wise man should say he knoweth, yet can he not find it out.
