UmTshumayeli 9
1 Yikho ngakucabanga konke lokhu ngabona ukuthi abalungileyo labahlakaniphileyo labakwenzayo kusezandleni zikaNkulunkulu, kodwa kakho owaziyo ingabe ulindelwe luthando langabe yinzondo.
[I saw] that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: yes, there is no man that knows either love or hatred, [though] all are before their face.
2 Bonke balesiphetho sinye, abaqondileyo labaxhwalileyo, abalungileyo lababi, abahlambulukileyo labangcolileyo, abenza imihlatshelo labangayenziyo. Njengoba kunjalo emuntwini olungileyo, kunjalo lakoyisoni; njengoba kunjalo kwabenza izifungo, kunjalo lakulabo abesaba ukuzenza.
Vanity is in all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good, and to the bad; both to the pure, and to the impure; both to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifice not: as is the good, so is the sinner: as is the swearer, even so is he that fears an oath.
3 Lobu yibo ububi obuvelela zonke izinto ngaphansi kwelanga: Konke kulesiphetho sinye. Njalo inhliziyo zabantu zigcwele izibozi futhi kulokubheda phakathi kwazo nxa besaphila, ikanti emva kwakho konke baya kwabafileyo.
There is this evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes, the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after that [they go] to the dead.
4 Loba ngubani olethemba nxa esahlezi kwabaphilayo, yebo kambe phela inja ephilayo ingcono kulesilwane esifileyo!
for who is he that has fellowship with all the living? there is hope [of him]: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 Ngoba abaphilayo bayakwazi ukuthi bazakufa, kodwa abafileyo kabazi lutho; kabaselawo omunye umvuzo, ngitsho lokukhumbula ngabo kuyaphela.
For the living will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost.
6 Uthando lwabo, inzondo yabo lomona wabo sekwedlula nya; nini lanini kabasayikuba lengxenye loba kukuphi okwenzakalayo ngaphansi kwelanga.
also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, have now perished; yes, there is no portion for them any more for ever in all that is done under the sun.
7 Hamba nje uyezidlela ukudla kwakho uchelesile, unathe iwayini lakho ngenhliziyo emhlophe, ngoba uNkulunkulu usakuvumele okwamanje.
Go, eat your bread with mirth, and drink your wine with a joyful heart; for now God has favourably accepted your works.
8 Gqoka ezimhlophe ngezikhathi zonke, ugcobe ikhanda lakho ngamafutha.
Let your garments be always white; and let not oil be lacking on your head.
9 Kholisa impilo lomfazi wakho omthandayo kuzozonke insuku zale impilo eyize uNkulunkulu akunike yona ngaphansi kwelanga, zonke insuku zakho eziyize. Phela lesi yiso isabelo sakho empilweni phakathi kokutshikatshika kwakho ngaphansi kwelanga.
And see life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which are given you under the sun: for that is your portion in your life, and in your labor wherein you labor under the sun.
10 Lokho isandla sakho esingakwenza kwenze ngamandla akho wonke, ngoba engcwabeni lapho oya khona akusetshenzwa, akulakulungiselela, kakulalwazi kumbe ukuhlakanipha. (Sheol h7585)
Whatsoever your hand shall find to do, do with all your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Hades wither you go. (Sheol h7585)
11 Ngikubonile okunye njalo ngaphansi kwelanga: Ukutshiya abanye kakuyi ngesiqubu kumbe ukunqoba impi kuye ngamandla; kakutsho ukuthi ukudla kuya kwabahlakaniphileyo kumbe inotho kwabakhaliphileyo loba okuhle kwehlele abafundileyo; kodwa kuya ngesikhathi langenhlanhla kubani lobani.
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet wealth to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of knowledge; for time and chance will happen to them all.
12 Futhi kakho owaziyo ukuthi isikhathi sakhe sizafika nini: Njengezinhlanzi ezigolwa kabuhlungu ngamambule loba izinyoni zibanjwa esifini, kanjalo abantu bafikelwa yizikhathi ezimbi ezibafikela belibele.
For surely man also knows not his time: as fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as birds that are caught in a snare; even thus the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.
13 Ngaphinda ngabona ngaphansi kwelanga lesisibonelo sokuhlakanipha esagxila engqondweni yami:
This I also saw [to be] wisdom under the sun, and it is great before me:
14 Kwake kwaba khona idolobho elincinyane elalilabantu abalutshwana kulo. Kwasuka inkosi elamandla yalihlasela, yalihonqolozela yakha amadundulu amakhulu okuvimbezela.
[suppose there were] a little city, and few men in it; and there should come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great mounds against it;
15 Kulelodolobho kwakuhlala indoda ethile engesulutho kodwa ihlakaniphile, ngakho yawusindisa umuzi lowo ngokuhlakanipha kwayo. Kodwa kakho loyedwa owaphinde wayikhumbula leyondoda eyayingebani.
and should find in it a poor wise man, and he should save the city through his wisdom: yet no man would remember that poor man.
16 Yikho-ke ngasengisithi, “Ukuhlakanipha kungcono kulamandla.” Kodwa ukuhlakanipha komuntukazana kuyeyiswa lamazwi akhe akasanakwa.
And I said Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor man is set at nothing, and his words not listened to.
17 Amazwi apholileyo abahlakaniphileyo afanele alalelwe ngcono kulokumemeza kombusi weziwula.
The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of them that rule in folly.
18 Ukuhlakanipha kungcono kulezikhali zempi, umoni oyedwa uyabuchitha bonke ubuhle.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.
