UmTshumayeli 11
1 Phosela isinkwa sakho phezu kobuso bamanzi, ngoba uzasithola emva kwensuku ezinengi.
Send forth your bread on the face of the waters, For in the multitude of the days you find it.
2 Nika isabelo kwabayisikhombisa, yebo, lakwabayisificaminwembili, ngoba kawazi ukuthi bubi bani obuzakuba emhlabeni.
Give a portion to seven, and even to eight, For you do not know what evil is on the earth.
3 Uba amayezi egcwele izulu, ayalithululela emhlabeni; uba-ke isihlahla siwela ngeningizimu kumbe ngenyakatho, endaweni lapho isihlahla esiwela khona sizakuba khonapho.
If the thick clouds are full of rain, On the earth they empty [themselves]; And if a tree falls in the south or to the north, The place where the tree falls, there it is.
4 Onanzelela umoya kayikuhlanyela, lalowo okhangela amayezi kayikuvuna.
Whoever is observing the wind does not sow, And whoever is looking on the thick clouds does not reap.
5 Njengoba ungazi ukuthi iyini indlela yomoya, akhula njani amathambo esiswini sokhulelweyo, ngokunjalo kawazi umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu owenza konke.
As you do not know what [is] the way of the spirit, How—bones in the womb of the full one, So you do not know the work of God who makes the whole.
6 Hlanyela inhlanyelo yakho ekuseni, lantambama ungaphumuzi isandla sakho; ngoba kawazi ukuthi yiyiphi ezaphumelela, le kumbe leyana, loba zombili zizakuba zinhle ngokufananayo.
In the morning sow your seed, And at evening do not withdraw your hand, For you do not know which is right, this or that, Or whether both of them alike [are] good.
7 Sibili, ukukhanya kumnandi; njalo kuhle emehlweni ukubona ilanga.
Sweet also [is] the light, And good for the eyes to see the sun.
8 Kodwa uba umuntu ephila iminyaka eminengi, kathokoze ngayo yonke; kodwa kakhumbule lensuku zomnyama, ngoba zizakuba zinengi. Konke okuzayo kuyize.
But if man lives many years, In all of them let him rejoice, And remember the days of darkness, For they are many! All that is coming [is] vanity.
9 Thokoza, jaha, ebutsheni bakho, lenhliziyo yakho kayikuthokozise ensukwini zobutsha bakho, uhambe endleleni zenhliziyo yakho lekuboneni kwamehlo akho. Kodwa yazi ukuthi ngenxa yazo zonke izinto uNkulunkulu uzakuletha kusahlulelo.
Rejoice, O young man, in your childhood, And let your heart gladden you in days of your youth, And walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes, And know that for all these, God brings you into judgment.
10 Ngakho susa ukudabuka enhliziyweni yakho, ukhuphe ububi enyameni yakho, ngoba ubutsha lobujaha buyize.
And turn aside anger from your heart, And cause evil to pass from your flesh, For the childhood and the age [are] vanity!
