UmTshumayeli 3
1 Konke kulesikhathi esimisiweyo, njalo kulesikhathi sayo yonke indaba ngaphansi kwamazulu:
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens:
2 Isikhathi sokuzalwa, lesikhathi sokufa; isikhathi sokuhlanyela, lesikhathi sokusiphuna okuhlanyelweyo;
A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 isikhathi sokubulala, lesikhathi sokuphilisa; isikhathi sokudiliza, lesikhathi sokwakha;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 isikhathi sokukhala inyembezi, lesikhathi sokuhleka; isikhathi sokulila, lesikhathi sokugida;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 isikhathi sokulahla amatshe, lesikhathi sokubuthelela amatshe; isikhathi sokugona, lesikhathi sokuba khatshana lokugona;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 isikhathi sokudinga inzuzo, lesikhathi sokuyekela kulahleke; isikhathi sokulondoloza, lesikhathi sokulahla;
A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 isikhathi sokudabula, lesikhathi sokuthunga; isikhathi sokuthula, lesikhathi sokukhuluma;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 isikhathi sokuthanda, lesikhathi sokuzonda; isikhathi sempi, lesikhathi sokuthula.
A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.
9 Ulenzuzo bani osebenzayo kwatshikatshika kikho?
What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth?
10 Ngiwubonile umsebenzi uNkulunkulu awunike abantwana babantu ukuthi baphatheke ngawo.
I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of men to toil in.
11 Konke ukwenze kwaba kuhle ngesikhathi sakho; wasebeka iphakade enhliziyweni yabo, ukuze kungabi lomuntu ongafumana umsebenzi uNkulunkulu awenzayo kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekucineni.
He hath made everything beautiful in its time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that man findeth not out from the beginning to the end the work that God doeth.
12 Ngiyazi ukuthi kakukho okuhle kubo ngaphandle kokuthokoza lokwenza okuhle empilweni yakhe.
I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;
13 Futhi lokuthi wonke umuntu adle anathe akholise okuhle ngomtshikatshika wakhe wonke, kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of God.
14 Ngiyazi ukuthi konke uNkulunkulu akwenzayo kuzakuba khona phakade; kakukho okuzakwengezelelwa kukho, njalo kakukho okuzaphungulwa kukho; uNkulunkulu wakwenza ukuze besabe phambi kwakhe.
I know that whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.
15 Lokho okwakukhona kukhona khathesi, lalokho okuzakuba khona sekuvele kukhona; njalo uNkulunkulu ufuna okuxotshiweyo.
That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.
16 Futhi ngasengibona ngaphansi kwelanga indawo yokwahlulela, kwakukhona ububi lapho; lendawo yokulunga, kwakukhona ububi lapho.
And moreover I saw under the sun, that in the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there.
17 Ngathi mina enhliziyweni yami: UNkulunkulu uzakwahlulela olungileyo lomubi, ngoba kukhona lapho isikhathi sayo yonke indaba lesawo wonke umsebenzi.
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
18 Ngathi mina enhliziyweni yami ngesimo sabantwana babantu ukuthi uNkulunkulu abatshengise obala ukuthi babone ukuthi bona uqobo bazinyamazana.
I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts.
19 Ngoba okwehlela abantwana babantu kwehlela lezinyamazana; njalo yinye into ebehlelayo; njengoba omunye esifa, ngokunjalo enye iyafa; yebo konke kulomoya munye, lomuntu kalakho angadlula ngakho inyamazana; ngoba konke kuyize.
For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity.
20 Konke kuya endaweninye; konke kuvela ethulini, njalo konke kubuyela ethulini.
All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust.
21 Ngubani owazi umoya wabantwana babantu owenyukela phezulu, lomoya wenyamazana owehlela phansi emhlabathini?
Who knoweth the spirit of the children of men? Doth it go upwards? and the spirit of the beasts, doth it go downwards to the earth?
22 Ngakho ngabona ukuthi kakukho okungcono okwedlula ukuthi umuntu azithokozise ngemisebenzi yakhe, ngoba lokhu kuyisabelo sakhe. Ngoba ngubani ongamletha ukuthi abone lokho okuzakuba khona emva kwakhe?
And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
