UmTshumayeli 3
1 Konke kulesikhathi esimisiweyo, njalo kulesikhathi sayo yonke indaba ngaphansi kwamazulu:
For every thing there is a season; and a [proper] time is for every pursuit under the heavens.
2 Isikhathi sokuzalwa, lesikhathi sokufa; isikhathi sokuhlanyela, lesikhathi sokusiphuna okuhlanyelweyo;
[There is] a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what hath been 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 throw away stones, and a time to gather up stones; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embracing;
6 isikhathi sokudinga inzuzo, lesikhathi sokuyekela kulahleke; isikhathi sokulondoloza, lesikhathi sokulahla;
A time to seek, and a time to let things be lost; a time to keep, and a time to throw 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 [now] he that worketh in that wherein he toileth?
10 Ngiwubonile umsebenzi uNkulunkulu awunike abantwana babantu ukuthi baphatheke ngawo.
I have seen the employment, which God hath given to the sons of men to busy themselves therewith.
11 Konke ukwenze kwaba kuhle ngesikhathi sakho; wasebeka iphakade enhliziyweni yabo, ukuze kungabi lomuntu ongafumana umsebenzi uNkulunkulu awenzayo kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekucineni.
Every thing hath he made beautiful in its [proper] time: he hath also placed the eternity in their heart, without a man's being able to find out the work that God hath made from the beginning to the end.
12 Ngiyazi ukuthi kakukho okuhle kubo ngaphandle kokuthokoza lokwenza okuhle empilweni yakhe.
I know that there is nothing good [inherent] in them, but for every one to rejoice and to do what is good during [all] his life.
13 Futhi lokuthi wonke umuntu adle anathe akholise okuhle ngomtshikatshika wakhe wonke, kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
For also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy what is good for all his toil, is likewise a 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 whatsoever God doth, that will be for ever; to it nothing can be added, and from it there is nothing to be diminished: and God hath so made it, that men should be afraid of him.
15 Lokho okwakukhona kukhona khathesi, lalokho okuzakuba khona sekuvele kukhona; njalo uNkulunkulu ufuna okuxotshiweyo.
That which hath been hath long since appeared [again]; and what is to be hath already been; and God seeketh [again] that which is sped away.
16 Futhi ngasengibona ngaphansi kwelanga indawo yokwahlulela, kwakukhona ububi lapho; lendawo yokulunga, kwakukhona ububi lapho.
And moreover I have seen under the sun, [that in] the place of justice, even there was wickedness; and [that in] the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.
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 for every pursuit; and on account of every deed there [will he judge].
18 Ngathi mina enhliziyweni yami ngesimo sabantwana babantu ukuthi uNkulunkulu abatshengise obala ukuthi babone ukuthi bona uqobo bazinyamazana.
I said in my heart concerning the speaking of the sons of men, that God might make it clear to them, and that they might see that they by 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 that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even the same thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one kind of spirit: so that the preeminence of man above the beast is nought; for all is vanity.
20 Konke kuya endaweninye; konke kuvela ethulini, njalo konke kubuyela ethulini.
Every thing goeth unto one place: every thing came from the dust, and every thing returneth to the dust.
21 Ngubani owazi umoya wabantwana babantu owenyukela phezulu, lomoya wenyamazana owehlela phansi emhlabathini?
Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of man that ascendeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that descendeth downward 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 so did I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who can bring him to look with pleasure on what will be after him?
