UmTshumayeli 5
1 Gcina unyawo lwakho nxa usiya endlini kaNkulunkulu; sondelela ukulalela kulokunikela umhlatshelo wezithutha, ngoba kazazi ukuthi zenza okubi.
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
2 Ungabi lamawala ngomlomo wakho, lenhliziyo yakho ingaphangisi ukukhupha ilizwi phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngoba uNkulunkulu usemazulwini, wena-ke usemhlabeni, ngakho amazwi akho kawabe malutshwana.
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 Ngoba iphupho liza ngobunengi bomsebenzi, lelizwi lesithutha ngobunengi bamazwi.
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by a multitude of words.
4 Lapho ufunga isifungo kuNkulunkulu, ungaphuzi ukusikhokha, ngoba kakulantokozo kuziwula; khokha lokho okufungileyo.
When thou vowest a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 Kungcono ukuthi ungafungi kulokuthi ufunge ungakhokhi.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Ungavumeli umlomo wakho ukuthi wenze inyama yakho yone, futhi ungatsho phambi kwengilosi ukuthi bekuyisiphosiso; uNkulunkulu uzathukuthelelani ilizwi lakho, achithe umsebenzi wezandla zakho?
Permit not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: why should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
7 Ngoba ebunengini bamaphupho lamazwi kukhona lokuyize okunengi, kodwa mesabe uNkulunkulu.
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also many vanities: but fear thou God.
8 Uba ubona ucindezelo lomyanga lokuphanjulwa kokulunga lesahlulelo ngodlakela esabelweni, ungamangali ngalinto, ngoba ophezulu kophezulu uyananzelela, njalo kulabaphezulu phezu kwabo.
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, wonder not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there are higher than they.
9 Lenzuzo yomhlabathi ngeyabo bonke; inkosi isetshenzelwa yinsimu.
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
10 Othanda imali kayikweneliswa yimali, njalo othanda okunengi kayikweneliswa yikwanda; lokhu lakho kuyize.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
11 Ekwandeni kokuhle, bayanda abakudlayo; njalo kulenzuzo bani kubanini bakho, ngaphandle kokukubuka ngamehlo abo?
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners of them, except the beholding of them with their eyes?
12 Bumnandi ubuthongo besisebenzi loba sisidla okulutshwana loba okunengi; kodwa ukusutha kwesinothi kakusivumeli ukulala.
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eateth little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
13 Kukhona ububi obubuhlungu esengibubonile ngaphansi kwelanga: Inotho egcinelwe abaniniyo kube yibubi kibo.
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners of them to their hurt.
14 Kodwa leyonotho ichitheka ngomsebenzi omubi: Esezala umntwana, kungaselalutho esandleni sakhe.
But those riches perish by evil labour: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
15 Njengokuphuma kwakhe esiswini sikanina, uzabuyela eze ehamba njengokuza kwakhe; njalo kayikuthatha lutho lomtshikatshika wakhe angahamba lalo esandleni sakhe.
As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 Lokhu lakho kuyibubi obubuhlungu, kukho konke njengokufika kwakhe ngokunjalo uzahamba. Njalo ulenzuzo bani owatshikatshikela umoya?
And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
17 Njalo insuku zakhe zonke udlela emnyameni, elosizi olukhulu, lomkhuhlane wakhe, lokuthukuthela?
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
18 Khangela, engikubonileyo mina, kulungile okuhle ukudla lokunatha lokubona okuhle emtshikatshikeni wakhe wonke awutshikatshikayo ngaphansi kwelanga, enanini lensuku zempilo yakhe uNkulunkulu amnike zona, ngoba kuyisabelo sakhe.
Behold that which I have seen: it is good and proper for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
19 Laye wonke umuntu, uNkulunkulu amnike inotho lengcebo, wamnika amandla okudla kukho, lokuthatha isabelo sakhe, lokuthokoza emtshikatshikeni wakhe - lokhu kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
20 Ngoba kayikukhumbula kakhulu insuku zempilo yakhe, ngoba uNkulunkulu umphendula ngentokozo yenhliziyo yakhe.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
