UmTshumayeli 6
1 Kukhona ububi esengibubonile ngaphansi kwelanga, njalo buvamile ebantwini:
I have observed another evil here on earth, and it has a great impact on humanity.
2 Umuntu uNkulunkulu amnike inotho lengcebo lodumo ukuze angasweleli umphefumulo wakhe ulutho kukho konke akufisayo, kodwa uNkulunkulu angamniki amandla ukuthi adle kukho, kodwa owemzini uyakudla; lokhu kuyize, njalo kuyisifo esibi.
God gives wealth, possessions, and honor to someone. They have everything they want. But God doesn't let them enjoy what they have. Instead somebody else does! This is hard to fathom, and is truly evil.
3 Uba umuntu ezala abantwana abalikhulu, aphile iminyaka eminengi, ukuze insuku zeminyaka yakhe zibe zinengi, kodwa umphefumulo wakhe ungasuthiswa ngokuhle, futhi angabi lakungcwatshwa, ngithi umphunzo ungcono kulaye.
A man could have one hundred children, and grow old, but it wouldn't matter how long his life was if he couldn't enjoy it and at the end receive a decent burial. I would say that a stillborn child would be better off than him.
4 Ngoba uza ngeze, uye emnyameni, lebizo lawo lisitshekelwe emnyameni;
The way a stillborn child comes into the world and then leaves is painfully hard to understand—arriving and departing in darkness—and who he would have been is never known.
5 futhi kawulibonanga ilanga, kawulalwazi; lo ulokuphumula kulaye.
He never saw the light of day or knew what it was like to live. Yet the child finds rest, and not this man.
6 Yebo, lanxa ephila iminyaka eyinkulungwane, ephindwe kabili, kanti engabonanga okuhle; bonke kabayi yini endaweni eyodwa?
Even if this man were to live a thousand years twice over he still wouldn't be happy. Don't we all end up in the same place—the grave?
7 Wonke umtshikatshika womuntu ngowomlomo wakhe, kube kanti inkanuko kayisuthi.
Everyone works so they can live, but they're never satisfied.
8 Ngoba ohlakaniphileyo ulani okwedlula isithutha? Ulani umyanga owazi ukuhamba phambi kwabaphilayo?
So then, what real advantage do wise people have over those who are fools? And do poor people really gain anything in knowing how to behave in front of others?
9 Kungcono ukubona kwamehlo kulokuzulazula kwenkanuko. Lokhu lakho kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
Be happy with what you have instead of running after what you don't! But this is also hard to do, like running after the wind.
10 Osekukhona sekuke kwathiwa ibizo lakho, njalo kuyaziwa ukuthi kungumuntu, lokuthi kalakho ukuphikisana lolamandla kulaye.
Everything that exists has already been described. Everyone knows what people are like, and that you can't win an argument with a superior.
11 Ngoba zinengi izinto ezandisa ize; kuyinzuzo bani emuntwini?
For the more words you use, the harder it is to make sense. So what's the point?
12 Ngoba ngubani okwaziyo okulungele umuntu empilweni, enanini lensuku zempilo yakhe eyize ayichitha njengesithunzi? Ngoba ngubani ongatshela umuntu lokho okuzakuba khona emva kwakhe ngaphansi kwelanga?
Who knows what's best for us and our lives? During our short lives that pass like shadows we have many unanswered questions. And who can tell us what will happen when we're gone?
