UmTshumayeli 6
1 Kukhona ububi esengibubonile ngaphansi kwelanga, njalo buvamile ebantwini:
There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it [is] great on man:
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.
A man to whom God gives wealth, and riches, and honor, and there is no lack to his soul of all that he desires, and God does not give him power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it; this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.
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.
If a man begets one hundred, and lives many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he has not had a grave, I have said, “Better than he [is] the untimely birth.”
4 Ngoba uza ngeze, uye emnyameni, lebizo lawo lisitshekelwe emnyameni;
For in vanity he came in, and in darkness he goes, and in darkness his name is covered,
5 futhi kawulibonanga ilanga, kawulalwazi; lo ulokuphumula kulaye.
even the sun he has not seen nor known, more rest has this than that.
6 Yebo, lanxa ephila iminyaka eyinkulungwane, ephindwe kabili, kanti engabonanga okuhle; bonke kabayi yini endaweni eyodwa?
And though he had lived one thousand years twice over, yet he has not seen good; does not everyone go to the same place?
7 Wonke umtshikatshika womuntu ngowomlomo wakhe, kube kanti inkanuko kayisuthi.
All the labor of man [is] for his mouth, And yet the soul is not filled.
8 Ngoba ohlakaniphileyo ulani okwedlula isithutha? Ulani umyanga owazi ukuhamba phambi kwabaphilayo?
For what advantage [is] to the wise above the fool? What to the poor who knows to walk before the living?
9 Kungcono ukubona kwamehlo kulokuzulazula kwenkanuko. Lokhu lakho kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the going of the soul. This [is] also vanity and distress of spirit.
10 Osekukhona sekuke kwathiwa ibizo lakho, njalo kuyaziwa ukuthi kungumuntu, lokuthi kalakho ukuphikisana lolamandla kulaye.
What [is] that which has been? Already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, And he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.
11 Ngoba zinengi izinto ezandisa ize; kuyinzuzo bani emuntwini?
For there are many things multiplying vanity; What advantage [is] to man?
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?
For who knows what [is] good for a man in life, the number of the days of the life of his vanity, and he makes them as a shadow? For who declares to man what is after him under the sun?
