UmTshumayeli 7
1 Ibizo elihle lingcono kulamafutha amahle; losuku lokufa kulosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe.
A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2 Kungcono ukuya endlini yokulila kulokuya endlini yedili; ngoba lokhu kuyisiphetho sakhe wonke umuntu; lophilayo uzakubeka enhliziyweni yakhe.
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
3 Usizi lungcono kulohleko, ngoba ngokudana kobuso inhliziyo yenziwa ngcono.
Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4 Inhliziyo yabahlakaniphileyo isendlini yokulila, kodwa inhliziyo yezithutha isendlini yentokozo.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
5 Kungcono ukuzwa ukukhuza kohlakaniphileyo kulokuthi umuntu ezwe ingoma yezithutha.
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
6 Ngoba njengokuchachamba kwameva ngaphansi kwembiza lunjalo uhleko lwesithutha. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7 Isibili ucindezelo lwenza ohlakaniphileyo abe luhlanya, lesipho siyayichitha inhliziyo.
Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 Singcono isiphetho sento kulokuqala kwayo; kungcono ukubekezela komoya kulokuziphakamisa komoya.
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
9 Ungaphangisi emoyeni wakho ukuthukuthela, ngoba ukuthukuthela kuhlala esifubeni sezithutha.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
10 Ungatsho ukuthi: Kwenziwa yini ukuthi insuku zakuqala zibe ngcono kulalezi? Ngoba kawubuzi ngenhlakanipho ngalokhu.
Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
11 Inhlakanipho yinhle ilelifa, njalo kulenzuzo kwabalibonayo ilanga.
Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
12 Ngoba inhlakanipho iyisivikelo, imali iyisivikelo; kodwa ubungcono bolwazi yikuthi lunika impilo kubaninilo.
For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
13 Nakana umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu; ngoba ngubani olakho ukwelula akugobisileyo?
Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
14 Thokoza ngosuku lokuphumelela, kodwa ngosuku lobubi nakana: UNkulunkulu ulwenzile lalolu lwaba njengalolo, ukuze umuntu angatholi lutho oluzakuba khona emva kwakhe.
In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.
15 Konke ngikubonile ensukwini zokuyize kwami: Kukhona olungileyo obhubhela ekulungeni kwakhe, njalo kukhona omubi owelula impilo yakhe ebubini bakhe.
All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
16 Ungabi ngolungileyo ngokudlulisayo, futhi ungahlakaniphi okwedlulisileyo; uzichithelani?
Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
17 Ungabi ngomubi ngokudlulisayo, futhi ungabi yisiwula; uzafelani kungakabi yisikhathi sakho?
Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18 Kuhle ukuthi ubambelele kulokhu, yebo, ungabuyisi isandla sakho lakulokho; ngoba omesabayo uNkulunkulu uzaphepha kukho konke.
It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
19 Inhlakanipho iyamqinisa ohlakaniphileyo okwedlula ababusi abalitshumi abasemzini.
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
20 Ngoba kakulamuntu olungileyo emhlabeni owenza okuhle angoni.
Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
21 Futhi ungabeki inhliziyo yakho emazwini wonke akhulunywayo, ukuze ungezwa ukuthi inceku yakho iyakuthuka.
Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
22 Ngoba ngezikhathi ezinengi lenhliziyo yakho iyakwazi ukuthi lawe uqobo ubathukile abanye.
For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 Konke lokhu ngikuhlolile ngenhlakanipho, ngathi: Ngizahlakanipha; kodwa kwakukhatshana lami.
All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 Okukhatshana, lokujule kakhulu, ngubani ozakufumana?
Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
25 Ngaphenduka mina lenhliziyo yami ukwazi lokuhlola lokudinga inhlakanipho, lesizatho sezinto, lokwazi inkohlakalo yobuwula, lobuthutha bobuhlanya.
I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
26 Ngasengithola okubaba kulokufa: Owesifazana onhliziyo yakhe iyimijibila lamambule, lezandla zakhe ziyizibopho. Olungileyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu uzaphepha kuye, kodwa isoni sizabanjwa nguye.
and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
27 Khangela, yilokhu engikutholileyo, utsho umTshumayeli, ngibeka okunye kokunye, ukuthola isizatho sezinto,
See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
28 umphefumulo wami osasidinga kodwa kangisitholanga. Indoda eyodwa phakathi kwenkulungwane ngayithola, kodwa owesifazana phakathi kwabo bonke labo kangimtholanga.
which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 Khangela, yilokhu kuphela engikutholileyo, ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamenza umuntu waqonda; kodwa bona sebedinge amacebo amanengi.
Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
