UmTshumayeli 7
1 Ibizo elihle lingcono kulamafutha amahle; losuku lokufa kulosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe.
A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, better 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; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart.
3 Usizi lungcono kulohleko, ngoba ngokudana kobuso inhliziyo yenziwa ngcono.
Better is vexation than laughing; for through 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 is in the house of joy.
5 Kungcono ukuzwa ukukhuza kohlakaniphileyo kulokuthi umuntu ezwe ingoma yezithutha.
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should 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. Also this is vanity.
7 Isibili ucindezelo lwenza ohlakaniphileyo abe luhlanya, lesipho siyayichitha inhliziyo.
For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth the heart.
8 Singcono isiphetho sento kulokuqala kwayo; kungcono ukubekezela komoya kulokuziphakamisa komoya.
Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
9 Ungaphangisi emoyeni wakho ukuthukuthela, ngoba ukuthukuthela kuhlala esifubeni sezithutha.
Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in bosom of fools.
10 Ungatsho ukuthi: Kwenziwa yini ukuthi insuku zakuqala zibe ngcono kulalezi? Ngoba kawubuzi ngenhlakanipho ngalokhu.
Thou must not say, How was it that the former days were better than these? for it is not out of wisdom that thou askest concerning this.
11 Inhlakanipho yinhle ilelifa, njalo kulenzuzo kwabalibonayo ilanga.
Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those that see the sun;
12 Ngoba inhlakanipho iyisivikelo, imali iyisivikelo; kodwa ubungcono bolwazi yikuthi lunika impilo kubaninilo.
For under the shadow of wisdom [a man is equally well as] under the shadow of money; but the superior excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that possesseth it.
13 Nakana umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu; ngoba ngubani olakho ukwelula akugobisileyo?
Consider [then] 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.
On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity look on: also this hath God made in equal measure with the other, to the end that man should not find the least to censure him.
15 Konke ngikubonile ensukwini zokuyize kwami: Kukhona olungileyo obhubhela ekulungeni kwakhe, njalo kukhona omubi owelula impilo yakhe ebubini bakhe.
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is many a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is many a wicked man that liveth long in his wickedness.—
16 Ungabi ngolungileyo ngokudlulisayo, futhi ungahlakaniphi okwedlulisileyo; uzichithelani?
Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 Ungabi ngomubi ngokudlulisayo, futhi ungabi yisiwula; uzafelani kungakabi yisikhathi sakho?
Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst 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 shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all.
19 Inhlakanipho iyamqinisa ohlakaniphileyo okwedlula ababusi abalitshumi abasemzini.
Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.
20 Ngoba kakulamuntu olungileyo emhlabeni owenza okuhle angoni.
For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never sin.—
21 Futhi ungabeki inhliziyo yakho emazwini wonke akhulunywayo, ukuze ungezwa ukuthi inceku yakho iyakuthuka.
Also take no heed unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
22 Ngoba ngezikhathi ezinengi lenhliziyo yakho iyakwazi ukuthi lawe uqobo ubathukile abanye.
For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.—
23 Konke lokhu ngikuhlolile ngenhlakanipho, ngathi: Ngizahlakanipha; kodwa kwakukhatshana lami.
All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 Okukhatshana, lokujule kakhulu, ngubani ozakufumana?
Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can find it out?
25 Ngaphenduka mina lenhliziyo yami ukwazi lokuhlola lokudinga inhlakanipho, lesizatho sezinto, lokwazi inkohlakalo yobuwula, lobuthutha bobuhlanya.
Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness.
26 Ngasengithola okubaba kulokufa: Owesifazana onhliziyo yakhe iyimijibila lamambule, lezandla zakhe ziyizibopho. Olungileyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu uzaphepha kuye, kodwa isoni sizabanjwa nguye.
And I find as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will be caught by her.
27 Khangela, yilokhu engikutholileyo, utsho umTshumayeli, ngibeka okunye kokunye, ukuthola isizatho sezinto,
Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,
28 umphefumulo wami osasidinga kodwa kangisitholanga. Indoda eyodwa phakathi kwenkulungwane ngayithola, kodwa owesifazana phakathi kwabo bonke labo kangimtholanga.
What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find.
29 Khangela, yilokhu kuphela engikutholileyo, ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamenza umuntu waqonda; kodwa bona sebedinge amacebo amanengi.
Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.
