UmTshumayeli 7
1 Ibizo elihle lingcono kulamafutha amahle; losuku lokufa kulosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe.
Better a name, 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.
Better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of banqueting, for, that, is the end of all men, —and, the living, should take it to his heart.
3 Usizi lungcono kulohleko, ngoba ngokudana kobuso inhliziyo yenziwa ngcono.
Better is grief than laughter, —for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.
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 dullards, in the house of mirth.
5 Kungcono ukuzwa ukukhuza kohlakaniphileyo kulokuthi umuntu ezwe ingoma yezithutha.
Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,
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 dullard, —even this, then, was vanity.
7 Isibili ucindezelo lwenza ohlakaniphileyo abe luhlanya, lesipho siyayichitha inhliziyo.
For, oppression, maddeneth the wise, —and a bribe, destroyeth the understanding.
8 Singcono isiphetho sento kulokuqala kwayo; kungcono ukubekezela komoya kulokuziphakamisa komoya.
Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, —Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.
9 Ungaphangisi emoyeni wakho ukuthukuthela, ngoba ukuthukuthela kuhlala esifubeni sezithutha.
Do not be rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, —for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.
10 Ungatsho ukuthi: Kwenziwa yini ukuthi insuku zakuqala zibe ngcono kulalezi? Ngoba kawubuzi ngenhlakanipho ngalokhu.
Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.
11 Inhlakanipho yinhle ilelifa, njalo kulenzuzo kwabalibonayo ilanga.
Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, —and a profit, to such as see the sun.
12 Ngoba inhlakanipho iyisivikelo, imali iyisivikelo; kodwa ubungcono bolwazi yikuthi lunika impilo kubaninilo.
For, a protection, is wisdom, and, a protection, is silver, —but, the advantage of knowledge, is, that, wisdom, giveth life to the possessors thereof.
13 Nakana umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu; ngoba ngubani olakho ukwelula akugobisileyo?
Consider the work of God, —for who can straighten what he hath bent?
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, be joyful, but, in the day of misfortune, consider, —Even the one equally with the other, hath God made, to the end man might find out—after him—nothing.
15 Konke ngikubonile ensukwini zokuyize kwami: Kukhona olungileyo obhubhela ekulungeni kwakhe, njalo kukhona omubi owelula impilo yakhe ebubini bakhe.
Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, —Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.
16 Ungabi ngolungileyo ngokudlulisayo, futhi ungahlakaniphi okwedlulisileyo; uzichithelani?
Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, —wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?
17 Ungabi ngomubi ngokudlulisayo, futhi ungabi yisiwula; uzafelani kungakabi yisikhathi sakho?
Do not be so very lawless, neither become thou foolish, —wherefore shouldst thou die, before thy time?
18 Kuhle ukuthi ubambelele kulokhu, yebo, ungabuyisi isandla sakho lakulokho; ngoba omesabayo uNkulunkulu uzaphepha kukho konke.
It is well that thou shouldst lay fast hold of this, but, even from the other, do not withdraw thy hand, —for, he that revereth God, shall come forth out of them all.
19 Inhlakanipho iyamqinisa ohlakaniphileyo okwedlula ababusi abalitshumi abasemzini.
Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.
20 Ngoba kakulamuntu olungileyo emhlabeni owenza okuhle angoni.
For, as for men, there is none righteous in the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
21 Futhi ungabeki inhliziyo yakho emazwini wonke akhulunywayo, ukuze ungezwa ukuthi inceku yakho iyakuthuka.
Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, —lest thou hear thine own servant reviling thee!
22 Ngoba ngezikhathi ezinengi lenhliziyo yakho iyakwazi ukuthi lawe uqobo ubathukile abanye.
For truly, many times, thy heart knoweth, —that, even thou thyself, hast reviled 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, that, was far from me.
24 Okukhatshana, lokujule kakhulu, ngubani ozakufumana?
Far away, is that which hath been, —and deep, deep, who can find it out?
25 Ngaphenduka mina lenhliziyo yami ukwazi lokuhlola lokudinga inhlakanipho, lesizatho sezinto, lokwazi inkohlakalo yobuwula, lobuthutha bobuhlanya.
Resolved, I, in my heart, to know and search out, and to seek wisdom, and a conclusion, —and to know lawlessness [to be] stupidity, and folly to be madness.
26 Ngasengithola okubaba kulokufa: Owesifazana onhliziyo yakhe iyimijibila lamambule, lezandla zakhe ziyizibopho. Olungileyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu uzaphepha kuye, kodwa isoni sizabanjwa nguye.
I, could indeed find, to be, more bitter than death, the woman, whose heart is, snares and nets, and her hands, bonds, —whoso is pleasing before God, shall escape from her, but, he that sinneth, shall be captured by her.
27 Khangela, yilokhu engikutholileyo, utsho umTshumayeli, ngibeka okunye kokunye, ukuthola isizatho sezinto,
See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer [counting] one by one, to find a conclusion;
28 umphefumulo wami osasidinga kodwa kangisitholanga. Indoda eyodwa phakathi kwenkulungwane ngayithola, kodwa owesifazana phakathi kwabo bonke labo kangimtholanga.
what my soul still sought, yet I found not, —one man out of a thousand, have I found, but, a woman among all these, have I not found.
29 Khangela, yilokhu kuphela engikutholileyo, ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamenza umuntu waqonda; kodwa bona sebedinge amacebo amanengi.
Only, see, this, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many devices.
