UmTshumayeli 9
1 Ngoba konke lokhu ngakubeka enhliziyweni yami ukuhlolisisa konke lokhu, ukuthi abalungileyo labahlakaniphileyo lezenzo zabo kusesandleni sikaNkulunkulu; loba uthando kumbe inzondo, kakho umuntu okwaziyo, konke okuphambi kwabo.
[I saw] that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: yes, there is no man that knows either love or hatred, [though] all are before their face.
2 Konke kwehla ngokufananayo kubo bonke; sinye isehlakalo kolungileyo lakomubi, komuhle, lakohlambulukileyo lakongahlambulukanga, lakonikela umhlatshelo lakonganikeli umhlatshelo; njengolungileyo sinjalo isoni, ofungayo njengowesaba isifungo.
Vanity is in all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good, and to the bad; both to the pure, and to the impure; both to him that sacrifices, and to him that sacrifice not: as is the good, so is the sinner: as is the swearer, even so is he that fears an oath.
3 Yilobu ububi phakathi kwakho konke okwenziwa ngaphansi kwelanga, ukuthi sinye isehlakalo kukho konke, futhi lenhliziyo yabantwana babantu igcwele ububi, lobuhlanya busenhliziyweni yabo besaphila, lemva kwalokhu baya kwabafileyo.
There is this evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes, the heart of the sons of men is filled with evil, and madness is in their heart during their life, and after that [they go] to the dead.
4 Ngoba kulowo ohlanganiswe labo bonke abaphilayo kulethemba, ngoba inja ephilayo ingcono kulesilwane esifileyo.
for who is he that has fellowship with all the living? there is hope [of him]: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 Ngoba abaphilayo bayazi ukuthi bazakufa, kodwa abafileyo kabazi lutho, njalo kabaselawo umvuzo, ngoba ukukhunjulwa kwabo sekukhohlakele.
For the living will know that they shall die: but the dead know nothing, and there is no longer any reward to them; for their memory is lost.
6 Futhi uthando lwabo lenzondo yabo lomona wabo sekubhubhile, njalo kabasayikuba lesabelo laphakade kukho konke okwenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga.
also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, have now perished; yes, there is no portion for them any more for ever in all that is done under the sun.
7 Hamba, udle ukudla kwakho ngentokozo, unathe iwayini lakho ngenhliziyo elenjabulo, ngoba uNkulunkulu usethokozile ngemisebenzi yakho.
Go, eat your bread with mirth, and drink your wine with a joyful heart; for now God has favourably accepted your works.
8 Izigqoko zakho kazibe ngezimhlophe ngesikhathi sonke, lamafutha angasweleki ekhanda lakho.
Let your garments be always white; and let not oil be lacking on your head.
9 Kholisa impilo lomkakho omthandayo zonke izinsuku zempilo yakho eyize akunike yona ngaphansi kwelanga, zonke izinsuku zakho eziyize, ngoba lesi yisabelo sakho empilweni, lemtshikatshikeni owutshikatshika ngaphansi kwelanga.
And see life with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which are given you under the sun: for that is your portion in your life, and in your labor wherein you labor under the sun.
10 Loba kuyini isandla sakho esikutholayo ukukwenza kwenze ngamandla akho, ngoba kawukho umsebenzi lecebo lolwazi lenhlakanipho engcwabeni lapho oya khona. (Sheol h7585)
Whatsoever your hand shall find to do, do with all your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Hades wither you go. (Sheol h7585)
11 Ngaphenduka ngabona ngaphansi kwelanga ukuthi umjaho kawusiwabalejubane, lempi kayisiyamaqhawe, futhi lesinkwa kasisabahlakaniphileyo, futhi lenotho kayisiyabalolwazi, futhi lomusa kawusiwezingcitshi, kodwa isikhathi lesehlakalo kwehlela bonke.
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor yet wealth to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of knowledge; for time and chance will happen to them all.
12 Ngoba futhi umuntu kasazi isikhathi sakhe; njengenhlanzi ezibanjwa embuleni elibi, lanjengezinyoni ezibanjwa emjibileni, njengazo abantwana babantu bayabanjwa esikhathini esibi, lapho sibajuma.
For surely man also knows not his time: as fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as birds that are caught in a snare; even thus the sons of men are snared at an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.
13 Lale inhlakanipho ngayibona ngaphansi kwelanga, njalo yaba nkulu kimi.
This I also saw [to be] wisdom under the sun, and it is great before me:
14 Kwakukhona umuzi omncinyane, okwakulabantu abalutshwana phakathi kwawo; kwasekusiza inkosi enkulu kuwo, yawuvimbezela, yawakhela amadundulu amakhulu okuvimbezela.
[suppose there were] a little city, and few men in it; and there should come against it a great king, and surround it, and build great mounds against it;
15 Kwasekutholakala phakathi kwawo umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ongumyanga, yena-ke ngenhlakanipho yakhe wawukhulula lowomuzi. Kanti kakho owake wamkhumbula lowomuntu ongumyanga.
and should find in it a poor wise man, and he should save the city through his wisdom: yet no man would remember that poor man.
16 Mina ngasengisithi: Inhlakanipho ingcono kulamandla, lanxa ukuhlakanipha komyanga kuseyiswa lamazwi akhe engalalelwa.
And I said Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor man is set at nothing, and his words not listened to.
17 Amazwi abahlakaniphileyo azwiwa ekupholeni ngcono kulokumemeza kobusayo phakathi kwezithutha.
The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of them that rule in folly.
18 Inhlakanipho ingcono kulezikhali zempi, kodwa isoni esisodwa sichitha ubuhle obunengi.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.
