UmTshumayeli 1
1 Amazwi omTshumayeli, indodana kaDavida, inkosi eJerusalema.
These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 Ize leze, kutsho umTshumayeli, ize leze, konke kuyize.
“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”
3 Kuyinzuzoni emuntwini emtshikatshikeni wakhe wonke awutshikatshika ngaphansi kwelanga?
What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
4 Isizukulwana siyedlula, lesizukulwana size, kodwa umhlaba umi kuze kube nininini.
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
5 Lelanga liyaphuma, lelanga litshone, litshetshela endaweni lapho eliphuma khona.
The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries back to where it rises.
6 Umoya uya eningizimu, ujikele enyakatho, ujikajike uhambe, lomoya ubuyele ekubhodeni kwawo.
The wind blows southward, then turns northward; round and round it swirls, ever returning on its course.
7 Yonke imifula iya olwandle, kodwa ulwandle kalugcwali; endaweni lapho imifula evela khona, ibuyele iye khona.
All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which the streams come, there again they flow.
8 Zonke izinto ziyadinisa; kakulamuntu olakho ukukukhuluma. Ilihlo kalisuthi ngokubona, lendlebe kayigcwaliswa yikuzwa.
All things are wearisome, more than one can describe; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear content with hearing.
9 Okwake kwaba khona yilokho okuzakuba khona, lokwake kwenziwa yilokho okuzakwenziwa; njalo kakulalutho olutsha ngaphansi kwelanga.
What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Kungaba khona ulutho yini okungathiwa ngalo: Khangela, lokhu kutsha! Kwakuvele kukhona endulo engaphambi kwethu.
Is there a case where one can say, “Look, this is new”? It has already existed in the ages before us.
11 Kakukho ukukhunjulwa kwezinto zakuqala; njalo lezinto ezizayo ezizakuba khona kakuyikuba khona ukukhunjulwa kwazo lalabo abazakuba khona emva kwalokho.
There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.
12 Mina mTshumayeli ngangiyinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli eJerusalema.
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Ngasenginikela inhliziyo yami ukudinga lokuhlolisisa ngokuhlakanipha ngakho konke okwenziwayo ngaphansi kwamazulu; lumtshikatshika onzima uNkulunkulu uwunike abantwana babantu ukuthi baphatheke ngawo.
And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!
14 Ngiyibonile yonke imisebenzi eyenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga; khangela-ke, konke kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.
15 Okugobileyo kakulakuqondiswa; lokuswelekayo kakulakubalwa.
What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 Ngakhuluma mina lenhliziyo yami ngisithi: Khangela, mina ngikhulile ngandisa inhlakanipho phezu kwabo bonke ababephambi kwami eJerusalema; njalo inhliziyo yami ibonile kakhulu inhlakanipho lolwazi.
I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”
17 Nganginikela inhliziyo yami ukwazi inhlakanipho, lokwazi ukuhlanya lobuthutha, ngabona ukuthi lalokhu yikukhathazeka komoya.
So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.
18 Ngoba kunhlakanipho enengi kulokukhathazeka okunengi, lowandisa ulwazi wandisa usizi.
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.
