Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth, and behold thou good: and, behold, this is also vanity.
Ngathi mina enhliziyweni yami: Woza-ke, ngizakuzama ngentokozo, njalo kholisa okuhle. Khangela-ke, lalokhu kwakuyize.
2 I said to laughter, Madness: and to mirth, Why doest thou this:
Ngokuhleka ngathi: Kuyibuhlanya! Langentokozo: Kwenzani?
3 And I examined whether my heart would excite my flesh as [with] wine, (though my heart guided [me] in wisdom, ) and [I desired] to lay hold of mirth, until I should see of what kind is the good to the sons of men, which they should do under the sun all the days of their life.
Ngadinga enhliziyweni yami ukuthokozisa inyama yami ngewayini (kodwa ngakhokhela inhliziyo yami ngenhlakanipho), lokubambelela ebuthutheni, ngize ngibone ukuthi kuyini lokho okulungele abantwana babantu, abangakwenza ngaphansi kwamazulu, ngenani lensuku zempilo zabo.
4 I enlarged my work; I built me houses; I planted me vineyards.
Ngazenzela imisebenzi emikhulu; ngazakhela izindlu; ngazihlanyelela izivini;
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and planted in them every kind of fruit-tree.
ngazenzela izivande lezivande zezihlahla; ngahlanyela kuzo izihlahla zezithelo zohlobo lonke;
6 I made me pools of water, to water from them the timber-bearing wood.
ngazenzela amachibi amanzi okuthelela ngawo ihlathi lokukhulisa izihlahla;
7 I got servants and maidens, and servants were born to me in the house: also I had abundant possession of flocks and herds, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
ngathenga izigqili lezigqilikazi, ngaba labazalelwe endlini; njalo ngaba lemfuyo enengi yenkomo lezimvu okwedlula bonke ababekhona ngaphambi kwami eJerusalema;
8 Moreover I collected for myself both silver and gold also, and the peculiar treasures of kings and provinces: I procured me singing men and singing women, and delights of the sons of men, a butler and female cupbearers.
ngazibuthela futhi isiliva legolide lemfuyo ekhethekileyo yamakhosi leyamazwe; ngazizuzela abahlabeleli labahlabelelikazi, lentokozo zabantwana babantu, amantombazana emihlobo yonke.
9 So I became great, and advanced beyond all that were before in Jerusalem: also my wisdom was established to me.
Ngakho ngaba mkhulu nganda okwedlula wonke owayekhona ngaphambi kwami eJerusalema, lenhlakanipho yami yema lami.
10 And whatever mine eyes desired, I withheld not from them, I withheld not my heart from all my mirth: for my heart rejoiced in all my labour; and this was my portion of all my labour.
Lakho konke amehlo ami akufisayo kangiwancitshanga khona, kangigodlanga inhliziyo yami lakuyiphi intokozo; ngoba inhliziyo yami yathokoza ekutshikatshikeni kwami konke; lalokhu kwaba yisabelo sami somtshikatshika wami wonke.
11 And I looked on all my works which my hands had wrought, and on my labour which I laboured to perform: and behold, all was vanity and waywardness of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun.
Mina ngasengikhangela yonke imisebenzi izandla zami eziyenzileyo, lomtshikatshika engangitshikatshike ukuwenza; khangela-ke, konke kwakuyize lokukhathazeka komoya, njalo kwakungekho nzuzo ngaphansi kwelanga.
12 Then I looked on to see wisdom, and madness, and folly: for who is the man who will follow after counsel, in all things where in he employs it?
Mina ngasengibuyela ukubona inhlakanipho lobuhlanya lobuthutha. Ngoba angenzani umuntu olandela inkosi? Lokho okuvele sekwenziwe.
13 And I saw that wisdom excels folly, as much as light excels darkness.
Mina ngasengibona ukuthi inhlakanipho ingcono kulobuthutha njengokukhanya kungcono kulomnyama.
14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness: and I perceived, even I, that one event shall happen to them all.
Ohlakaniphileyo, amehlo akhe asekhanda lakhe, kodwa isithutha sihamba emnyameni; ngasengisazi lami ukuthi isehlakalo sinye sehlela bonke.
15 And I said in my heart, As the event of the fool is, so shall it be to me, even to me: and to what purpose have I gained wisdom? I said moreover in my heart, This is also vanity, because the fool speaks of his abundance.
Mina ngasengisithi enhliziyweni yami: Njengoba kusehlela isithutha kuzangehlela lami; pho, kungani-ke mina ngangihlakaniphe okwedlulisileyo? Ngasengikhuluma enhliziyweni yami ukuthi lokhu lakho kuyize.
16 For there is no remembrance of the wise man with the fool for ever; forasmuch as now [in] the coming days all things are forgotten: and how shall the wise man die with the fool?
Ngoba kakukho ukukhunjulwa kohlakaniphileyo okwedlula koyisithutha phakade; ngoba lokhu okukhona khathesi ensukwini ezizayo konke kuzakhohlakala. Ohlakaniphileyo ufa njani? Njengesithutha.
17 So I hated life; because the work that was wrought under the sun was evil before me: for all is vanity and waywardness of spirit.
Ngasengizonda impilo, ngoba umsebenzi owenziwa ngaphansi kwelanga wawubuhlungu kimi; ngoba konke kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
18 And I hated the whole of my labour which I took under the sun; because I must leave it to the man who will come after me.
Yebo, mina ngawuzonda wonke umtshikatshika wami engawutshikatshika ngaphansi kwelanga, ngoba ngizawutshiyela umuntu ozakuba khona ngemva kwami.
19 And who knows whether he will be a wise [man] or a fool? and whether he will have power over all my labour in which I laboured, and wherein I grew wise under the sun? this is also vanity.
Ngubani-ke owaziyo ukuthi uzakuba ngohlakaniphileyo kumbe oyisithutha? Kanti uzabusa phezu kwawo wonke umtshikatshika wami engawutshikatshikayo lengiwenze ngenhlakanipho ngaphansi kwelanga. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
20 so I went about to dismiss from my heart all my labour wherein I had laboured under the sun.
Mina ngasengiphenduka ngadangalisa inhliziyo yami ngomtshikatshika wonke engangiwutshikatshika ngaphansi kwelanga.
21 For there is [such] a man that his labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in fortitude; [yet] this man shall give his portion to one who has not laboured therein. This is also vanity and great evil.
Ngoba kulomuntu omtshikatshika wakhe ukunhlakanipho lakulwazi lakubuqotho, kanti uzawunika umuntu ongatshikatshikanga kuwo ube yisabelo sakhe. Lokhu lakho kuyize, lobubi obukhulu.
22 For it happens to a man in all his labour, and in the purpose of his heart wherein he labours under the sun.
Ngoba ulani umuntu ngomtshikatshika wakhe wonke langokukhathazeka kwenhliziyo yakhe akutshikatshike ngaphansi kwelanga?
23 For all his days [are days] of sorrows, and vexation of spirit is his; in the night also his heart rests not. This is also vanity.
Ngoba insuku zakhe zonke zizinsizi, lomsebenzi wakhe uyikudabuka; lebusuku inhliziyo yakhe kayiphumuli. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
24 A man has nothing [really] good to eat, and to drink, and to shew his soul [as] good in his trouble. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.
Kakukho okungcono emuntwini kulokuthi adle anathe abonise umphefumulo wakhe okuhle emtshikatshikeni wakhe. Lokhu lakho mina ngabona ukuthi kuvela esandleni sikaNkulunkulu.
25 For who shall eat, or who shall drink, without him?
Ngoba ngubani ongadla kumbe ngubani ongakholisa kulami?
26 For [God] has given to the man who is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but he has given to the sinner trouble, to add and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God; for this is also vanity and waywardness of spirit.
Ngoba yena uyamnika umuntu olungileyo phambi kobuso bakhe inhlakanipho lolwazi lentokozo; kodwa isoni uyasinika umsebenzi wokubutha lokubuthelela ukunika olungileyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Lokhu lakho kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
