Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one's birth.
Ibizo elihle lingcono kulamafutha amahle; losuku lokufa kulosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.
Kungcono ukuya endlini yokulila kulokuya endlini yedili; ngoba lokhu kuyisiphetho sakhe wonke umuntu; lophilayo uzakubeka enhliziyweni yakhe.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
Usizi lungcono kulohleko, ngoba ngokudana kobuso inhliziyo yenziwa ngcono.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Inhliziyo yabahlakaniphileyo isendlini yokulila, kodwa inhliziyo yezithutha isendlini yentokozo.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Kungcono ukuzwa ukukhuza kohlakaniphileyo kulokuthi umuntu ezwe ingoma yezithutha.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
Ngoba njengokuchachamba kwameva ngaphansi kwembiza lunjalo uhleko lwesithutha. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
7 Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.
Isibili ucindezelo lwenza ohlakaniphileyo abe luhlanya, lesipho siyayichitha inhliziyo.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Singcono isiphetho sento kulokuqala kwayo; kungcono ukubekezela komoya kulokuziphakamisa komoya.
9 Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
Ungaphangisi emoyeni wakho ukuthukuthela, ngoba ukuthukuthela kuhlala esifubeni sezithutha.
10 Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not ask wisely about this.
Ungatsho ukuthi: Kwenziwa yini ukuthi insuku zakuqala zibe ngcono kulalezi? Ngoba kawubuzi ngenhlakanipho ngalokhu.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who see the sun.
Inhlakanipho yinhle ilelifa, njalo kulenzuzo kwabalibonayo ilanga.
12 For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
Ngoba inhlakanipho iyisivikelo, imali iyisivikelo; kodwa ubungcono bolwazi yikuthi lunika impilo kubaninilo.
13 Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?
Nakana umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu; ngoba ngubani olakho ukwelula akugobisileyo?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.
Thokoza ngosuku lokuphumelela, kodwa ngosuku lobubi nakana: UNkulunkulu ulwenzile lalolu lwaba njengalolo, ukuze umuntu angatholi lutho oluzakuba khona emva kwakhe.
15 All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.
Konke ngikubonile ensukwini zokuyize kwami: Kukhona olungileyo obhubhela ekulungeni kwakhe, njalo kukhona omubi owelula impilo yakhe ebubini bakhe.
16 Do not be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Ungabi ngolungileyo ngokudlulisayo, futhi ungahlakaniphi okwedlulisileyo; uzichithelani?
17 Do not be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
Ungabi ngomubi ngokudlulisayo, futhi ungabi yisiwula; uzafelani kungakabi yisikhathi sakho?
18 It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from that do not withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come forth from them all.
Kuhle ukuthi ubambelele kulokhu, yebo, ungabuyisi isandla sakho lakulokho; ngoba omesabayo uNkulunkulu uzaphepha kukho konke.
19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
Inhlakanipho iyamqinisa ohlakaniphileyo okwedlula ababusi abalitshumi abasemzini.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and doesn't sin.
Ngoba kakulamuntu olungileyo emhlabeni owenza okuhle angoni.
21 Also do not take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;
Futhi ungabeki inhliziyo yakho emazwini wonke akhulunywayo, ukuze ungezwa ukuthi inceku yakho iyakuthuka.
22 for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.
Ngoba ngezikhathi ezinengi lenhliziyo yakho iyakwazi ukuthi lawe uqobo ubathukile abanye.
23 All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.
Konke lokhu ngikuhlolile ngenhlakanipho, ngathi: Ngizahlakanipha; kodwa kwakukhatshana lami.
24 That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it out?
Okukhatshana, lokujule kakhulu, ngubani ozakufumana?
25 I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
Ngaphenduka mina lenhliziyo yami ukwazi lokuhlola lokudinga inhlakanipho, lesizatho sezinto, lokwazi inkohlakalo yobuwula, lobuthutha bobuhlanya.
26 I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
Ngasengithola okubaba kulokufa: Owesifazana onhliziyo yakhe iyimijibila lamambule, lezandla zakhe ziyizibopho. Olungileyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu uzaphepha kuye, kodwa isoni sizabanjwa nguye.
27 Look, this have I found, says the Preacher, one to another, to find out the scheme;
Khangela, yilokhu engikutholileyo, utsho umTshumayeli, ngibeka okunye kokunye, ukuthola isizatho sezinto,
28 which my soul still seeks; but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
umphefumulo wami osasidinga kodwa kangisitholanga. Indoda eyodwa phakathi kwenkulungwane ngayithola, kodwa owesifazana phakathi kwabo bonke labo kangimtholanga.
29 Look, this only have I found, that God made humankind upright, but they search for many schemes.
Khangela, yilokhu kuphela engikutholileyo, ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamenza umuntu waqonda; kodwa bona sebedinge amacebo amanengi.
