UmTshumayeli 3

1 Konke kulesikhathi esimisiweyo, njalo kulesikhathi sayo yonke indaba ngaphansi kwamazulu:

To all things there is a time, and a season for every matter under heaven.

2 Isikhathi sokuzalwa, lesikhathi sokufa; isikhathi sokuhlanyela, lesikhathi sokusiphuna okuhlanyelweyo;

A time of birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what has been planted;

3 isikhathi sokubulala, lesikhathi sokuphilisa; isikhathi sokudiliza, lesikhathi sokwakha;

a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to pull down, and a time to build up;

4 isikhathi sokukhala inyembezi, lesikhathi sokuhleka; isikhathi sokulila, lesikhathi sokugida;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to lament, and a time to dance;

5 isikhathi sokulahla amatshe, lesikhathi sokubuthelela amatshe; isikhathi sokugona, lesikhathi sokuba khatshana lokugona;

a time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to abstain from embracing;

6 isikhathi sokudinga inzuzo, lesikhathi sokuyekela kulahleke; isikhathi sokulondoloza, lesikhathi sokulahla;

a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 isikhathi sokudabula, lesikhathi sokuthunga; isikhathi sokuthula, lesikhathi sokukhuluma;

a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak;

8 isikhathi sokuthanda, lesikhathi sokuzonda; isikhathi sempi, lesikhathi sokuthula.

a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 Ulenzuzo bani osebenzayo kwatshikatshika kikho?

What advantage [has] he that works in those things wherein he labors?

10 Ngiwubonile umsebenzi uNkulunkulu awunike abantwana babantu ukuthi baphatheke ngawo.

I have seen all the trouble, which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with.

11 Konke ukwenze kwaba kuhle ngesikhathi sakho; wasebeka iphakade enhliziyweni yabo, ukuze kungabi lomuntu ongafumana umsebenzi uNkulunkulu awenzayo kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekucineni.

All the things which he has made are beautiful in his time: he has also set the whole world in their heart, that man might not find out the work which God has wrought from the beginning even to the end.

12 Ngiyazi ukuthi kakukho okuhle kubo ngaphandle kokuthokoza lokwenza okuhle empilweni yakhe.

I know that there is no good in them, except [for a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 Futhi lokuthi wonke umuntu adle anathe akholise okuhle ngomtshikatshika wakhe wonke, kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.

Also [in the case of] every man who shall eat and drink, and see good in all his labor, [this] is a gift of God.

14 Ngiyazi ukuthi konke uNkulunkulu akwenzayo kuzakuba khona phakade; kakukho okuzakwengezelelwa kukho, njalo kakukho okuzaphungulwa kukho; uNkulunkulu wakwenza ukuze besabe phambi kwakhe.

I know that whatever things God has done, they shall be for ever: it is impossible to add to it, and it is impossible to take away from it: and God has done [it], that [men] may fear before him.

15 Lokho okwakukhona kukhona khathesi, lalokho okuzakuba khona sekuvele kukhona; njalo uNkulunkulu ufuna okuxotshiweyo.

That which has been is now; and whatever things [are appointed] to be have already been; and God will seek out that which is past.

16 Futhi ngasengibona ngaphansi kwelanga indawo yokwahlulela, kwakukhona ububi lapho; lendawo yokulunga, kwakukhona ububi lapho.

And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, there was the ungodly one; and the place of righteousness, there was the godly one.

17 Ngathi mina enhliziyweni yami: UNkulunkulu uzakwahlulela olungileyo lomubi, ngoba kukhona lapho isikhathi sayo yonke indaba lesawo wonke umsebenzi.

And I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the ungodly: for there is a time there for every action and for every work.

18 Ngathi mina enhliziyweni yami ngesimo sabantwana babantu ukuthi uNkulunkulu abatshengise obala ukuthi babone ukuthi bona uqobo bazinyamazana.

I said in my heart, concerning the speech of the sons of man, God will judge them, and that to show that they are breasts.

19 Ngoba okwehlela abantwana babantu kwehlela lezinyamazana; njalo yinye into ebehlelayo; njengoba omunye esifa, ngokunjalo enye iyafa; yebo konke kulomoya munye, lomuntu kalakho angadlula ngakho inyamazana; ngoba konke kuyize.

Also to them is the event of the sons of man, and the event of the brute; one event befalls them: as is the death of the one, so also the death of the other; and there is one breath to all: and what has the man more than the brute? nothing; for all is vanity.

20 Konke kuya endaweninye; konke kuvela ethulini, njalo konke kubuyela ethulini.

All [go] to one place; all were formed of the dust, and all will return to dust.

21 Ngubani owazi umoya wabantwana babantu owenyukela phezulu, lomoya wenyamazana owehlela phansi emhlabathini?

And who has seen the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward? and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth?

22 Ngakho ngabona ukuthi kakukho okungcono okwedlula ukuthi umuntu azithokozise ngemisebenzi yakhe, ngoba lokhu kuyisabelo sakhe. Ngoba ngubani ongamletha ukuthi abone lokho okuzakuba khona emva kwakhe?

And I saw that there was no good, but that wherein a man shall rejoice in his works, for it is his portion, for who shall bring him to see any thing of that which shall be after him?