Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.
Ibizo elihle lingcono kulamakha amnandi, lelanga lokufa lingcono kulelanga lokuzalwa.
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future.
Kungcono ukuya endlini yesililo kulokuya endlini yamadili, ngoba ukufa kuyisiphetho somuntu wonke; abaphilayo kabakunanzelele lokho.
3 Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.
Usizi lungcono kulokuhleka, ngoba ubuso obudanileyo buyayisiza inhliziyo.
4 The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.
Inhliziyo yabahlakaniphileyo isendlini yokulila, kodwa inhliziyo yeziwula isendlini yokuzithokozisa.
5 It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.
Kungcono ukulalela izixwayiso zomuntu ohlakaniphileyo kulokulalela ingoma yeziwula.
6 For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.
Njengokuchachamba kwameva ngaphansi kwembiza, lunjalo uhleko lweziwula. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
7 A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.
Ukuqilibezela kwenza ohlakaniphileyo abe yisiwula, lesivalamlomo siyayona inhliziyo.
8 The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.
Isiphetho sendaba singcono kulokuqala kwayo, lokubekezela kungcono kulokuqinisa intamo.
9 Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.
Ungaphangisi ukufuthelana ngaphakathi, ngoba ulaka luhlezi lugonwe yiziwula.
10 You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish.
Ungaze wathi, “Kungani insuku zayizolo zazingcono kulalezi?” Ngoba kakukuhle ukubuza imibuzo enjalo.
11 Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.
Ukuhlakanipha, njengelifa, kuyinto enhle njalo kuyabasiza bonke abaphilayo.
12 For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them.
Ukuhlakanipha kuyisiphephelo njengoba imali iyisiphephelo, kodwa ubungcono bolwazi yilobu: ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kuyayilondoloza impilo yalowo olakho.
13 Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.
Nakana ngalokho uNkulunkulu akwenzayo: Ngubani ongakuqondisa lokho akwenze kwagoba na?
14 In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has established the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.
Ngezikhathi konke kukuhle, thokoza; kodwa ngezikhathi zobubi, cabanga ukuthi: uNkulunkulu ukwenzile lokhu kanye lalokhuyana njalo. Ngakho-ke umuntu ngeke akwazi ukuthi ikusasa lakhe lizakuba yini.
15 I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice.
Kuyonale impilo yami eyize sengizibonile izinto lezi zombili: umuntu olungileyo uyafa elungile enjalo, lomuntu omubi uba lempilo enhle emubi enjalo.
16 Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.
Ungalungi wedlulise, futhi ungabi lokuhlakanipha okweqileyo kambe uzibulalelani na?
17 Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.
Ungaxhwali okudlulisileyo, njalo ungabi yisiwula kambe ufelani singakafiki isikhathi sakho?
18 It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.
Kuhle ukuthi uthi ubambe lokhu ungayekeli uphunyukwe ngokunye. Umuntu owesaba uNkulunkulu kedlulisi amalawulo.
19 Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.
Ukuhlakanipha kwenza umuntu ohlakaniphileyo oyedwa abe lamandla kulababusi abalitshumi edolobheni.
20 But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.
Akulamuntu loyedwa olungileyo emhlabeni owenza okulungileyo ongazake enze isono.
21 So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.
Ungaphiki ngokulalela wonke amazwi akhulunywa ngabantu, funa uzwe inceku yakho ikuthuka
22 For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.
ngoba uyakwazi enhliziyweni yakho ukuthi wena ngokwakho uyawubathuke abanye.
23 I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
Konke lokhu ngakuhlolisisa ngokuhlakanipha ngathi, “Ngizimisele ukuhlakanipha” kodwa lokhu kwakungaphezu kwami.
24 so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
Ukuhlakanipha okungabe kukhona, kukhatshana kakhulu njalo kuzikile kakhulu: ngubani ongakufinyelela na?
25 I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.
Ngasengibeka ingqondo yami ukuthi ngizwisise, ngidingisise njalo ngichwayisise ukuhlakanipha kanye lesimo sezinto lokuzwisisa ubuphukuphuku bokuxhwala lobuhlanya lobuwula.
26 And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.
Ngibona ukuthi uyingozi eyedlula ukufa umfazi ongumjibila, onhliziyo yakhe iyisithiyo njalo ozandla zakhe zingamaketane. Indoda eyesaba uNkulunkulu izaphepha kuye, kodwa isigangi uzasihilela.
27 Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
Uthi uMtshumayeli, “Khangela, nanku esengikunanzelele: Ngihlanganisa lokhu lalokhu ngizama ukubona isimo sezinto
28 which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.
ngilokhu ngisachwayisisa kodwa ngingatholi ngafumanisa indoda eyodwa elungileyo kwabayinkulungwane, kodwa ngitsho loyedwa umfazi oqondileyo kubo.
29 This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?
Yilokhu kuphela esengikufumene: UNkulunkulu wamenza umuntu wabaqotho, kodwa abantu basuka bazenzele okwabo.”
