Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
Impukane ezifileyo zinukisa zibilise amagcobo omthaki; ubuthutha obuncinyane benza njalo kohloniphekayo ngenxa yenhlakanipho lodumo.
2 The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
Inhliziyo yohlakaniphileyo ingakwesokunene sakhe, kodwa inhliziyo yesithutha ingakwesokhohlo saso.
3 Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
Yebo-ke lapho oyisithutha ehamba endleleni, ingqondo yakhe iyasilela, uthi kuye wonke uyisithutha.
4 If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
Uba umoya wombusi ukuvukela, ungatshiyi indawo yakho, ngoba ukuthobeka kuyathulisa iziphambeko ezinkulu.
5 I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
Kulobubi engibubone ngaphansi kwelanga, njengesiphosiso esiphuma ebusweni bombusi:
6 when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
Ubuwula bubekwa ezindaweni eziphakemeyo kakhulu, labanothileyo bahlala endaweni ephansi.
7 I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
Ngibonile izigqili zigade amabhiza, leziphathamandla zihamba njengezigqili emhlabeni.
8 If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
Ogebha umgodi uzawela kuwo; lodiliza umthangala, inyoka izamluma.
9 If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
Osusa amatshe uzalinyazwa yiwo; obanda izigodo uzakuba sengozini ngazo.
10 If your ax is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to use a lot more force. Conclusion: being wise brings good results.
Uba insimbi ibuthundu njalo engaloli ubukhali, ngakho ufanele engezelele amandla; kodwa inhlakanipho yinhle ukulungisa.
11 If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
Uba inyoka iluma kungelakulunjwa, kakulanzuzo kungcitshi yolimi.
12 Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
Amazwi omlomo ohlakaniphileyo alomusa, kodwa indebe zesithutha ziyasiginya.
13 Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
Ukuqala kwamazwi omlomo waso kuyibuthutha, lokucina kwenkulumo yaso kuyibuhlanya obubi,
14 Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
njalo isithutha sandisa amazwi. Umuntu kazi okuzakuba khona; lalokho okuzakuba khona emva kwakhe, ngubani ongamtshela khona?
15 Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
Umtshikatshika wesithuthandini uyasidinisa, ngoba kasazi ukuya emzini.
16 You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
Maye kuwe, lizwe, onkosi yakho ingumntwana, leziphathamandla zakho zidla ekuseni!
17 You're fortunate if your king comes from a noble family, and your leaders feast at the proper time to give themselves energy, and not to get drunk.
Ubusisiwe, lizwe, onkosi yakho iyindodana yabakhulu, leziphathamandla zakho zidla ngesikhathi esifaneleyo, zidlela ukuqina, hatshi ukudakwa.
18 Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
Ngobuvila obukhulu intungo ziyabhensa, langokuyekethisa izandla indlu iyanethela.
19 A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
Idili lenzelwa uhleko, lewayini lithokozisa impilo; kodwa imali iyimpendulo yakho konke.
20 Don't talk badly about the king, not even in your thoughts. Don't talk badly about leaders, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird may hear what you say and fly away to tell them.
Lemcabangweni wakho ungayithuki inkosi, lekamelweni lakho lokulala ungamthuki onothileyo; ngoba inyoni yamazulu izathwala ilizwi, lokulamaphiko kubike udaba.
