Ecclesiastes 2
1 So then I thought to myself, “Alright, let me examine pleasure and see how good that is.” But this too turned out to be something temporary that passes.
Ngacabanga ngenhliziyo ngathi, “Kulungile, ake ngizame ukuzithokozisa ngibone ingabe kuhle yini.” Kodwa lokho lakho kwakhanya kuyize.
2 I conclude that laughing your way through life is stupid, and pleasure—what use is that?
Ngathi, “Ukuhleka kuyibuthutha. Ukuzithokozisa khona kusizani?”
3 Then I used my mind to examine the attraction of wine to my body. My mind still guiding me with wisdom, I took it until I acted like a fool, so that I might see whether this was good for people to do during their time here.
Ngazama ukuzithabisa ngewayini, ngisenza ubuwula kodwa ingqondo yami ilokhu ingikhokhela ngokuhlakanipha. Ngangifuna ukubona ukuthi kuyini okumlungeleyo umuntu ukuthi akwenze lapha ngaphansi kwezulu ngezinsukwana lezo zokuphila kwakhe.
4 Then I tried great construction projects. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
Ngaqalisa imisebenzi emikhulu: ngazakhela izindlu ngahlanyela amavini.
5 I made for myself gardens and parks, planting them with all kinds of fruit trees.
Ngasungula izivande lezigcawu zokubukwa ngahlanyela kuzo yonke imihlobo yezihlahla lezithelo.
6 I constructed for myself reservoirs to water all these growing trees.
Ngenza iziziba zamanzi okuthelela izihlahla ezazikhula kuhle.
7 I bought male and female slaves, and their children also belonged to me. I also owned many herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem before me.
Ngathenga izigqili zesilisa lezesifazane, ngilezinye futhi izigqili ezazalelwa emzini wami. Ngaba lemihlambihlambi yenkomo lezimvu okwedlula bonke abake babakhona eJerusalema ngaphambi kwami.
8 I collected for myself great quantities of silver and gold, paid to me as tribute by kings and provinces. I brought in for myself male and female singers, and enjoyed many concubines—all a man could want!
Ngabuthelela isiliva legolide, kanye lempahla yamakhosi eligugu ivela ezigodini. Ngazidingela abahlabeleli besilisa labesifazane, lesithembo esikhulu, khona okujabulisa inhliziyo yendoda.
9 I became great—greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me. All the while my wisdom stayed with me.
Ngaba mkhulu ngokwedluleyo kulaloba ngubani owaba seJerusalema ngaphambi kwami. Phakathi kwayo yonke inyakanyaka le ukuhlakanipha kwami kwahlala kukhona.
10 I didn't stop myself trying anything I wanted. Whatever I felt like enjoying, I did. I even enjoyed everything I had accomplished, a reward for all my work.
Angizincitshanga lutho olwalufiswa ngamehlo ami; inhliziyo yami angiyalelanga layiphi intokozo. Inhliziyo yami yathokoza ngawo wonke umsebenzi wami, lokhu kwaba ngumvuzo wezithukuthuku zami.
11 But when I thought about what I had worked so hard to achieve, everything I'd done, it was so short-lived—as significant as someone trying to catch the wind. There really is no enduring benefit here on earth.
Kanti lanxa ngahlolisisa konke okwenziwa yizandla zami lalokho engangibhensela ukukuzuza, konke kwakuyize, yikuxotshana lomoya; kwakungela nzuzo ngaphansi kwelanga.
12 So I started to think about wisdom—and madness and foolishness. For what can anyone who comes after the king do that hasn't already been done?
Ngasengigxilisa imicabango yami ekuhlolisiseni ukuhlakanipha, njalo lobuhlanya kanye lobuwula. Kambe angenzani othatha isikhundla senkosi ngaphandle kwalokho obekuvele sekwenziwe?
13 I recognized that wisdom is better than foolishness just as light is better than darkness.
Ngabona ukuhlakanipha kungcono kulobuwula, njengokukhanya kungcono kulomnyama.
14 The wise see where they're going, but fools walk in darkness. But I also realized that they all come to the same end.
Umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ulamehlo ekhanda, ikanti isiwula sihamba ebumnyameni; kodwa ngacina sengibona ukuthi isiphetho sabo bonke sinye.
15 Then I thought to myself, “If I'm going to end up the same as a fool, what's the point of being so wise?” So I thought to myself, “This is also hard to understand!”
Ngasengicabanga enhliziyweni yami ngathi, “Isiphetho sesiwula sizangehlela lami. Pho, ngizuzani ngokuhlakanipha?” Ngathi ngenhliziyo yami, “Lokhu lakho kuyize.”
16 Nobody remembers the wise or the fool for very long—in the future everything will be forgotten. Whether wise or foolish, they both die.
Ngoba umuntu ohlakaniphileyo, njengesiwula, akazukukhunjulwa kokuphela; ngezinsuku ezizayo bobabili bazakhohlakala. Njengesiwula, umuntu ohlakaniphileyo laye uzakufa!
17 So I ended up feeling disgusted with life because everything that happens here on earth is so distressing. It's so incomprehensible, like trying to control the wind.
Yikho-ke ngasengikuzonda ukuphila, ngoba umsebenzi owenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga wawubuhlungu kimi. Wonke uyize, yikuxotshana lomoya.
18 I even ended up hating what I had achieved here on earth because I have to hand it over to whoever comes after me.
Ngazizonda zonke izinto engangiziginqele ngaphansi kwelanga, ngoba ngimele ngitshiyele lowo oza ngemva kwami.
19 And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will rule over everything I accomplished through my wisdom here on earth. This is just so frustrating, so hard to understand!
Njalo ngubani owaziyo ingabe uzakuba ngumuntu ohlakaniphileyo loba isiwula? Kodwa nguye ozalawula wonke umsebenzi wamaginqo ami lobungcitshi bami. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
20 I decided to give up, my mind in despair over the significance of all my life's achievements.
Ngalokho inhliziyo yami yaqalisa ukuphela amandla ngikhumbula konke lokho engakuginqelayo ngaphansi kwelanga.
21 For you can work wisely, knowledgably, and with skill—and who benefits? Someone who hasn't worked for it! This is both frustrating and totally unjust!
Ngoba umuntu angenza umsebenzi wakhe ngokuhlakanipha, ngolwazi langamasu, kodwa utshiyela konke alakho komunye ongazange akusebenzele. Lokhu lakho kuyize, kungumnyama.
22 What do you get here on earth for all your hard work and worry?
Umuntu uzuzani ngakho konke ukusebenza nzima langokutshikatshika kabuhlungu lapha emhlabeni?
23 Your working life is full of trouble and strife—even at night your thoughts keep you awake. This is tough to comprehend!
Ubuhlungu umsebenzi wakhe awenzayo kuzozonke insuku zokuphila kwakhe; kwala kanye lebusuku umkhumbulo wakhe kawuphumuli. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
24 So what's the best thing to do? Eat, drink, and enjoy your work, recognizing as I did that these things are given to us by God,
Akukho okungcono emuntwini ngaphandle kokuthi adle, anathe njalo azuze ukusuthiseka ngomsebenzi wakhe. Lokhu lakho ngiyakubona ukuthi kuvela kuNkulunkulu,
25 for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him?
ngoba ngaphandle kwakhe ngubani ongadla kumbe azuze intokozo?
26 To those who are good, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy. But to the sinner God gives the task of gathering and collecting wealth, only to hand it over to someone who pleases God. This also shows how fleeting life is, and hard to understand—like trying to understand how the wind blows.
Kulowo omthokozisayo uNkulunkulu umupha ukuhlakanipha, ulwazi lokuthaba, kodwa koyisoni umupha umsebenzi wokuqoqa lokulonda inotho ukuze ayiphe lowo othokozisa uNkulunkulu. Lokhu lakho kuyize, yikuxotshana lomoya.
