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.
Ngathi mina enhliziyweni yami: Woza-ke, ngizakuzama ngentokozo, njalo kholisa okuhle. Khangela-ke, lalokhu kwakuyize.
2 I conclude that laughing your way through life is stupid, and pleasure—what use is that?
Ngokuhleka ngathi: Kuyibuhlanya! Langentokozo: Kwenzani?
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.
Ngadinga enhliziyweni yami ukuthokozisa inyama yami ngewayini (kodwa ngakhokhela inhliziyo yami ngenhlakanipho), lokubambelela ebuthutheni, ngize ngibone ukuthi kuyini lokho okulungele abantwana babantu, abangakwenza ngaphansi kwamazulu, ngenani lensuku zempilo zabo.
4 Then I tried great construction projects. I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself.
Ngazenzela imisebenzi emikhulu; ngazakhela izindlu; ngazihlanyelela izivini;
5 I made for myself gardens and parks, planting them with all kinds of fruit trees.
ngazenzela izivande lezivande zezihlahla; ngahlanyela kuzo izihlahla zezithelo zohlobo lonke;
6 I constructed for myself reservoirs to water all these growing trees.
ngazenzela amachibi amanzi okuthelela ngawo ihlathi lokukhulisa izihlahla;
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 lezigqilikazi, ngaba labazalelwe endlini; njalo ngaba lemfuyo enengi yenkomo lezimvu okwedlula bonke ababekhona ngaphambi kwami eJerusalema;
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!
ngazibuthela futhi isiliva legolide lemfuyo ekhethekileyo yamakhosi leyamazwe; ngazizuzela abahlabeleli labahlabelelikazi, lentokozo zabantwana babantu, amantombazana emihlobo yonke.
9 I became great—greater than anyone in Jerusalem before me. All the while my wisdom stayed with me.
Ngakho ngaba mkhulu nganda okwedlula wonke owayekhona ngaphambi kwami eJerusalema, lenhlakanipho yami yema lami.
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.
Lakho konke amehlo ami akufisayo kangiwancitshanga khona, kangigodlanga inhliziyo yami lakuyiphi intokozo; ngoba inhliziyo yami yathokoza ekutshikatshikeni kwami konke; lalokhu kwaba yisabelo sami somtshikatshika wami wonke.
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.
Mina ngasengikhangela yonke imisebenzi izandla zami eziyenzileyo, lomtshikatshika engangitshikatshike ukuwenza; khangela-ke, konke kwakuyize lokukhathazeka komoya, njalo kwakungekho 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?
Mina ngasengibuyela ukubona inhlakanipho lobuhlanya lobuthutha. Ngoba angenzani umuntu olandela inkosi? Lokho okuvele sekwenziwe.
13 I recognized that wisdom is better than foolishness just as light is better than darkness.
Mina ngasengibona ukuthi inhlakanipho ingcono kulobuthutha 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.
Ohlakaniphileyo, amehlo akhe asekhanda lakhe, kodwa isithutha sihamba emnyameni; ngasengisazi lami ukuthi isehlakalo sinye sehlela bonke.
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!”
Mina ngasengisithi enhliziyweni yami: Njengoba kusehlela isithutha kuzangehlela lami; pho, kungani-ke mina ngangihlakaniphe okwedlulisileyo? Ngasengikhuluma enhliziyweni yami ukuthi 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 kakukho ukukhunjulwa kohlakaniphileyo okwedlula koyisithutha phakade; ngoba lokhu okukhona khathesi ensukwini ezizayo konke kuzakhohlakala. Ohlakaniphileyo ufa njani? Njengesithutha.
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.
Ngasengizonda impilo, ngoba umsebenzi owenziwa ngaphansi kwelanga wawubuhlungu kimi; ngoba konke kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
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.
Yebo, mina ngawuzonda wonke umtshikatshika wami engawutshikatshika ngaphansi kwelanga, ngoba ngizawutshiyela umuntu ozakuba khona 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!
Ngubani-ke owaziyo ukuthi uzakuba ngohlakaniphileyo kumbe oyisithutha? Kanti uzabusa phezu kwawo wonke umtshikatshika wami engawutshikatshikayo lengiwenze ngenhlakanipho ngaphansi kwelanga. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
20 I decided to give up, my mind in despair over the significance of all my life's achievements.
Mina ngasengiphenduka ngadangalisa inhliziyo yami ngomtshikatshika wonke engangiwutshikatshika 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 kulomuntu omtshikatshika wakhe ukunhlakanipho lakulwazi lakubuqotho, kanti uzawunika umuntu ongatshikatshikanga kuwo ube yisabelo sakhe. Lokhu lakho kuyize, lobubi obukhulu.
22 What do you get here on earth for all your hard work and worry?
Ngoba ulani umuntu ngomtshikatshika wakhe wonke langokukhathazeka kwenhliziyo yakhe akutshikatshike ngaphansi kwelanga?
23 Your working life is full of trouble and strife—even at night your thoughts keep you awake. This is tough to comprehend!
Ngoba insuku zakhe zonke zizinsizi, lomsebenzi wakhe uyikudabuka; lebusuku inhliziyo yakhe kayiphumuli. 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,
Kakukho okungcono emuntwini kulokuthi adle anathe abonise umphefumulo wakhe okuhle emtshikatshikeni wakhe. Lokhu lakho mina ngabona ukuthi kuvela esandleni sikaNkulunkulu.
25 for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him?
Ngoba ngubani ongadla kumbe ngubani ongakholisa kulami?
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.
Ngoba yena uyamnika umuntu olungileyo phambi kobuso bakhe inhlakanipho lolwazi lentokozo; kodwa isoni uyasinika umsebenzi wokubutha lokubuthelela ukunika olungileyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Lokhu lakho kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
