Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:
Kukhona ububi esengibubonile ngaphansi kwelanga, njalo buvamile ebantwini:
2 a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
Umuntu uNkulunkulu amnike inotho lengcebo lodumo ukuze angasweleli umphefumulo wakhe ulutho kukho konke akufisayo, kodwa uNkulunkulu angamniki amandla ukuthi adle kukho, kodwa owemzini uyakudla; lokhu kuyize, njalo kuyisifo esibi.
3 If a man beget an hundred children and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:
Uba umuntu ezala abantwana abalikhulu, aphile iminyaka eminengi, ukuze insuku zeminyaka yakhe zibe zinengi, kodwa umphefumulo wakhe ungasuthiswa ngokuhle, futhi angabi lakungcwatshwa, ngithi umphunzo ungcono kulaye.
4 for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;
Ngoba uza ngeze, uye emnyameni, lebizo lawo lisitshekelwe emnyameni;
5 moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:
futhi kawulibonanga ilanga, kawulalwazi; lo ulokuphumula kulaye.
6 yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good: do not all go to one place?
Yebo, lanxa ephila iminyaka eyinkulungwane, ephindwe kabili, kanti engabonanga okuhle; bonke kabayi yini endaweni eyodwa?
7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
Wonke umtshikatshika womuntu ngowomlomo wakhe, kube kanti inkanuko kayisuthi.
8 For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? [or] what hath the poor man, that knoweth to walk before the living?
Ngoba ohlakaniphileyo ulani okwedlula isithutha? Ulani umyanga owazi ukuhamba phambi kwabaphilayo?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Kungcono ukubona kwamehlo kulokuzulazula kwenkanuko. Lokhu lakho kuyize lokukhathazeka komoya.
10 Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago, and it is known that it is man: neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.
Osekukhona sekuke kwathiwa ibizo lakho, njalo kuyaziwa ukuthi kungumuntu, lokuthi kalakho ukuphikisana lolamandla kulaye.
11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?
Ngoba zinengi izinto ezandisa ize; kuyinzuzo bani emuntwini?
12 For who knoweth what is good for man in [his] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
Ngoba ngubani okwaziyo okulungele umuntu empilweni, enanini lensuku zempilo yakhe eyize ayichitha njengesithunzi? Ngoba ngubani ongatshela umuntu lokho okuzakuba khona emva kwakhe ngaphansi kwelanga?
