Ecclesiastes 8
1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face is changed.
Ngubani onjengohlakaniphileyo? Ngubani-ke owazi ukuchasiswa kolutho? Inhlakanipho yomuntu iyakhanyisa ubuso bakhe, lobulukhuni bobuso bakhe buyaguqulwa.
2 I counsel thee: keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God.
Ngithi: Gcina umlayo wenkosi, lanjengokwesifungo sikaNkulunkulu.
3 Be not hasty to go out of his presence; stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
Ungaphangisi ukusuka phambi kwayo, ungemi edabeni olubi, ngoba yenza konke ekuthandayo.
4 Forasmuch as the king's word hath power; and who may say unto him: 'What doest thou?'
Lapho okulelizwi lenkosi khona kulamandla; njalo ngubani ongathi kuyo: Wenzani?
5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment.
Lowo ogcina umlayo kayikwazi into embi, lenhliziyo yohlakaniphileyo iyasazi isikhathi lokwahlulela.
6 For to every matter there is a time and judgment; for the evil of man is great upon him.
Ngoba kulo lonke udaba kulesikhathi lokwahlulela, ngoba ububi bomuntu bukhulu phezu kwakhe.
7 For he knoweth not that which shall be; for even when it cometh to pass, who shall declare it unto him?
Ngoba kakwazi ukuthi kuzakuba yini, ngoba ngubani ongamtshela ukuthi kuzakuba nini?
8 There is no man that hath power over the wind to retain the wind; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war; neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it.
Kakulamuntu olamandla phezu komoya ukubamba umoya, njalo kalamandla osukwini lokufa; njalo kakukho ukukhululwa kuleyompi, lobubi kabuyikukhulula abaninibo.
9 All this have I seen, even applied my heart thereto, whatever the work that is done under the sun; what time one man had power over another to his hurt.
Konke lokhu ngikubonile, nganikela inhliziyo yami emsebenzini wonke owenziwa ngaphansi kwelanga; kulesikhathi lapho umuntu abusa khona umuntu kube yikulimala kwakhe.
10 And so I saw the wicked buried, and they entered into their rest; but they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city; this also is vanity.
Ngokunjalo-ke ngabona ababi bengcwatshwa, ababevela njalo baye endaweni engcwele, abasebekhohlakele emzini lapho ababenze khona okunjalo. Lokhu lakho kuyize.
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil;
Ngoba isigwebo ngesenzo esibi singenziwa masinyane, ngenxa yalokho inhliziyo yabantwana babantu igcwele ngaphakathi kwabo ukwenza okubi.
12 because a sinner doeth evil a hundred times, and prolongeth his days — though yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before Him;
Lanxa isoni sisenza okubi izikhathi ezilikhulu, lensuku zaso zelulwe, kube kanti sibili ngiyazi ukuthi kuzabalungela labo abamesabayo uNkulunkulu, abesabayo phambi kwakhe.
13 but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he feareth not before God.
Kodwa omubi kakuyikumlungela; futhi kayikwelula insuku zakhe; unjengesithunzi ngoba kesabi phambi kukaNkulunkulu.
14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth: that there are righteous men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous — I said that this also is vanity.
Kukhona okuyize okwenziwayo emhlabeni, ukuthi bakhona abalungileyo abehlelwa njengokomsebenzi wababi, bakhona lababi abehlelwa njengokomsebenzi wabalungileyo. Ngathi: Lokhu lakho kuyize.
15 So I commended mirth, that a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry, and that this should accompany him in his labour all the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.
Ngakho mina ngababaza intokozo; ngoba umuntu kalalutho oluhle ngaphansi kwelanga, ngaphandle kokudla lokunatha lokuthokoza, ngoba lokhu kuzahlala laye ekutshikatshikeni kwakhe ensukwini zempilo yakhe uNkulunkulu amnike zona ngaphansi kwelanga.
16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth — for neither day nor night do men see sleep with their eyes —
Lapho nganikela inhliziyo ukwazi inhlakanipho lokubona umsebenzi owenziwa emhlabeni, (ngoba futhi ukhona ongaboni ubuthongo ngamehlo akhe emini lebusuku)
17 then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun; because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
ngasengibona wonke umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu ukuthi umuntu kalakho ukufumana umsebenzi owenziwayo ngaphansi kwelanga; ngoba lanxa umuntu etshikatshika ukukudinga, kube kanti kayikukufumana; yebo futhi, lanxa ohlakaniphileyo angathi uyazi, kayikuba lakho ukukuthola.
