UmShumayeli

8 Ubani onjengomuntu ohlakaniphile? Ubani owazi isisombululo senkinga?* Ukuhlakanipha komuntu kuyabonakala ebusweni bakhe. Ubuso bakhe obuhwaqabele buyashintsha bujabule.

2 Ngithi: “Lalela imiyalo yenkosi + ngenxa yesifungo osenze kuNkulunkulu. + 3 Ungajahi ukuphuma phambi kwayo. + Ungayisekeli into embi; + ngoba ingenza noma yini eyithandayo, 4 ngoba izwi lenkosi yilo eligcinayo; + ubani ongathi kuyo: ‘Wenzani?’ ”

5 Ogcina umyalo ngeke abhekane nenhlekelele, + nenhliziyo ehlakaniphile iyosazi isikhathi esifanele nenqubo* efanele. + 6 Ngoba kukhona isikhathi nenqubo *+ yazo zonke izindaba, ngoba izinkathazo zabantu ziningi kakhulu. 7 Njengoba kungekho owaziyo ukuthi kuyokwenzekani, ubani ongamtshela ukuthi kuyokwenzeka kanjani?

8 Njengoba nje kungekho muntu onamandla ngaphezu komoya* noma ongawuvimba, akekho onamandla okumelana nosuku lokufa. + Njengoba nje kungekho muntu okhululwayo empini, nobubi ngeke bubavumele abenzi bokubi ukuba baphunyuke.*

9 Konke lokhu ngikubonile, ngagxilisa inhliziyo yami kuwo wonke umsebenzi oye wenziwa phansi kwelanga, phakathi nesikhathi umuntu abuse ngaso omunye umuntu kwaba ukulimala kwakhe. + 10 Ngibabonile ababi bengcwatshwa, labo ababengena bephuma endaweni engcwele, kodwa balitshalwa ngokushesha edolobheni ababekwenza kulo lokho. + Nalokhu futhi kuyize.

11 Ngenxa yokuthi isigwebo sesenzo esibi asikhishwanga ngokushesha, + inhliziyo yabantu iba nesibindi sokwenza okubi. + 12 Nakuba isoni singenza okubi kayikhulu kodwa siqhubeke siphila isikhathi eside, ngiyaqaphela ukuthi kuyobahambela kahle labo abesaba uNkulunkulu weqiniso, ngoba bayamesaba. + 13 Kodwa ngeke kumhambele kahle omubi, + ngeke azelule izinsuku zakhe ezinjengethunzi + ngoba akamesabi uNkulunkulu.

14 Kukhona into eyize* eyenzeka emhlabeni: Kunabantu abalungile abaphathwa njengokungathi benza okubi, + futhi kukhona abantu ababi abaphathwa njengokungathi benza okulungile. + Ngithi nalokhu futhi kuyize.

15 Ngakho ngathi makujatshulwe, + ngoba akukho lutho olungcono ngomuntu ngaphansi kwelanga kunokuba adle aphuze ajabule; lokhu kufanele akwenze njengoba esebenza kanzima ngezinsuku zokuphila kwakhe, + uNkulunkulu weqiniso amnika zona phansi kwelanga.

16 Ngenza inhliziyo yami yagxila ekutholeni ukuhlakanipha nokuba ngibone wonke umsebenzi owenziwa emhlabeni, + ngaze ngangalala ubusuku nemini.* 17 Ngabe sengicabanga ngawo wonke umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, ngabona ukuthi abantu ngeke bakuqonde okwenzeka phansi kwelanga. + Noma abantu bangazama kanzima kangakanani, ngeke bakuqonde. Ngisho noma bethi bahlakaniphe ngokwanele ukuba bazi, ngeke bakwazi ukukuqonda. +