Vanity of Vanities

¹Amazwi eNtshumayeli, unyana kaDavide, ukumkani waseYerusalem."

²Amampunge awo amampunge, itsho iNtshumayeli; amampunge awo amampunge, yonke into ingamampunge."

³Unalungelo lini umntu emigudwini yakhe yonke, ayenzayo phantsi kwelanga?"

⁴Kumka esinye isizukulwana, kulandele esinye isizukulwana; ke lona ihlabathi limi ngonaphakade."

⁵Ilanga liyaphuma, ilanga libuya litshone, liphikele endaweni yalo apho liphuma khona."

⁶Umoya uya ezantsi, ujikeleze usinge entla, uhamba ujikajikeleza, ubuye ubuya umoya ekujikelezeni kwawo."

⁷Yonke imilambo iya elwandle, ukanti ulwandle aluzali; endaweni eya kuyo imilambo, ibuya iye kwakhona."

⁸Zonke izinto ziyazixhamla; umntu akanako ukuzithetha; alihluthi iliso kukubona, ayizali indlebe kukuva."

⁹Into eyayikho yeya kubuya ibekho; into eyenzekayo yeya kubuya yenzeke yona. Akukho nto intsha phantsi kwelanga."

¹⁰Ukuba kukho into ekuthiwa, Yabona, le intsha! ibiselikho kade, emaphakadeni abekho ngaphambi kwethu."

¹¹Akukho kukhumbula abokuqala; nabasemva abaya kubakho, abayi kukhunjulwa ngabaya kuza emva kwabo."

¹²Mna, Ntshumayeli, ndibe ndingukumkani kwaSirayeli eYerusalem."

¹³Intliziyo yam ndayinikela ukuba ingxoke, isingasinge ngobulumko, yonke into eyenzekayo phantsi kwezulu; ngumzamo ombi uThixo awunike oonyana babantu, ukuba bawuzame."

¹⁴Ndazikhangela zonke izenzo ezenzekayo phantsi kwelanga; yabona, zonke zingamampunge nokusukelana nomoya."

¹⁵Into egoso ayinakolulwa; into engekhoyo ayinakubalwa."

¹⁶Ndathetha mna nentliziyo yam, ndisithi, Yabona, mna ndikhulise ndandisa ubulumko, ngaphezu kwabo bonke ababephethe iYerusalem phambi kwam; nentliziyo yam ibone kakhulu ubulumko nokwazi."

¹⁷Intliziyo yam ndayinikela ekwazini ubulumko, nasekwazini ubugeza nobuyatha; kwanaloo nto ndayiqonda ukuba kukusukelana nomoya."

¹⁸Ngokuba ebuninzini bobulumko kukho ukuhlelwa sisiyengelezane esininzi; owongeza ukwazi, wongeza umvandedwa."