Mlaliki 1
1 Mawu a Mlaliki, mwana wa Davide, mfumu ya ku Yerusalemu:
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 “Zopandapake! Zopandapake!” atero Mlaliki. “Zopandapake kotheratu! Zopandapake.”
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities! all is vanity.
3 Kodi munthu amapindulanji pa ntchito zake zonse zimene amasautsidwa nazo pansi pano?
What profit hath man of all his labour wherewith he laboureth under the sun?
4 Mibado imabwera ndipo mibado imapita, koma dziko lapansi limakhalapobe nthawi zonse.
[One] generation passeth away, and [another] generation cometh, but the earth standeth for ever.
5 Dzuwa limatuluka ndipo dzuwa limalowa ndipo limapita mwamsanga kumene limatulukira.
The sun also riseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
6 Mphepo imawombera cha kummwera ndi kukhotera cha kumpoto; imawomba mozungulirazungulira, kumangobwererabwerera komwe yachokera.
The wind goeth towards the south, and turneth about towards the north: it turneth about continually, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
7 Mitsinje yonse imakathira ku nyanja, koma nyanjayo sidzaza; kumene madziwo amachokera, amabwereranso komweko.
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
8 Zinthu zonse ndi zotopetsa, kutopetsa kwake ndi kosaneneka. Maso satopa ndi kuona kapena khutu kukwaniritsidwa ndi kumva.
All things are full of toil; none can express it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 Zomwe zinalipo kale zidzakhalaponso, zomwe zinachitika kale zidzachitikanso. Ndiye kuti chatsopano palibiretu pansi pano.
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Kodi chilipo chinthu chimene wina anganene kuti, “Taona! Ichi ndiye chatsopano?” Chinalipo kale, kalekale; chinalipo ife kulibe.
Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already in the ages which were before us.
11 Anthu akale sakumbukiridwa, ngakhale amene adzabwera mʼtsogolomu sadzakumbukiridwa ndi iwo amene adzabwere pambuyo pawo.
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.
12 Ine, Mlalikine, ndinali mfumu ya Israeli mu Yerusalemu.
I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 Ndinayika mtima wanga pophunzira ndi kufunafuna mwa nzeru zinthu zonse zimene zimachitika pansi pa thambo. Ndi ntchito yolemetsa ndithu imene Mulungu anayipereka kwa anthu!
And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.
14 Ine ndaona zinthu zonse zochitika pansi pano; zinthu zonsezo ndi zopandapake, nʼkungodzivuta chabe.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.
15 Chinthu chokhota sichingathe kuwongoledwa; chimene palibe sichingathe kuwerengedwa.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16 Ine ndinaganiza mu mtima mwanga, “Taona, ine ndakula ndi kukhala wa nzeru zochuluka kupambana aliyense amene analamulirapo Yerusalemu ndisanabadwe; ndaphunzira nzeru zochuluka ndi luntha.”
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.
17 Ndipo ndinadzipereka kuti ndithe kumvetsa kuti nzeru nʼchiyani, misala nʼchiyani, uchitsiru nʼchiyani, koma ndinazindikira ichi, kuti kuteronso nʼkungodzivuta chabe.
And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.
18 Pakuti nzeru zochuluka zimabweretsa chisoni chochulukanso: chidziwitso chochuluka, zowawa zochulukanso.
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
