Mlaliki 1
1 Mawu a Mlaliki, mwana wa Davide, mfumu ya ku Yerusalemu:
The words of the Proclaimer, son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 “Zopandapake! Zopandapake!” atero Mlaliki. “Zopandapake kotheratu! Zopandapake.”
Vanity of vanities! saith the Proclaimer, vanity of vanities! all, is vanity.
3 Kodi munthu amapindulanji pa ntchito zake zonse zimene amasautsidwa nazo pansi pano?
What profit hath Man, in all his toil wherewith he toileth under the sun?
4 Mibado imabwera ndipo mibado imapita, koma dziko lapansi limakhalapobe nthawi zonse.
Generation, goeth and, generation, cometh, but, the earth, unto times age-abiding, remaineth.
5 Dzuwa limatuluka ndipo dzuwa limalowa ndipo limapita mwamsanga kumene limatulukira.
And the sun, breaketh forth, and the sun, goeth in, —yea, unto his own place, he panteth, from whence he brake forth.
6 Mphepo imawombera cha kummwera ndi kukhotera cha kumpoto; imawomba mozungulirazungulira, kumangobwererabwerera komwe yachokera.
Going unto the south, and circling unto the north, —circling, circling continually, is, the wind, and, over its own circuits, returneth the wind.
7 Mitsinje yonse imakathira ku nyanja, koma nyanjayo sidzaza; kumene madziwo amachokera, amabwereranso komweko.
All the streams, flow into the sea, yet, the sea, is not full, —unto the place whither the streams flow, thither, do they again flow.
8 Zinthu zonse ndi zotopetsa, kutopetsa kwake ndi kosaneneka. Maso satopa ndi kuona kapena khutu kukwaniritsidwa ndi kumva.
All words, are weak, unable is any man to tell, —not satisfied is the eye by seeing, nor filled is the ear with hearing.
9 Zomwe zinalipo kale zidzakhalaponso, zomwe zinachitika kale zidzachitikanso. Ndiye kuti chatsopano palibiretu pansi pano.
That which hath been, is the same that shall be, and, that which hath been done, is the same that shall 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, of which it can be said, See here, it is, new? Already, hath it been, for ages, [it is something] which was before us.
11 Anthu akale sakumbukiridwa, ngakhale amene adzabwera mʼtsogolomu sadzakumbukiridwa ndi iwo amene adzabwere pambuyo pawo.
There is, no remembrance, of the thing before, —nor, even of the things after, which shall be, will there be any remembrance, with them who shall come after.
12 Ine, Mlalikine, ndinali mfumu ya Israeli mu Yerusalemu.
I, the Proclaimer, 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 gave my heart to seek and to search out, wisely, concerning all things which are done under the heavens, —the same, is the vexatious employment God hath given to the sons of men, to work toilsomely therein,
14 Ine ndaona zinthu zonse zochitika pansi pano; zinthu zonsezo ndi zopandapake, nʼkungodzivuta chabe.
I saw all the works which were done under the sun, —and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.
15 Chinthu chokhota sichingathe kuwongoledwa; chimene palibe sichingathe kuwerengedwa.
That which is crooked, cannot be straight, —and, that which is wanting, cannot be reckoned.
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.”
Spake, I, in my heart, saying, As for me, lo! I have become great, and have gathered wisdom, beyond any one who hath been before me over Jerusalem, —and, my heart, hath seen much wisdom and knowledge:
17 Ndipo ndinadzipereka kuti ndithe kumvetsa kuti nzeru nʼchiyani, misala nʼchiyani, uchitsiru nʼchiyani, koma ndinazindikira ichi, kuti kuteronso nʼkungodzivuta chabe.
yea I have given my heart, to know wisdom, and to know madness, and folly, —I know that, even this, is a feeding on 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 pain.
