Mlaliki 4
1 Ndinayangʼananso ndi kuona chipsinjo chimene chimachitika pansi pano: ndinaona misozi ya anthu opsinjika, ndipo iwo alibe owatonthoza; mphamvu zinali ndi anthu owapsinjawo ndipo iwonso analibe owatonthoza.
Once again I thought about all the oppression that is done under the sun. And behold, the tears of oppressed people, and they had no one to comfort them! Power was in the hand of their oppressors, and there was no one to comfort them!
2 Ndipo ndinanena kuti akufa, amene anafa kale, ndi osangalala kuposa amoyo, amene akanalibe ndi moyo.
So I considered those who are already dead more fortunate than the living, who are still alive.
3 Koma wopambana onsewa ndi amene sanabadwe, amene sanaone zoyipa zimene chimachitika pansi pano.
However, more fortunate than both of them is the one who has not yet lived, the one who has not seen any of the evil acts that are done under the sun.
4 Ndipo ndinazindikira kuti ntchito zonse zolemetsa ndiponso ntchito zonse zaluso zimachitika chifukwa choti wina akuchitira nsanje mnzake. Izinso ndi zopandapake, nʼkungodzivuta chabe.
Then I saw that every act of labor and every skillful work became the envy of one's neighbor. This also is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
5 Chitsiru chimangoti manja ake lobodo ndi kudzipha chokha ndi njala.
The fool folds his hands and does not work, so his food is his own flesh.
6 Nʼkwabwino kukhala ndi dzanja limodzi lodzaza uli pa mtendere, kuposa kukhala ndi manja awiri odzaza uli pa mavuto, ndipo uku nʼkungodzivuta chabe.
But better is a handful of profit with quiet work than two handfuls with the work that tries to shepherd the wind.
7 Ndinaonanso chinthu china chopanda phindu pansi pano:
Then I thought again about more futility, more vanishing vapor under the sun.
8 Panali munthu amene anali yekhayekha; analibe mwana kapena mʼbale. Ntchito yake yolemetsa sinkatha, ndipo maso ake sankakhutitsidwa ndi chuma chake. Iye anadzifunsa kuti, “Kodi ntchito yosautsayi ndikuyigwirira yani? Nanga nʼchifukwa chiyani ndikudzimana chisangalalo?” Izinso ndi zopandapake, zosasangalatsa!
There is the kind of man who is alone. He does not have anyone, no son or brother. There is no end to all his work, and his eyes are not satisfied with gaining wealth. He wonders, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vapor, a bad situation.
9 Kukhala awiri nʼkwabwino kuposa kukhala wekha, chifukwa ntchito ya anthu awiri ili ndi phindu:
Two people work better than one; together they can earn a good pay for their labor.
10 Ngati winayo agwa, mnzakeyo adzamudzutsa. Koma tsoka kwa munthu amene agwa ndipo alibe wina woti amudzutse!
For if one falls, the other can lift up his friend. However, sorrow follows the one who is alone when he falls if there is no one to lift him up.
11 Komanso ngati anthu awiri agona malo amodzi, adzafunditsana. Koma nanga mmodzi angadzifunditse yekha?
If two lie down together, they can be warm, but how can one be warm alone?
12 Munthu mmodzi angathe kugonjetsedwa, koma anthu awiri akhoza kudziteteza. Chingwe cha maulusi atatu sichidukirapo.
One man alone can be overpowered, but two can withstand an attack, and a three-strand rope is not quickly broken.
13 Wachinyamata wosauka koma wanzeru aposa mfumu yokalamba koma yopusa imene simvanso malangizo.
It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to listen to warnings.
14 Wachinyamatayo angathe kuchokera ku ndende ndi kudzakhala mfumu, kapena angathe kubadwa wosauka mʼdziko la mfumuyo.
This is true even if the young man becomes king from prison, or even if he was born poor in his kingdom.
15 Ndipo ndinaona kuti iwo onse amene anakhala ndi moyo ndi kuyenda pansi pano anatsatira wachinyamatayo, amene anatenga malo a mfumu.
I saw everyone who was alive and was walking around under the sun, along with a youth who was to rise up to take his place.
16 Mfumu ikhoza kulamulira anthu osawerengeka, komabe itamwalira, palibe amene adzayamikire zomwe mfumuyo inachita. Izinso ndi zopandapake, nʼkungozivuta chabe.
There is no end to all the people who want to obey the new king, but later many of them will no longer praise him. Surely this situation is vapor and an attempt to shepherd the wind.
