Eklesiastes 8
1 En ngʼa machalo gi ngʼama nigi rieko matut? En ngʼa mongʼeyo wacho tiend gik moko? Rieko miyo ngʼato bedo mamor kendo otieko ich wangʼ ma en-go.
Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.
2 Luor chik ruoth, awacho kamano, nikech ni kwongʼori e nyim Jehova Nyasaye.
I [counsel thee], Keep the king’s command, and that in regard of the oath of God.
3 Kik irikni ka ia e nyim ruoth. Kik ichwak ngʼama timo richo, nimar obiro timo gimora amora mohero.
Be not hasty to go out of his presence; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
4 Nimar wach ruoth nigi teko, en ngʼa manyalo wachone niya, “Angʼo ma itimo?”
Because the king’s word [hath] power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
5 Ngʼato angʼata moluoro chikne ok noyud hinyruok moro amora, to chuny man-gi rieko biro ngʼeyo sa mowinjore mar timo gimoro kod chenro miluwo.
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man’s heart discerneth time and judgment:
6 Nimar nitiere sa mowinjore kod chenro miluwo e gimoro amora, kata kamano dhier mar dhano pek moloye.
for to every purpose there is a time and judgment; because the misery of man is great upon him:
7 Nimar dhano ok ongʼeyo gima biro, en ngʼa manyalo nyise gima biro?
for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?
8 Onge ngʼama nigi teko ewi yamo mondo ochike, omiyo onge ngʼama nigi teko e odiechieng thone. Mana kaka jalweny ok mi thuolo mar yweyo e kinde mag kedo, e kaka joricho bende ok yud thuolo kuom timbegigo.
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in [that] war: neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it.
9 Magi duto ne aneno, kane aketo pacha e gik moko duto mitimo e piny. Nitie kinde moro ma ngʼato sandoe jowetegi to en owuon ema ohinyore.
All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: [there is] a time wherein one man hath power over another to his hurt.
10 Aseneno joma timbegi richo ka iyiko, jogo mane osiko kadonjo kendo wuok e kama ler kendo ne yudo pak e dala maduongʼ kuom gik ma ok mi Nyasaye duongʼ. Ma bende en tim manono.
And withal I saw the wicked buried, and they came [to the grave]; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity.
11 Ka ngʼado bura ne janjore ok otim, to chuny ji pongʼ gi chenro mar timo marach.
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12 Kata obedo ni joma timbegi richo nyalo timo richo mathoth, to pod ginyalo dak kuom kinde mangʼeny, to gima angʼeyo en ni joma oluoro Nyasaye to biro dhi maber e nyim Nyasaye.
Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and prolong his [days], yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
13 Nikech joma timbegi mono ok oluoro Nyasaye, ok ginine maber kendo ngimagi nolal mana ka tipo.
but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, [which are] as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
14 Nitiere gimoro machielo maonge tiende matimore e piny: joma kare mayudo gigo ma joma mono ema onego yudi, kod joma timbegi mono mayudo gigo monego joma kare ema yudi. Ma bende, awacho, ni onge tiende.
There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be righteous men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
15 Omiyo ayie ni mondo ji owinj maber e ngima margi, nikech onge gima ber ne dhano e piny moloyo chiemo, metho kod bedo gimor. Bangʼe obiro bedo mamor kuom tije matek motiyo e kinde mar ngimane ma Nyasaye omiye ngima e piny ka.
Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him in his labour [all] the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.
16 Kane aketo pacha mondo angʼe rieko kendo mondo anon tich matek mar dhano e piny-ka ka nindo ok tere odiechiengʼ gotieno,
When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes: )
17 to ne afwenyo ni gigo duto Nyasaye ema timo. Omiyo onge ngʼama ongʼeyo gigo matimore e piny. Kata dabed ni oketo chunye manade mar ngʼeyo tiendgi, to ok onyal ngʼeyo tiendgi. Bende kata ngʼama riek par ni ongʼeyo, to ok onyal winjo tiendgi maber.
then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however much a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
