Eklesiastes 9
1 Omiyo ne arango gigi duto kendo atieko ni ngʼama kare kod ngʼat man-gi rieko to gi gima gitimo ni e lwet Nyasaye, to onge ngʼama ongʼeyo ni hera kata achaya rite.
All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.
2 Gimoro achiel ema timore ni ngʼat makare gi ngʼat ma jaricho, ngʼat maler, gi ngʼat ma ok ler, ngʼat malamo Nyasaye, gi ngʼat ma ok lam Nyasaye. Bende onge pogruok mantie e kind ngʼat malongʼo, gi ngʼat ma timbene mono, kata manie kind ngʼat makwongʼore ni biro chiwo misango ni Nyasaye kod ngʼat moluoro kwongʼruok ma kamano.
Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it.
3 Ma e richo mantiere kuom gimoro amora matimore e piny: Giko machalre choponegi duto. Kata kamano, chuny dhano opongʼ gi richo kendo nitie neko e pachgi e kinde ma gingima, to bangʼe to giriwore gi joma otho.
This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that — to the dead.
4 Ngʼato angʼata mangima pod nigi geno, mana kaka ngero moro wacho ni ber bedo guok mangima moloyo sibuor mosetho!
For him who is joined to all the living there is hope; a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 Nimar joma ngima ongʼeyo ni gibiro tho, to joma osetho ok ongʼeyo gimoro amora; gionge gi mich moro machielo, kendo wich wil kodgi ma ok nyal pargi.
The living are conscious that death will come to them, but the dead are not conscious of anything, and they no longer have a reward, because there is no memory of them.
6 Hera margi, achaya margi kod nyiego margi noselal chon; ok ginichak gibed gi thuolo e gimoro amora matimore e piny.
Their love and their hate and their envy are now ended; and they have no longer a part for ever in anything which is done under the sun.
7 Dhiyo, icham chiemo gi mor, kendo imadh divai mari gi chuny moil, nimar sani ema Nyasaye jakori kuom gik mitimo.
Come, take your bread with joy, and your wine with a glad heart. God has taken pleasure in your works.
8 Kinde duto rwakri gi lewni marochere, kendo kinde duto wir wiyi gi mo.
Let your clothing be white at all times, and let not your head be without oil.
9 Bed mamor gi chiegi mihero e ndalo duto mar ngimani maonge tiende ma Nyasaye osemiyi e piny e ndalogi duto maonge tiendgi, nimar mano ema niyudi kuom chandruokni duto e piny ka.
Have joy with the woman of your love all the days of your foolish life which he gives you under the sun. Because that is your part in life and in your work which you do under the sun.
10 Gimoro amora ma lweti oyudo mondo otim, time gi tekri duto, nimar ei bur, kama ibiro idhiyoe, onge tich kata loso chenro kata ngʼeyo kata rieko. (Sheol h7585)
Whatever comes to your hand to do with all your power, do it because there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in the place of the dead to which you are going. (Sheol h7585)
11 Gimoro machielo ma bende aseneno e pinyni en ni jongʼwech maringo matek ok yomb e ngʼwech pile, kata joma thuondi e lweny ok lo lweny pile, joma riek ok yud chiemo ma gichamo pile kata joma nigi paro mariek ok bed jo-mwandu, kendo joma ongʼeyo tich ok bed jotelo; to kata kamano hawi marach mako ji duto.
And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.
12 Kuom mano, onge ngʼama ongʼeyo sa ma kindene chopoe: Mana kaka rech imako gi gogo, kata winy imako gi wino, e kaka dhano moko e obadho mar richo ka ok ongʼeyo.
Even man has no knowledge of his time; like fishes taken in an evil net, or like birds taken by deceit, are the sons of men taken in an evil time when it comes suddenly on them.
13 Bende ne aneno e bwo wangʼ chiengʼ ranyisi mar rieko mane omora ahinya:
This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.
14 Koro ne nitie dala maduongʼ mane nitie gi ji manok e iye. To ruoth moro maratego nobiro molwore kendo omonje.
There was a little town and the number of its men was small, and there came a great king against it and made an attack on it, building works of war round about it.
15 E dala maduongʼno ngʼat moro modhier man-gi rieko nodakie, kendo noreso dala maduongʼno gi riekoneno. To onge ngʼama noparo ngʼama odhierno.
Now there was in the town a poor, wise man, and he, by his wisdom, kept the town safe. But no one had any memory of that same poor man.
16 Omiyo ne awacho niya, “Rieko ber moloyo teko.” To rieko mar ngʼama odhier ocha, kendo wechene ok winj ngangʼ.
Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is not respected, and his words are not given a hearing.
17 Weche mokwe mar ngʼama nigi rieko iwinjo moloyo koko mar jatend joma ofuwo.
The words of the wise which come quietly to the ear are noted more than the cry of a ruler among the foolish.
18 Rieko ber moloyo gige lweny, to jaricho achiel ketho gik mabeyo mangʼeny.
Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.
