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.

For all this I laid to my heart and [indeed] to investigate all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; man knoweth neither love nor hatred: all is 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.

All things [come] alike to all: one event to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

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 an evil among all that is done under the sun, that one thing befalleth all: yea, also the heart of the children of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that, [they have to go] to the dead.

4 Ngʼato angʼata mangima pod nigi geno, mana kaka ngero moro wacho ni ber bedo guok mangima moloyo sibuor mosetho!

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for 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.

For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Hera margi, achaya margi kod nyiego margi noselal chon; ok ginichak gibed gi thuolo e gimoro amora matimore e piny.

Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy is already perished; neither have they any more for ever a portion in all that 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.

Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.

8 Kinde duto rwakri gi lewni marochere, kendo kinde duto wir wiyi gi mo.

Let thy garments be always white, and let not thy head lack 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.

Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity; for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labour wherein thou art labouring 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 thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest. (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.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to the intelligent, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; but time and chance happeneth to them 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.

For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are taken with the snare, like them are the children of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13 Bende ne aneno e bwo wangʼ chiengʼ ranyisi mar rieko mane omora ahinya:

This also have I seen as wisdom under the sun, and it was great unto 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 city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and encompassed it, and built great bulwarks against it:

15 E dala maduongʼno ngʼat moro modhier man-gi rieko nodakie, kendo noreso dala maduongʼno gi riekoneno. To onge ngʼama noparo ngʼama odhierno.

and there was found in it a poor wise man, who by his wisdom delivered the city; but no man remembered that poor man.

16 Omiyo ne awacho niya, “Rieko ber moloyo teko.” To rieko mar ngʼama odhier ocha, kendo wechene ok winj ngangʼ.

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 Weche mokwe mar ngʼama nigi rieko iwinjo moloyo koko mar jatend joma ofuwo.

The words of the wise are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

18 Rieko ber moloyo gige lweny, to jaricho achiel ketho gik mabeyo mangʼeny.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.