Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
Obwatiikirivu bw’erinnya eddungi businga eby’akawoowo ebirungi; n’olunaku olw’okufa lusinga olwo olw’okuzaalirwako.
2 It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.
Kirungi okulaga mu nnyumba ey’abakungubaga okusinga okulaga mu nnyumba ey’ebyassava. Kubanga buli omu wa kufa, ekyo kiteekwa okuba ku mutima gwa buli muntu.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
Okunakuwala kusinga okuseka, kubanga amaaso amanakuwavu gazzaamu omutima amaanyi.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
Omutima gw’omugezi guba wamu n’abo abali mu nnaku; naye ogw’omusirusiru guba mu kusanyuka.
5 It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
Kirungi okussaayo omwoyo ku kunenya kw’omuntu ow’amagezi okusinga okuwuliriza ennyimba z’abasirusiru.
6 For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
Okuseka kw’abasirusiru kuli ng’okutulikatulika kw’amaggwa agali mu muliro gw’entamu; na kino nakyo butaliimu.
7 Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
Kya mazima, okunyigirizibwa kufuula ow’amagezi okuba omusirusiru, n’enguzi efaafaaganya okutegeera.
8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
Enkomerero y’ekintu esinga entandikwa yaakyo, n’omugumiikiriza asinga ow’amalala.
9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
Tosunguwalanga mangu nga waliwo akusokaasoka, kubanga obusungu bubeera munda y’abasirusiru.
10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
Teweebuuzanga nti, “Lwaki ennaku ziri ez’edda zisinga zino?” Kubanga si kya magezi okwebuuza ekibuuzo ng’ekyo.
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
Amagezi kintu kirungi, okufaanana ng’eky’obugagga ky’obusika, era kigasa abo abakyalaba enjuba.
12 For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
Amagezi kiwummulo, ng’ensimbi bwe ziri ekiwummulo, naye enkizo y’okumanya y’eno: amagezi gakuuma obulamu bw’oyo agalina.
13 Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
Lowooza ku Katonda ky’akoze: ani ayinza okugolola ekyo ekyakyama Katonda kye yakola?
14 In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him.
Ebiseera bwe biba ebirungi, sanyuka; naye bwe biba ebibi, kirowoozeeko; Katonda eyakola ekimu era ye yakola ne kinnaakyo. Noolwekyo omuntu tayinza kuzuula kirimubaako mu nnaku ze ez’omu maaso.
15 In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
Mu bulamu bwange buno obutaliimu ndabye bino byombi: omutuukirivu azikiririra mu butuukirivu bwe, n’omukozi w’ebibi n’awangaalira mu bibi bye.
16 Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Teweefuulanga mutuukirivu ayitiridde wadde okwefuula ow’amagezi ow’ekitalo; oleme okwezikiriza.
17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
Tobanga mwonoonyi kakuzzi wadde okuba omusirusiru; oleme okufa ng’ekiseera kyo tekinnatuuka.
18 It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.
Ekyo kirungi okiyige, na kiri oleme kukibuusa maaso, kubanga oyo atya Katonda abyewala okubiyitiriza.
19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
Ow’amagezi ne bw’aba omu mu kibuga, aba w’amaanyi okusinga abakulembeze ekkumi ab’omu kibuga ekyo.
20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
Ddala ku nsi tekuli muntu mutuukirivu, atakola bibi.
21 Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
Towulirizanga buli kigambo, bantu kye boogera, si kulwa ng’owulira omuweereza wo ng’akukolimira,
22 For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
kubanga naawe okimanyidde ddala mu mutima gwo, ng’emirundi mingi okolimidde abalala.
23 All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
Ebyo byonna nabyekenneenya n’amagezi ne ŋŋamba nti, “Mmaliridde okuba omugezi,” wabula kino kyandi wala.
24 What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
Amagezi ne bwe gaba ga kikula ki, gali wala nnyo era tegalojjeka, kale ani ayinza okugavumbula?
25 I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
Bwe ntyo ne nkyusa omutima gwange nnoonye okutegeera, nekkanye, era nnoonyereze amagezi ndowooze ne ku bintu nga bwe biri, n’okutegeera obusirusiru bw’okukola ebibi: n’eddalu ery’obusirusiru.
26 And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.
Ekintu kye nalaba eky’obulabe ekisinga okufa, ye mukazi alina omutima ogusendasenda, era ogusikiriza, era emikono gye gisiba ng’enjegere. Oyo ayagala Katonda, y’awona omukazi oyo, kyokka ye omwonoonyi talema kugwa mu mutego gwe.
27 “Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
Omubuulizi agamba nti, “Laba, kino kyenvumbudde: “Okugatta ekintu ku kinnaakyo, okuzuula enkola y’ebintu,
28 While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.
bwe nnali nga nkyanoonyereza nabulako kye nzuula, okuggyako okulaba omusajja omwesimbu omu mu basajja lukumi, kyokka mu bakazi bonna ssaalabamu n’omu atuukiridde.
29 Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
Wabula kino kyokka kye nalaba: Katonda yatonda omuntu nga mugolokofu, naye abantu ne beenoonyeza ebintu ebirala bingi.”
