Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
Shittoo urgaaʼaa irra maqaa gaarii wayya; guyyaa dhalootaa irra guyyaa duʼaa wayya.
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.
Mana cidhaa dhaquu mannaa mana booʼichaa dhaquu wayya; galgalli nama hundaa duʼumaatii; namni lubbuun jiraatu waan kana garaatti haa qabatu.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
Fuulli gaddu waan garaa gammachiisuuf kolfa irra gadda wayya.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
Qalbiin ogeessaa mana booʼichaa jira, qalbiin gowwaa garuu mana gammachuu jira.
5 It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
Sirba gowwootaa dhagaʼuu mannaa ifannaa ogeessaa dhaggeeffachuu wayya.
6 For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
Kolfi gowwaa akkuma qoraattii xuwwee jalaa xaaxaʼuu ti. Kunis faayidaa hin qabu.
7 Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
Cunqursaan ogeessa gowwaa godha; mattaʼaanis sammuu nama xureessa.
8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
Jalqaba waan tokkoo irra dhuma isaa wayya; of tuuluu irras obsa wayya.
9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
Hafuura keetiin aaruuf hin ariifatin; aariin bobaa gowwootaa keessa jiraatii.
10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
Ati, “Barri durii maaliif bara kana caale?” hin jedhin; waan kana gaafachuun ogummaa miti.
11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
Ogummaan akkuma dhaalaa waan gaarii dha; warra aduu arganiifis buʼaa qaba.
12 For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
Akkuma maallaqni daʼoo taʼe sana ogummaanis daʼoo dha; faayidaan beekumsaa garuu kana: innis ogummaan warra ishee qabaniif jireenya kennuu ishee ti.
13 Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
Waan Waaqni hojjete mee ilaali: Waan inni jalʼise eenyutu qajeelchuu dandaʼa?
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.
Yommuu yeroon gaarii taʼutti gammadi; yommuu yeroon hammaatu garuu itti yaadi: Waaqni isa tokko hojjete isa kaanis hojjeteera. Kanaafuu namni egeree isaa beekuu hin dandaʼu.
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.
Ani jireenya koo kan faayidaa hin qabne kana keessatti waan kana lachuu argeera; kunis: Qajeelaan qajeelummaa isaatiin baduu isaatii fi hamaan immoo hammina isaatiin bara dheeraa jiraachuu isaa ti.
16 Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
Ati akka malee qajeelaa hin taʼin; yookaan akka malee ogeessa hin taʼin; maaliif of galaafatta?
17 Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
Ati akka malee hamaa hin taʼin; gowwaas hin taʼin; maaliif utuu yeroon kee hin gaʼin duuta?
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.
Utuu isa kaan gad hin dhiisin waan tokko qabaachuun gaarii dha. Namni Waaqa sodaatu waan hundaan ni milkaaʼa.
19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
Ogummaan, bulchitoota magaalaa tokko keessa jiran kudhan caalaa nama ogeessa tokko humna qabeessa gooti.
20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
Namni qajeelaan waan qajeelaa malee cubbuu tokko illee hin hojjenne lafa irra hin jiru.
21 Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
Waan namni jedhu hunda hin dhaggeeffatin; yoo kana goote utuu hojjetaan kee si abaaruu dhageessaa;
22 For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
ati mataan kee iyyuu yeroo baayʼee namoota kaan akka abaarte garaan kee beekaatii.
23 All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
Ani waan kana hunda ogummaadhaanan qoradhee, “Ani ogeessan taʼa” nan jedhe. Wanni kun garuu narraa fagoo ture.
24 What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
Wanti jiru hundi fagoo dha; gad fagoo dha; eenyutu qoratee bira gaʼuu dandaʼa?
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.
Kanaafuu ani gara ogummaa fi maalummaa wantootaa hubachuutti, sakattaʼuutti, qorachuutti akkasumas hammina gowwummaatii fi maraatummaa gowwummaa hubachuutti qalbii koo nan deebifadhe.
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.
Ani waan duʼa caalaa hadhaaʼuu nan arge; kunis: dubartii kiyyoo taate, kan yaadni ishee kiyyoo, harki ishee immoo foncaa taʼee dha. Namni Waaqa gammachiisu ishee jalaa ni baʼa; cubbamaan garuu isheedhaan qabama.
27 “Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
Lallabaan akkana jedha; “Kunoo wanni ani qoradhee bira gaʼe kanaa dha: “Mala isaa beekuuf waan tokko fuudhanii waan kaanitti dabaluu dha;
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.
ani ammas nan sakattaʼe; garuu hin arganne. Ani kuma keessaa dhiira qajeelaa tokko nan argadhe; hunduma isaanii keessaa garuu dubartii qajeeltuu tokko iyyuu hin arganne.
29 Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
Kunoo ani waan kana qofa nan argadhe: Waaqni qajeeltota godhee ilmaan namaa uume; namoonni garuu mala baayʼee barbaacha deeman.”
