Ecclesiastes 9
1 I have drawn all these things through my heart, so that I might carefully understand. There are just men as well as wise men, and their works are in the hand of God. And yet a man does not know so much as whether he is worthy of love or of hatred.
Ihe ndị a niile ka m tulere nke ọma nʼobi m, kpebie na ihe ndị ezi omume na ndị maara ihe na-eme dị nʼaka Chineke, ma ọ dịghị onye maara ihe na-echere ha maọbụ ịhụnanya maọbụ ịkpọ asị.
2 But all things in the future remain uncertain, because all things happen equally to the just and to the impious, to the good and to the bad, to the pure and to the impure, to those who offer sacrifices and to those who despise sacrifices. As the good are, so also are sinners. As those who commit perjury are, so also are those who swear to the truth.
Ihe niile na-adakwasị mmadụ niile nʼotu ụzọ ahụ, ma onye ezi omume ma onye ajọ omume, ezi mmadụ na onye na-abụghị ezi mmadụ, onye dị ọcha na onye na-adịghị ọcha, onye na-achụ aja na onye na-adịghị achụ aja. Dịka ọ dịrị ezi mmadụ, otu a ka ọ dịrị onye mmehie; dịka ọ dịrị ndị na-aṅụ iyi, otu a kwa ka ọ dị nye ndị na-adịghị aṅụ.
3 This is a very great burden among all things that are done under the sun: that the same things happen to everyone. And when the hearts of the sons of men are filled with malice and contempt in their lives, afterwards they shall be dragged down to hell. (questioned)
Nke a bụkwa ihe ọjọọ na-eme nʼokpuru anyanwụ. Otu ihe ndakwasị dịrị mmadụ niile. Ọzọkwa, obi ụmụ mmadụ jupụtara nʼihe ọjọọ na ịyị ara mgbe ha nọ na ndụ, emesịa ha alakwuru ndị nwụrụ anwụ.
4 There is no one who lives forever, or who even has confidence in this regard. A living dog is better than a dead lion.
Naanị ndị dị ndụ nwere olileanya. Ọ ka mma ịbụ nkịta dị ndụ karịa ịbụ ọdụm nwụrụ anwụ.
5 For the living know that they themselves will die, yet truly the dead know nothing anymore, nor do they have any recompense. For the memory of them is forgotten.
Nʼihi na ndị dị ndụ maara nke ọma na ha ga-anwụ, ma ndị nwụrụ anwụ amaghị ihe ọbụla; ha enwekwaghị ụgwọ ọrụ ọzọ, nʼihi na ha bụ ndị echefurula echefu.
6 Likewise, love and hatred and envy have all perished together, nor have they any place in this age and in the work which is done under the sun.
Ịhụnanya ha, na ịkpọ asị ha, na ekworo ha gabigara mgbe ha nwụrụ. Ha agaghị enwekwa oke nʼihe ọbụla na-eme nʼokpuru anyanwụ.
7 So then, go and eat your bread with rejoicing, and drink your wine with gladness. For your works are pleasing to God.
Ya mere, gaa nʼihu, jiri ọṅụ rie nri gị, jirikwa ọṅụ ṅụọ ihe ọṅụṅụ nʼihi na ọ bụ ugbu a ka Chineke nabatara ọrụ gị.
8 Let your garments be white at all times, and let not oil be absent from your head.
Yiri akwa dị ọcha mgbe niile, tee mmanụ na-esi isi ụtọ nʼisi gị.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your uncertain life which have been given to you under the sun, during all the time of your vanity. For this is your portion in life and in your labor, with which you labor under the sun.
Bie ndụ obi ụtọ, gị na nwunye gị ị hụrụ nʼanya, ụbọchị niile nke ndụ ihe efu gị nke Chineke nyere gị nʼokpuru anyanwụ, nʼihi na nke a bụ oke dịịrị gị na ndụ ndọgbu onwe gị nʼọrụ nʼokpuru anyanwụ.
10 Whatever your hand is able to do, do it earnestly. For neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor knowledge will exist in death, toward which you are hurrying. (Sheol h7585)
Ihe ọbụla ị na-eme, were ike gị niile mee ya, nʼihi na ịrụ ọrụ maọbụ iche echiche, maọbụ ihe ọmụma, maọbụ amamihe adịghị nʼala ndị nwụrụ anwụ. Ebe ahụ kwa ka ị na-aga. (Sheol h7585)
11 I turned myself toward another thing, and I saw that under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor wealth to the learned, nor grace to the skillful: but there is a time and an end for all these things.
Ahụrụ ihe ọzọ nʼokpuru anyanwụ, ọ bụghị ndị nwere ụkwụ ọsọ na-agbata ihe, ọ bụkwaghị onye sikarịrị ike na-emeri nʼagha; ọ bụghị ndị maara ihe ka nri dịrị, ọ bụghị ndị nwere nghọta ka akụnụba dịrị, ọzọkwa, ọ bụghị ndị nka ka amara na-adịrị; kama ọ bụ mgbe na ihe ndaba na-eme ka ihe ndị a dịrị.
12 Man does not know his own end. But, just as fish are caught with a hook, and birds are captured with a snare, so are men seized in the evil time, when it will suddenly overwhelm them.
Nke ka nke, ọ dịghị mmadụ ọbụla maara mgbe oge ya ga-eru: Ọ dị ka nnụnụ nke mara nʼọnya, maọbụ azụ e jidere nʼụgbụ. Dịka ha, ụmụ mmadụ na-adaba nʼọnya nke ihe ọjọọ mgbe ha na-atụghị anya ya.
13 This wisdom, likewise, I have seen under the sun, and I have examined it intensely.
Ahụkwara m ihe ọzọ nʼokpuru anyanwụ, nke a bụ ụdị amamihe nke metụrụ m nʼobi nʼebe ọ dị ukwuu.
14 There was a small city, with a few men in it. There came against it a great king, who surrounded it, and built fortifications all around it, and the blockade was completed.
Ọ dị obodo nke naanị mmadụ ole na ole bi nʼime ya, ma otu eze dị ike chịịrị ndị agha ya bịa ibuso obodo nta a agha. Ndị agha ya gbara obodo a gburugburu na-achọ ịkwatu mgbidi ya.
15 And there was found within it, a poor and wise man, and he freed the city through his wisdom, and nothing was recorded afterward of that poor man.
Ma ọ dị otu onye ogbenye bi nʼobodo nta ahụ, onye maara ihe, ọ zọpụtara obodo ahụ site nʼamamihe ya. Ma o nweghị onye chetara ihe banyere ya.
16 And so, I declared that wisdom is better than strength. But how is it, then, that the wisdom of the poor man is treated with contempt, and his words are not heeded?
Nke a mere m ji sị, inwe amamihe bara uru karịa ịdị ike, ma ọ bụrụ na onye amamihe ahụ bụ onye ogbenye, a ga-eleda ya anya, a gaghị akpọkwa okwu ya ihe.
17 The words of the wise are heard in silence, more so than the outcry of a prince among the foolish.
Okwu nke onye maara ihe na-ekwu na nwayọọ ka a na-anụ, karịa iti mkpu nke onye na-achị achị nʼetiti ndị nzuzu.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war. And whoever offends in one thing, shall lose many good things.
Amamihe ka ihe agha niile mma, ma otu onye mmehie na-ala ọtụtụ ezi ihe nʼiyi.
