Ecclesiastes 7
1 A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
Nĩ kaba rĩĩtwa rĩega gũkĩra maguta marĩa manungi wega, na mũthenya wa gũkua gũkĩra mũthenya wa gũciarwo.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
Nĩ kaba gũthiĩ nyũmba ĩrĩ na macakaya gũkĩra gũthiĩ nyũmba ĩrĩ na ndĩa, nĩgũkorwo gĩkuũ nĩkĩo mũthia wa andũ othe; nao andũ arĩa marĩ muoyo nĩmakĩige ũndũ ũcio ngoro-inĩ ciao.
3 Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Nĩ kaba kĩeha gũkĩra mĩtheko, tondũ gũtuka gĩthiithi nĩgũtũmaga ngoro yagĩre.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
Ngoro cia andũ arĩa oogĩ irũmbũyagia nyũmba ĩrĩ na macakaya, no ngoro cia andũ arĩa akĩĩgu irũmbũyagia nyũmba ĩrĩ na ikeno.
5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
Nĩ kaba kũigua irũithia rĩa mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ, gũkĩra gũthikĩrĩria rwĩmbo rwa andũ arĩa akĩĩgu.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
O ta ũrĩa mĩigua ĩtũratũrĩkaga ĩrĩ rungu rwa nyũngũ, no taguo mĩtheko ya andũ arĩa akĩĩgu ĩtariĩ. Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo no wa tũhũ.
7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
Ũhinyanĩrĩria ũtũmaga mũndũ mũũgĩ akĩĩge, narĩo ihaki rĩgathũkia ngoro.
8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
Nĩ kaba kĩrĩkĩrĩro kĩa ũndũ gũkĩra kĩambĩrĩria kĩaguo, na gũkirĩrĩria nĩ kwega gũkĩra mwĩtĩĩo.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
Tigaga kũhiũha kũrakara na ngoro yaku, nĩ ũndũ marakara maikaraga ngoro-inĩ cia andũ arĩa akĩĩgu.
10 Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
Ndũkoorie atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩatũmaga matukũ ma tene makorwo marĩ mega gũkĩra maya?” Nĩgũkorwo ti ũũgĩ kũũria ũguo.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
Ũũgĩ, o ta igai, nĩ mwega na nĩũteithagia arĩa marĩ muoyo.
12 For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
Ũũgĩ nĩ mwĩgitio, o ta ũrĩa mbeeca irĩ mwĩgitio, no rĩrĩ, wega wa ũmenyi maũndũ nĩ ũyũ: atĩ ũũgĩ nĩũtũũragia ũrĩa ũrĩ naguo muoyo.
13 Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
Ta cũrania ũrĩa Ngai ekĩte: Kĩrĩa ogometie-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota gũkĩrũnga?
14 In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.
Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mahinda marĩ mega, kenaga; no rĩrĩ, rĩrĩa mahinda magũthũũkĩra, ũririkanage atĩrĩ: Ngai nĩwe ũtũmaga maũndũ macio meerĩ matwarane. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũndũ ndarĩ ũndũ angĩmenya wĩgiĩ mũtũũrĩre wake wa thuutha-inĩ.
15 All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.
Mũtũũrĩre-inĩ ũyũ wakwa wa tũhũ, nĩnyonete maũndũ maya meerĩ: mũndũ mũthingu no akue o na arĩ mũthingu, nake mũndũ mwaganu agatũũra muoyo ihinda iraaya o na arĩ mwaganu.
16 Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Tiga gũthinga makĩria, o na kana kũũhĩga makĩria: ũkwenda kwĩniina nĩkĩ?
17 Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
Tiga kwagana makĩria, kana gũkĩĩga: ũkwenda gũkua hĩndĩ yaku ĩtakinyĩte nĩkĩ?
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
Nĩ wega kũrũmia ũndũ ũmwe, na ndũkarekie ũcio ũngĩ. Mũndũ ũrĩa mwĩtigĩri-Ngai nĩetheemaga maũndũ macio meerĩ.
19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.
Ũũgĩ wĩkĩraga mũndũ mũũgĩ hinya, agakĩra aathani ikũmi marĩ itũũra-inĩ inene.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
Gũtirĩ mũndũ mũthingu gũkũ thĩ, ũrĩa wĩkaga o wega mũtheri na ndehagia.
21 Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
Ndũgathikagĩrĩrie ũrĩa wothe andũ maraaria, tondũ wahota kũigua ndungata yaku ĩgĩkũruma:
22 For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
nĩgũkorwo ngoro-inĩ yaku nĩũũĩ atĩ mahinda maingĩ wee mwene wanaruma andũ arĩa angĩ.
23 All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Maũndũ macio mothe ndamatuĩririe na ũũgĩ, ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩnduĩte itua rĩa kũgĩa na ũũgĩ.” No rĩrĩ, ũndũ ũcio warĩ kũraya na niĩ.
24 Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
O ũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũngĩtuĩka nĩguo, ũũgĩ-rĩ, nĩũraihĩrĩirie mũno na nĩmũhithe makĩria: nũũ ũngĩũmenya?
25 I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩhũndũra meciiria makwa harĩ ũmenyi, na gũtuĩria, na kũmaatha ũũgĩ, na mũtabarĩre wa maũndũ na ndaũkĩrwo nĩ ũkĩĩgu wa waganu, na ũgũrũki wa ũrimũ.
26 and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
Ningĩ ngĩona ũndũ mũrũrũ gũkĩra gĩkuũ, naguo nĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ũrĩa ũhaana ta mũtego, o ũrĩa ngoro yake ĩhaana mũtego wa kũgwatia, namo moko make makahaana ta mĩnyororo. Mũndũ ũrĩa ũkenagia Ngai nĩakehonokia harĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio, no mũndũ ũrĩa mwĩhia nĩakagwatio nĩwe.
27 See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;
Mũrutani ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Ũndũ ũyũ nĩguo menyete: “Ngĩringithania ũndũ ũmwe na ũrĩa ũngĩ nĩguo menye mũtabarĩre wa maũndũ-rĩ,
28 which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
o ngĩethaga ũguo na ndione-rĩ: Nĩndonire mũndũ mũrũme ũmwe mũrũngĩrĩru harĩ arũme ngiri, no ndionire mũndũ-wa-nja o na ũmwe mũrũngĩrĩru thĩinĩ wao othe.
29 Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
Ũndũ ũyũ noguo nyonete: Ngai oombire mũndũ arĩ mũrũngĩrĩru, no andũ nĩmecarĩirie maũndũ maingĩ ma wara.”
