Ecclesiastes 1
1 Here are the words of the Teacher, the king of Jerusalem, David's son.
Haya ni maneno ya Mwalimu, mwana wa Daudi na mfalme katika Yerusalemu.
2 “Everything passes—it's so temporary! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
Mwalimu asema hivi, “Kama mvuke wa ukungu, kama upepo mwanana katika upepo, kila kitu hutoweka na kuacha maswali mengi.
3 What benefit do you get for slaving away in this life?
Ni faida gani wanadamu huipata kutoka katika kazi zote wazifanyazo chini ya jua?
4 People come, and people go, but the earth lasts forever!
Kizazi kimoja huenda, na kizazi kingine huja, lakini nchi yabaki milele.
5 The sun comes up, and the sun goes down, and then rushes to its place to rise again.
Jua huchomoza na jua huzama na kwenda kwa kasi, na kurudi mahali linapochomozea tena.
6 The wind blows south, and then turns to the north. Round and round it spins, finally coming full circle.
Upepo huvuma kusini na huzunguka kasikazi, na mara zote ukizunguka katika njia yake na kurudi tena.
7 Streams all flow into the sea, but the sea never becomes full. The streams return to the place from where they came.
Mito yote hutiririka katika bahari, lakini bahari haijai. Mahali mito inakoenda, ndiko inakoenda tena.
8 Everything just keeps on going. You can't say all there is to say. You can't see all there is to see. You can't hear all there is to hear.
Kila kitu huwa uchovu, na hakuna yeyote awezae kukielezea. Jicho halishibina kile linachokiona, wala sikio halishibi na kile linachosikia.
9 Everything that was will continue to be; everything that has been done will be done again. Nothing new ever happens here.
Chochote kilichopo ndicho kitakachokuwepo, kila kilichofanyika ndicho kitakachofanyika. Hakuna jipya chini ya jua.
10 There's nothing anyone can point to and say, “Look! Here's something new.” In fact it's been around for ages, long before our time.
Je kuna jambo lolote ambalo watu wanaweza kusema, 'Tazama, hili ni jipya'? Chochote kilichopo kimekwisha kuwepo muda mwingi, wakati uliokuwepo kabla yetu.
11 The problem is we don't remember people from the past, and people in the future won't remember those who came before them.
Hakuna anayeonekana kukumbuka kilichotokea nyakati za zamani. Na mambo yaliyo tokea siku zilizo pita na yale yatakayo tokea siku za mbele nayo hayatakumbukwa.”
12 I am the Teacher, and I was king over Israel, reigning from Jerusalem.
Mimi ni mwalimu, na nimekuwa mfalme juu ya Isareli katika Yerusalemu.
13 I decided to focus my mind to explore, using wisdom, everything that happens here on earth. This is a tough assignment that God has given people to keep them busy!
Nilitia akili yangu katika kusoma na kutafuta kwa hekima kila kitu kinachofanywa chini ya mbingu. Hili nalo ni jukumu zito ambalo Mungu amewapa wana wa watu kujishughulisha nalo.
14 I examined everything people do here on earth, and discovered that it's all so temporary—trying to understand it is like trying to pin down the wind!
Nimeona matendo yote ambayo yanafanyika chini ya jua, na tazama yote ni mvuke ni kujaribu kuuchunga upepo.
15 You can't straighten what is twisted, and you can't count what isn't there.
Palipopinda hapawezi kunyoshwa! Kisicho kuwepo hakiwezi kuhesabiwa!
16 I thought to myself, “I've become very wise, wiser than all the kings of Jerusalem before me. My mind has gained a great deal of wisdom and knowledge.”
Nimeuambia moyo wangu nikisema, “Tazama, nimepata hekima kubwa kuliko walioishi Yerusalemu kabla yangu. Akili yangu imeona hekima kubwa na ufahamu.”
17 So I decided to use my mind to learn everything about wisdom, and madness and foolishness as well. But I found out that this is as hard as trying to catch hold of the wind.
nimetia moyo wangu kujua hekima na upumbuvu na ujinga. Nikagundua kuwa hili nalo pia lilikuwa ni kujaribu kuuchunga upepo.
18 For with great wisdom comes great frustration. The greater the knowledge, the greater the pain.
Kwa kuwa katika wingi wa hekima kuna masumbufu mengi, naye aongezae ujuzi, aongeza masikitiko.
