Ecclesiastes 9
1 I had my mind consider all this. Wise and good people and everything they do are in God's hands. Love or hate—who knows what will happen to them?
Nígbà náà ni mo wá ronú lórí gbogbo èyí, tí mo sì parí rẹ̀ pé, olóòtọ́ àti ọlọ́gbọ́n àti ohun tí wọ́n ń ṣe wà ní ọwọ́ Ọlọ́run, ṣùgbọ́n kò sí ènìyàn tí ó mọ̀ bóyá ìfẹ́ tàbí ìríra ni ó ń dúró de òun.
2 Yet we all share the same destiny—those who do right, those who do evil, the good, the religiously-observant and those that are not, those who sacrifice and those who don't. Those who do good are as those who sin, those who make vows to God are as those who don't.
Àyànmọ́ kan náà ni gbogbo wọn yàn—olóòtọ́ àti ènìyàn búburú, rere àti ibi, mímọ́ àti àìmọ́, àwọn tí ó ń rú ẹbọ àti àwọn tí kò rú ẹbọ. Bí ó ti rí pẹ̀lú ènìyàn rere bẹ́ẹ̀ náà ni ó rí pẹ̀lú ẹni tó dẹ́ṣẹ̀ bí ó ti rí pẹ̀lú àwọn tí ó ń ṣe ìbúra bẹ́ẹ̀ náà ni ó rí pẹ̀lú àwọn tí ó ń bẹ̀rù láti ṣe ìbúra.
3 This is just so wrong—that everyone here on earth should suffer the same fate! On top of that, people's minds are filled with evil. They spend their lives thinking about stupid things, and then they die.
Ohun búburú ni èyí jẹ́ nínú gbogbo ohun tí ó ń ṣẹlẹ̀ lábẹ́ oòrùn. Ìpín kan ṣoṣo ni ó ń dúró de gbogbo wọn, ọkàn ènìyàn pẹ̀lú kún fún ibi, ìsínwín sì wà ní ọkàn wọn nígbà tí wọ́n wà láààyè àti nígbà tí wọ́n bá darapọ̀ mọ́ òkú.
4 But the living still have hope—a live dog is better than a dead lion!
Ẹnikẹ́ni tí ó wà láàrín alààyè ní ìrètí—kódà ààyè ajá sàn dáradára ju òkú kìnnìún lọ!
5 The living are conscious of the fact that they're going to die, but the dead have no consciousness of anything. They don't receive any further benefit; they're forgotten.
Nítorí pé ẹni tí ó wà láààyè mọ̀ wí pé àwọn yóò kú ṣùgbọ́n òkú kò mọ ohun kan wọn kò ní èrè kankan mọ́, àti pé kódà ìrántí wọn tí di ohun ìgbàgbé.
6 Their love, hate, and envy—it's all gone. They have no further part in anything that happens here on earth.
Ìfẹ́ wọn, ìríra wọn, àti ìlara wọn ti parẹ́: láéláé kọ́ ni wọn yóò tún ní ìpín nínú ohunkóhun tí ó ń ṣẹlẹ̀ lábẹ́ oòrùn.
7 So go ahead and eat your food, and enjoy it. Drink your wine with a happy heart. That's what God intends that you should do.
Lọ jẹ oúnjẹ rẹ pẹ̀lú ayọ̀, kí o sì mu ọtí wáìnì rẹ pẹ̀lú inú dídùn dé ọkàn, nítorí pé ìsinsin yìí ni Ọlọ́run síjú àánú wo ohun tí o ṣe.
8 Always wear smart clothes and look good.
Máa wọ aṣọ funfun nígbàkígbà kí o sì máa fi òróró yan orí rẹ nígbà gbogbo.
9 Enjoy life with the wife that you love—the one God gave you—during all the days of this brief life, all these passing days whose meaning is so hard to understand as you work here on earth.
Máa jẹ ayé pẹ̀lú ìyàwó rẹ, ẹni tí o fẹ́ràn, ní gbogbo ọjọ́ ayé àìní ìtumọ̀ yí tí Ọlọ́run ti fi fún ọ lábẹ́ oòrùn—gbogbo ọjọ́ àìní ìtumọ̀ rẹ. Nítorí èyí ni ìpín tìrẹ ní ayé àti nínú iṣẹ́ wàhálà rẹ ní abẹ́ oòrùn.
10 Whatever you do, do it with all your strength, for when you go to the grave there's no more working or thinking, no more knowing or being wise. (Sheol h7585)
Ohunkóhun tí ọwọ́ rẹ bá rí láti ṣe, ṣe é pẹ̀lú gbogbo agbára rẹ, nítorí kò sí iṣẹ́ ṣíṣe tàbí ìpinnu tàbí ìmọ̀ tàbí ọgbọ́n nínú isà òkú níbi tí ò ń lọ. (Sheol h7585)
11 I thought about other things that happen here on earth. Races are not always won by the fastest runner. Battles are not always decided by the strongest warrior. Also, the wise do not always have food, intelligent people do not always make money, and those who are clever do not always win favor. Time and chance affect all of them.
Mo ti rí ohun mìíràn lábẹ́ oòrùn. Eré ìje kì í ṣe fún ẹni tí ó yára tàbí ogun fún alágbára, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni oúnjẹ kò wà fún ọlọ́gbọ́n tàbí ọrọ̀ fún ẹni tí ó ní òye tàbí ojúrere fún ẹni tí ó ní ìmọ̀; ṣùgbọ́n ìgbà àti èsì ń ṣẹlẹ̀ sí gbogbo wọn.
12 You can't predict when your end will come. Just like fish caught in a net, or birds caught in a trap, so people are suddenly caught by death when they least expect it.
Síwájú sí i, kò sí ẹni tí ó mọ ìgbà tí àkókò rẹ̀ yóò dé, gẹ́gẹ́ bí a ti ń mú ẹja nínú àwọ̀n búburú tàbí tí a ń mú ẹyẹ nínú okùn gẹ́gẹ́ bẹ́ẹ̀ ni a ń mú ènìyàn ní àkókò ibi tí ó ṣubú lù wọ́n láìròtẹ́lẹ̀.
13 Here's another aspect of wisdom that impressed me about what happens here on earth.
Mo sì tún rí àpẹẹrẹ ọgbọ́n tí ó dùn mọ́ mi lábẹ́ oòrùn.
14 Once there was a small town with only a few inhabitants. A powerful king came and besieged the town, building great earth ramps against its walls.
Ìlú kékeré kan tí ènìyàn díẹ̀ wà nínú rẹ̀ wà ní ìgbà kan rí. Ọba alágbára kan sì ṣígun tọ ìlú náà lọ, ó yí i po, ó sì kọ́ ilé ìṣọ́ tí ó tóbi lòdì sí i.
15 In that town lived a man who was wise, but poor. He saved the town by his wisdom. But no one remembered to thank that poor man.
Ṣùgbọ́n, tálákà ọkùnrin tí ó jẹ́ ọlọ́gbọ́n kan ń gbé ní ìlú náà, ó sì gba gbogbo ìlú u rẹ̀ là pẹ̀lú ọgbọ́n rẹ̀. Ṣùgbọ́n kò sí ẹni tí ó rántí ọkùnrin tálákà náà.
16 As I've always said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Yet the wisdom of that poor man was dismissed—people didn't pay attention to what he said.
Nítorí náà mo sọ wí pé, “Ọgbọ́n dára ju agbára.” Ṣùgbọ́n a kẹ́gàn ọgbọ́n ọkùnrin tálákà náà, wọn kò sì mú ọ̀rọ̀ rẹ̀ ṣe.
17 It's better to listen to the calm words of a wise person than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
Ọ̀rọ̀ pẹ̀lẹ́ ọlọ́gbọ́n ènìyàn a máa wà ní ìmúṣẹ ju igbe òmùgọ̀ alákòóso lọ.
18 It's better to have wisdom than weapons of war; but a sinner can destroy a lot of good.
Ọgbọ́n dára ju ohun èlò ogun lọ, ṣùgbọ́n ẹnìkan tó dẹ́ṣẹ̀ a máa ba ohun dídára púpọ̀ jẹ́.
