Ecclesiastes 1
1 Here are the words of the Teacher, the king of Jerusalem, David's son.
Ebigambo by’Omubuulizi, mutabani wa Dawudi kabaka mu Yerusaalemi.
2 “Everything passes—it's so temporary! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
“Obutaliimu! Obutaliimu!” bw’ayogera Omubuulizi. Byonna butaliimu.
3 What benefit do you get for slaving away in this life?
Omuntu afuna ki mu byonna by’akola, mu byonna ebimukooya wansi w’enjuba?
4 People come, and people go, but the earth lasts forever!
Omulembe ogumu gugenda, omulala ne gujja, naye ensi ebeerera emirembe gyonna.
5 The sun comes up, and the sun goes down, and then rushes to its place to rise again.
Enjuba evaayo era n’egwa, ate n’eyanguwa okutuuka mu kifo mw’eviirayo.
6 The wind blows south, and then turns to the north. Round and round it spins, finally coming full circle.
Empewo ekunta ng’eraga obukiikaddyo, ne yeetooloola okutuuka obukiikakkono; empewo yeetooloola ne yeetooloola, n’ekomerawo ku biwaawaatiro byayo.
7 Streams all flow into the sea, but the sea never becomes full. The streams return to the place from where they came.
Emigga gyonna gikulukuta nga giraga mu nnyanja, naye ennyanja tejjula; ekifo emigga gye gikulukutira era gye gyeyongera okukulukutira.
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.
Ebintu byonna bijjudde obukoowu omuntu bw’atasobola kutenda! Eriiso terimatira kulaba, wadde okutu okukoowa okuwulira.
9 Everything that was will continue to be; everything that has been done will be done again. Nothing new ever happens here.
Ekyo ekyabaawo era kye kigenda okubaawo, n’ekyo ekikoleddwa era kye kigenda okukolebwa; era tewali kintu kiggya wansi w’enjuba.
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.
Waali wabaddewo ekintu ekyali kigambiddwa nti, “Laba kino kiggya”? Kyaliwo dda mu mirembe egyatusooka?
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.
Tewali kujjukira bintu byasooka era tewaliba kujjukira bintu ebyo ebitanabaawo mu ebyo ebijja oluvannyuma.
12 I am the Teacher, and I was king over Israel, reigning from Jerusalem.
Nze Omubuulizi nali kabaka wa Isirayiri mu Yerusaalemi.
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!
Nagezaako n’omutima gwange okuyiga n’okwetegereza n’amagezi gange gonna mu ebyo ebikolebwa wansi w’eggulu; omulimu Katonda gwe yawa abaana b’abantu okukola, guteganya.
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!
Ndabye ebintu byonna ebikolebwa wansi w’enjuba; era laba, byonna butaliimu na kugoberera mpewo.
15 You can't straighten what is twisted, and you can't count what isn't there.
Ekyo ekyakyama tekisoboka kugololebwa, n’ekibulako tekibalibwa.
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.”
Nayogera munda yange nti, “Nfunye amagezi mangi agasinga ag’abo bonna abaali babadde mu Yerusaalemi, era nfunye amagezi n’okumanya kungi.”
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.
Era omutima gwange ne gumanya okwawula amagezi n’eddalu, n’obutategeera. Ne ntegeera nti na kino nakyo kugoberera mpewo.
18 For with great wisdom comes great frustration. The greater the knowledge, the greater the pain.
Kubanga mu magezi amangi mujjiramu okunakuwala kungi; amagezi gye gakoma obungi, n’okunakuwala gye gukoma.
