Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem.
Ici nĩcio ciugo cia Mũrutani, mũrũ wa Daudi, ũrĩa warĩ mũthamaki kũu Jerusalemu:
2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
“Maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ! Ĩĩ nĩ ma tũhũ!” Ũguo nĩguo Mũrutani ekuuga. “Ti-itherũ nĩ ma tũhũ mũtheri! Maũndũ mothe nĩ ma tũhũ.”
3 What advantage [is there] to a man in all his labor that he takes under the sun?
Mũndũ-rĩ, nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ onaga harĩ wĩra ũrĩa wothe arutaga gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes: but the earth stands for ever.
Rũciaro rũmwe rwathira-rĩ, nĩ rũngĩ rũũkaga, no rĩrĩ, thĩ ĩtũũraga o ho nginya tene na tene.
5 And the sun arises, and the sun goes down and draws toward its place;
Riũa rĩrathaga na rĩgathũa, ningĩ rĩgacooka na ihenya kũrĩa rĩrathagĩra.
6 arising there it proceeds southward, and goes round toward the north. The wind goes round and round, and the wind returns to its circuits.
Rũhuho rũhurutanaga rwerekeire mwena wa gũthini, na rũgacooka rũkeerekera mwena wa gathigathini; rũthiiaga o rũgĩthiũrũrũkaga rũtegũtigithĩria, o rũgĩcookaga njĩra-inĩ yaruo.
7 All the rivers run into the sea; and yet the sea is not filled: to the place whence the rivers come, there they return again.
Njũũĩ ciothe ciĩitagĩrĩra iria-inĩ, no rĩrĩ, iria rĩtirĩ hĩndĩ rĩiyũraga. O kũu njũũĩ ciumaga, nokuo icookaga.
8 All things are full of labor; a man will not be able to speak [of them]: neither shall the eye be satisfied with seeing, neither shall the ear be filled with hearing.
Maũndũ mothe marehanagĩra mĩnoga ĩrĩa ĩtangĩgweteka. Riitho rĩtirĩ hĩndĩ rĩiganagia kuona, o na kana gũtũ gũkaigania kũigua.
9 What is that which has been? the very thing which shall be: and what is that which has been done? the very thing which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Maũndũ marĩa maanakorwo kuo no mo macookaga gũkorwo kuo rĩngĩ, naguo ũndũ ũrĩa waneekwo noguo ũcookaga ũgeekwo rĩngĩ; gũtirĩ ũndũ ũtarĩ woneka gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa.
10 [Who is he] that shall speak and say, Behold, this is new? it has already been in the ages that have passed before us.
Hihi nĩ harĩ ũndũ mũndũ angiuga atĩrĩ: “Ta rora! Ũyũ nĩ ũndũ ũtarĩ wonekana”? Ũndũ ũcio warĩ kuo hĩndĩ ndaaya hĩtũku; warĩ kuo tũtarĩ twaciarwo.
11 There is no memorial to the first things; neither to the things that have been last shall their memorial be with them that shall at the last [time].
Andũ arĩa maarĩ kuo tene matiririkanagwo, na o na arĩa matarĩ maraciarwo matikaaririkanwo nĩ arĩa magaaciarwo thuutha wao.
12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
Niĩ Mũrutani-rĩ, ndaarĩ mũthamaki wathamakagĩra Isiraeli kũu Jerusalemu.
13 And I applied my heart to seek out and examine by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven, for God has given to the sons of men an evil trouble to be troubled therewith.
Nĩnderutĩire na kĩyo kwĩruta, na gũtuĩria na ũũgĩ maũndũ mothe marĩa mekagwo gũkũ thĩ. Kaĩ Ngai nĩakuuithĩtie andũ mũrigo mũritũ-ĩ!
14 I saw all the works that were wrought under the sun; and, saw, all were vanity and waywardness of spirit.
Nĩndĩĩoneire maũndũ marĩa mothe mekagwo gũkũ thĩ kwaraga riũa; maũndũ mothe no ma tũhũ, na ũguo no ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
15 That which is crooked can’t be made straight: and deficiency can’t be numbered.
Kĩndũ kĩrĩa kĩogomu gĩtingĩrũngĩka; nakĩo kĩrĩa gĩtarĩ ho gĩtingĩtarwo.
16 I spoke in my heart, saying, Behold, I am increased, and have acquired wisdom beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem: also I applied my heart to know wisdom and knowledge.
Na niĩ ngĩĩciiria, ngiuga na ngoro yakwa atĩrĩ, “Ndĩ mũkũrũ na ngagĩa na ũũgĩ mũingĩ gũkĩra andũ arĩa othe manaathana Jerusalemu mbere yakwa; nĩmenyete maũndũ maingĩ makoniĩ ũũgĩ na ũmenyo.”
17 And my heart knew much—wisdom, and knowledge, parables and understanding: I perceived that this also is waywardness of spirit.
Ningĩ nĩnderutire na ngoro yakwa kũmenya ũhoro wa ũũgĩ, o na kũmenya ũhoro wa ũgũrũki na wa ũrimũ, no ngĩmenya atĩ ũhoro ũcio, o naguo, no ta gũtengʼeria rũhuho.
18 For in the abundance of wisdom is abundance of knowledge; and he that increases knowledge will increase sorrow.
Nĩgũkorwo o ũrĩa ũũgĩ waingĩha, noguo ihooru rĩingĩhĩte; na ũrĩa ũmenyo waingĩha, noguo kĩeha kĩingĩhĩte.
