Ecclesiastes 4
1 And I turned about, and beheld all the oppressed that are made so under the sun: and, behold, there are the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and from the hand of their oppressors they suffer violence; and they have no comforter.
Kisha tena nikafikiri kuhusu mateso yote yaliyo chini ya jua. Tazama machozi ya watu walioteswa. Hakuna anaye mfariji kwa ajili yao. Nguvu iko katika mikononi mwa watesaji, lakini wateswaji hawana mfariji.
2 Thereupon praised I the dead that are already dead, more than the living who are still alive;
Hivyo nikawapongeza watu walio kufa, wale ambao tayari wamekufa, sio wanaoishi, wale ambao wako hai.
3 And as happier than both of them, him who hath not yet come into being, who hath not seen the evil-doing that is done under the sun.—
Ingawa, bahati zaidi kuliko wote wawili ni yule ambaye hajaishi, yeye ambaye hajaona matendo yoyote mabaya ambayo yanafanyika chini ya jua.
4 Again, I beheld all the toil, and all the energy in doing, that it is [from] the envy of one man of his neighbor. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
Kisha nikaona kwamba kila tendo la kazi na kila kazi ya utashi ikawa wivu wa jirani ya mtu. Huu pia ni mvuke na kujaribu kuchunga upepo.
5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
Mpumbavu hukunja mikono yake na hafanyi kazi, hivyo chakula chake in mwili wake.
6 Better is a handful of quiet, than both the hands full of toil and torture of spirit.
Lakini afadhari konzi ya faida pamoja na kazi ya haraka kuliko konzi mbili pamoja na kazi ambayo hujaribu kuuchunga upepo.
7 Then I turned about, and I saw a vanity under the sun.
Kisha nikafikiri tena zaidi kuhusu ubatili, mvuke upoteao zaidi chini ya jua.
8 There is one alone, and he hath not a companion; yea, he hath neither son nor brother: yet is there no end to all his toil; his eye also is not satisfied with riches. Yet for whom do I toil, and deprive my soul of good? Also this is vanity, yea, it is a bad employment.
Kuna aina ya mtu ambaye yuko peke yake. Hana mtu, hana mwana, wala ndugu. Hakuna mwisho wa kazi zake zote, na macho yake hayatosheki kwa kupata utajiri. Anashangaa, “Ninajishumbua na kuharibu furaha yangu kwa ajili ya nani?” Huu pia ni mvuke, hali mbaya.
9 Two are better than one; because they will have a good reward for their toil.
Watu wawili wanafanya vizuri zaidi ya mmoja; kwa pamoja wanaweza kupata malipo mazuri kwa ajili ya kazi yao.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to the single one that falleth; for he hath no companion to lift him up.
Kwa kuwa kama mmoja akianguka, mwingine anaweza kumwinua rafiki yake. Ingawa, huzuni humfuata yeye aliye peke yake anapoanguka kama hakuna mtu wa kumwinua.
11 Also, if two lie together, then will they become warm; but how can one person alone become warm?
Na kama wawili wakilala pamoja, wanaweza kupata joto, lakini mtu mmoja anawezaje kupata joto akiwa mwenyewe?
12 And if a man could overpower him, the single one, two would stand up against him: and a threefold cord cannot quickly be torn asunder.
Mtu akiwa peke yake anaweza kushindwa nguvu, lakini wawili wanaweza kusimama katika shambulio, na kama ya nyuzi tatu haikatika upesi.
13 Better is a poor and a wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to be admonished any more.
Ni bora kuwa kijana masikini kuliko kuwa mfalme mzee na mpumbavu ambaye hajui jinsi ya kusikiliza maonyo.
14 For out of the prison cometh the one to reign: whereas also in his kingdom the other becometh poor.
Hii ni kweli hata kama mtu mdogo anapokuwa mfalme kutoka gerezani, au hata kama alizaliwa masikini katika ufalme wake.
15 I have seen all the living who walk under the sun, being with the second child that is to stand up in his stead.
Ingawa, niliona kila mmoja aliye kuwa hai na kuzunguka chini ya jua wakijitia chini kwa kijana mdogo aliyeinuka kama mfalme.
16 There was no end to all the people, [belonging] to all that have been before them: they also that come after will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a torture of the spirit.—
Hakuna mwisho kwa watu wote wanaotaka kumtii mfalme mpya, lakini wengi wao hawatamsifu yeye. Hakika hali hii ni mvuke na kujaribu kuuchunga upepo.
