Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is great on men:
Nimeona ubaya mwingine chini ya jua, nao unalemea sana wanadamu:
2 [There is many] a man to whom God hath given riches, property, and honor, and nothing is wanting for his soul of all that he longeth for: yet God empowereth him not to eat thereof, but a stranger will consume it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
Mungu humpa mwanadamu utajiri, mali na heshima, hivyo hakukosa chochote moyo wake unachokitamani. Lakini Mungu hamwezeshi kuvifurahia, badala yake mgeni ndiye anayevifurahia. Hili ni ubatili, ni ubaya unaosikitisha.
3 If a man were to beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years were many, and his soul were not satisfied with what is good, and he have not had even a burial: then do I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.
Mtu anaweza kuwa na watoto mia moja naye akaishi miaka mingi, lakini haidhuru kuwa ataishi muda mrefu kiasi gani, kama hawezi kufurahia mafanikio yake na kwamba hapati mazishi ya heshima, ninasema afadhali mtoto aliyezaliwa akiwa amekufa kuliko yeye.
4 For in vanity it came, and in darkness it departeth, and with darkness will its name be covered.
Kuzaliwa kwake hakuna maana, huondokea gizani na gizani jina lake hufunikwa.
5 Moreover it never saw the sun, and knew nothing: this hath more rest than the other.
Ingawa hakuwahi kuliona jua wala kujua kitu chochote, yeye ana pumziko zaidi kuliko mtu huyo,
6 Yea, though he were to live a thousand years twice told, and had not seen any good— doth not every one go to one place?
Hata kama huyo mtu ataishi miaka elfu mara mbili na zaidi, lakini akashindwa kufurahia mafanikio yake, je, wote hawaendi sehemu moja?
7 All the toil of a man is for his mouth; and yet is his desire never filled.
Juhudi zote za binadamu ni kwa ajili ya kinywa chake, hata hivyo hamu yake kamwe haitoshelezwi.
8 For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk [properly] before the living?
Mtu mwenye hekima ana faida gani zaidi ya mpumbavu? Mtu maskini anapata faida gani kwa kujua jinsi ya kujistahi mbele ya watu wengine?
9 Better is what one seeth with the eyes than the wandering of the desire. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.
Ni bora kile ambacho jicho linakiona kuliko hamu isiyotoshelezwa. Hili nalo ni ubatili, ni kukimbiza upepo.
10 That which hath been is already called by its name, and it is known that he is a man: and he is not able to contend with him that is mightier than he.
Lolote lililopo limekwisha kupewa jina, naye mwanadamu alivyo ameshajulikana; hakuna mtu awezaye kushindana na mwenye nguvu kuliko yeye.
11 For there are many things that increase vanity: what advantage [cometh thence] for man?
Maneno yanavyokuwa mengi, ndivyo yanavyokosa maana, Je, hilo linamfaidia vipi yeyote?
12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, the number of the days of his vain life, that he should spend them as a shadow? for who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?
Kwa maana ni nani anayejua lililo jema kwa ajili ya maisha ya mwanadamu, katika siku chache na za ubatili anazopita kama kivuli? Ni nani awezaye kumwambia yatakayotokea chini ya jua baada ya yeye kuondoka?
