Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, better than the day of one's birth.
Nĩ kaba rĩĩtwa rĩega gũkĩra maguta marĩa manungi wega, na mũthenya wa gũkua gũkĩra mũthenya wa gũciarwo.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart.
Nĩ kaba gũthiĩ nyũmba ĩrĩ na macakaya gũkĩra gũthiĩ nyũmba ĩrĩ na ndĩa, nĩgũkorwo gĩkuũ nĩkĩo mũthia wa andũ othe; nao andũ arĩa marĩ muoyo nĩmakĩige ũndũ ũcio ngoro-inĩ ciao.
3 Better is vexation than laughing; for through the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Nĩ kaba kĩeha gũkĩra mĩtheko, tondũ gũtuka gĩthiithi nĩgũtũmaga ngoro yagĩre.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of joy.
Ngoro cia andũ arĩa oogĩ irũmbũyagia nyũmba ĩrĩ na macakaya, no ngoro cia andũ arĩa akĩĩgu irũmbũyagia nyũmba ĩrĩ na ikeno.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should hear the song of fools.
Nĩ kaba kũigua irũithia rĩa mũndũ ũrĩa mũũgĩ, gũkĩra gũthikĩrĩria rwĩmbo rwa andũ arĩa akĩĩgu.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Also this is vanity.
O ta ũrĩa mĩigua ĩtũratũrĩkaga ĩrĩ rungu rwa nyũngũ, no taguo mĩtheko ya andũ arĩa akĩĩgu ĩtariĩ. Ũndũ ũyũ o naguo no wa tũhũ.
7 For [exercising] oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth the heart.
Ũhinyanĩrĩria ũtũmaga mũndũ mũũgĩ akĩĩge, narĩo ihaki rĩgathũkia ngoro.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.
Nĩ kaba kĩrĩkĩrĩro kĩa ũndũ gũkĩra kĩambĩrĩria kĩaguo, na gũkirĩrĩria nĩ kwega gũkĩra mwĩtĩĩo.
9 Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in bosom of fools.
Tigaga kũhiũha kũrakara na ngoro yaku, nĩ ũndũ marakara maikaraga ngoro-inĩ cia andũ arĩa akĩĩgu.
10 Thou must not say, How was it that the former days were better than these? for it is not out of wisdom that thou askest concerning this.
Ndũkoorie atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩatũmaga matukũ ma tene makorwo marĩ mega gũkĩra maya?” Nĩgũkorwo ti ũũgĩ kũũria ũguo.
11 Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those that see the sun;
Ũũgĩ, o ta igai, nĩ mwega na nĩũteithagia arĩa marĩ muoyo.
12 For under the shadow of wisdom [a man is equally well as] under the shadow of money; but the superior excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that possesseth it.
Ũũgĩ nĩ mwĩgitio, o ta ũrĩa mbeeca irĩ mwĩgitio, no rĩrĩ, wega wa ũmenyi maũndũ nĩ ũyũ: atĩ ũũgĩ nĩũtũũragia ũrĩa ũrĩ naguo muoyo.
13 Consider [then] the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
Ta cũrania ũrĩa Ngai ekĩte: Kĩrĩa ogometie-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota gũkĩrũnga?
14 On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity look on: also this hath God made in equal measure with the other, to the end that man should not find the least to censure him.
Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mahinda marĩ mega, kenaga; no rĩrĩ, rĩrĩa mahinda magũthũũkĩra, ũririkanage atĩrĩ: Ngai nĩwe ũtũmaga maũndũ macio meerĩ matwarane. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũndũ ndarĩ ũndũ angĩmenya wĩgiĩ mũtũũrĩre wake wa thuutha-inĩ.
15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is many a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is many a wicked man that liveth long in his wickedness.—
Mũtũũrĩre-inĩ ũyũ wakwa wa tũhũ, nĩnyonete maũndũ maya meerĩ: mũndũ mũthingu no akue o na arĩ mũthingu, nake mũndũ mwaganu agatũũra muoyo ihinda iraaya o na arĩ mwaganu.
16 Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself?
Tiga gũthinga makĩria, o na kana kũũhĩga makĩria: ũkwenda kwĩniina nĩkĩ?
17 Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst thou die before thy time?
Tiga kwagana makĩria, kana gũkĩĩga: ũkwenda gũkua hĩndĩ yaku ĩtakinyĩte nĩkĩ?
18 It is good that thou shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all.
Nĩ wega kũrũmia ũndũ ũmwe, na ndũkarekie ũcio ũngĩ. Mũndũ ũrĩa mwĩtigĩri-Ngai nĩetheemaga maũndũ macio meerĩ.
19 Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.
Ũũgĩ wĩkĩraga mũndũ mũũgĩ hinya, agakĩra aathani ikũmi marĩ itũũra-inĩ inene.
20 For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never sin.—
Gũtirĩ mũndũ mũthingu gũkũ thĩ, ũrĩa wĩkaga o wega mũtheri na ndehagia.
21 Also take no heed unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
Ndũgathikagĩrĩrie ũrĩa wothe andũ maraaria, tondũ wahota kũigua ndungata yaku ĩgĩkũruma:
22 For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.—
nĩgũkorwo ngoro-inĩ yaku nĩũũĩ atĩ mahinda maingĩ wee mwene wanaruma andũ arĩa angĩ.
23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
Maũndũ macio mothe ndamatuĩririe na ũũgĩ, ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩnduĩte itua rĩa kũgĩa na ũũgĩ.” No rĩrĩ, ũndũ ũcio warĩ kũraya na niĩ.
24 Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can find it out?
O ũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũngĩtuĩka nĩguo, ũũgĩ-rĩ, nĩũraihĩrĩirie mũno na nĩmũhithe makĩria: nũũ ũngĩũmenya?
25 Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩhũndũra meciiria makwa harĩ ũmenyi, na gũtuĩria, na kũmaatha ũũgĩ, na mũtabarĩre wa maũndũ na ndaũkĩrwo nĩ ũkĩĩgu wa waganu, na ũgũrũki wa ũrimũ.
26 And I find as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will be caught by her.
Ningĩ ngĩona ũndũ mũrũrũ gũkĩra gĩkuũ, naguo nĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ũrĩa ũhaana ta mũtego, o ũrĩa ngoro yake ĩhaana mũtego wa kũgwatia, namo moko make makahaana ta mĩnyororo. Mũndũ ũrĩa ũkenagia Ngai nĩakehonokia harĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio, no mũndũ ũrĩa mwĩhia nĩakagwatio nĩwe.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, [adding] one to the other, to find experience,
Mũrutani ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Ũndũ ũyũ nĩguo menyete: “Ngĩringithania ũndũ ũmwe na ũrĩa ũngĩ nĩguo menye mũtabarĩre wa maũndũ-rĩ,
28 What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find.
o ngĩethaga ũguo na ndione-rĩ: Nĩndonire mũndũ mũrũme ũmwe mũrũngĩrĩru harĩ arũme ngiri, no ndionire mũndũ-wa-nja o na ũmwe mũrũngĩrĩru thĩinĩ wao othe.
29 Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many [sinful] devices.
Ũndũ ũyũ noguo nyonete: Ngai oombire mũndũ arĩ mũrũngĩrĩru, no andũ nĩmecarĩirie maũndũ maingĩ ma wara.”
