Ecclesiastes 9
1 For all this did I reflect over in my heart and to explain all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their services, are in the hand of God: that man knoweth neither love nor hatred; it is all [ordained] before them;
Kwa hiyo niliyatafakari yote haya nikafikia uamuzi kwamba waadilifu na wenye hekima na yale wanayoyafanya yako mikononi mwa Mungu, lakini hakuna mtu ajuaye kama anangojewa na upendo au chuki.
2 Every thing as it is to happen to all; there is but one occurrence for the righteous, and for the wicked; for the good and for the clean, and for the unclean; and for him that sacrificeth, and for him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Wote wanayo hatima inayofanana, mwadilifu na mwovu, mwema na mbaya, aliye safi na aliye najisi, wale wanaotoa dhabihu na wale wasiotoa. Kama ilivyo kwa mtu mwema, ndivyo ilivyo kwa mtu mwenye dhambi; kama ilivyo kwa wale wanaoapa, ndivyo ilivyo kwa wale wasioapa.
3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one occurrence for all, and that also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and that madness is in their heart while they live, and after this they go to the dead.
Huu ni ubaya ulio katika kila kitu kinachotendeka chini ya jua: Mwisho unaofanana huwapata wote. Zaidi ya hayo, mioyo ya watu, imejaa ubaya na kuna wazimu mioyoni mwao wangali hai, hatimaye huungana na waliokufa.
4 For whoever is yet united with all the living hath still hope; for a living dog fareth better than a dead lion.
Yeyote aliye miongoni mwa walio hai analo tumaini, hata mbwa hai ni bora kuliko simba aliyekufa!
5 For the living know that they will die; but the dead know not the least; nor have they longer any reward; for their memory is forgotten.
Kwa maana walio hai wanajua kwamba watakufa, lakini wafu hawajui chochote, hawana tuzo zaidi, hata kumbukumbu yao imesahaulika.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, are now already lost; and they will have never more a portion in all that is done under the sun.
Upendo wao, chuki yao na wivu wao vimetoweka tangu kitambo, kamwe hawatakuwa tena na sehemu katika lolote linalotendeka chini ya jua.
7 Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a merry heart thy wine, if God have already received thy works in favor.
Nenda, kula chakula chako kwa furaha, unywe divai yako kwa moyo wa shangwe, kwa maana sasa Mungu anakubali unachofanya.
8 At all times let thy garments be white, and let oil not be wanting on thy head.
Daima uvae nguo nyeupe na daima upake kichwa chako mafuta.
9 Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which God hath given thee under the sun, [yea, ] all the days of thy vanity; for this is thy portion in this life, and in thy toil with which thou toilest under the sun.
Furahia maisha na mke wako, umpendaye, siku zote za maisha ya ubatili uliyopewa na Mungu chini ya jua, siku zote za ubatili. Kwa maana hili ndilo fungu lako katika maisha na katika kazi yako ya taabu chini ya jua.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do with thy might, that do; for there is no work, nor experience, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the nether world, whither thou goest.— (Sheol h7585)
Lolote mkono wako upatalo kufanya, fanya kwa nguvu zako zote, kwa kuwa huko kuzimu, unakokwenda, hakuna kufanya kazi wala mipango wala maarifa wala hekima. (Sheol h7585)
11 I turned about, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the mighty; and that also the wise have no bread, nor yet the men of understanding riches, nor yet men of knowledge favor; but time and fate will overtake them all.
Nimeona kitu kingine tena chini ya jua: Si wenye mbio washindao mashindano au wenye nguvu washindao vita, wala si wenye hekima wapatao chakula au wenye akili nyingi wapatao mali, wala wenye elimu wapatao upendeleo, lakini fursa huwapata wote.
12 For man also knoweth not his time, like the fishes that are caught in an evil net, and like the birds that are caught in the snare: like these are the sons of men ensnared at an evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.
Zaidi ya hayo, hakuna mwanadamu ajuaye wakati saa yake itakapokuja: Kama vile samaki wavuliwavyo katika wavu mkatili, au ndege wanaswavyo kwenye mtego, vivyo hivyo wanadamu hunaswa na nyakati mbaya zinazowaangukia bila kutazamia.
13 Also in this manner have I seen wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
Pia niliona chini ya jua mfano huu wa hekima ambao ulinivutia sana:
14 There was a little city, and the men therein were few; and there came against it a great king, who enclosed it, and built around it great works of siege;
Palikuwa na mji mdogo uliokuwa na watu wachache ndani yake. Mfalme mwenye nguvu akainuka dhidi yake, akauzunguka akaweka jeshi kubwa dhidi yake.
15 But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he delivered the city by his wisdom; yet no man had thought of that same poor man.
Katika mji huo kulikuwepo mtu mmoja maskini lakini mwenye hekima, naye akauokoa ule mji kwa hekima yake. Lakini hakuna aliyemkumbuka yule maskini.
16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than might: although the poor man's wisdom is held in contempt, and his words are not heard.
Kwa hiyo, nikasema, “Hekima ni bora kuliko nguvu.” Lakini hekima ya maskini imedharauliwa, wala hakuna anayesikiliza maneno yake.
17 The words of wise men heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
Maneno ya utulivu ya mwenye hekima husikiwa kuliko makelele ya mtawala wa wapumbavu.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner causes much good to be lost.
Hekima ni bora kuliko silaha za vita, lakini mwenye dhambi mmoja huharibu mema mengi.
