Ecclesiastes 9
1 But all this I have laid to my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, [are] in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred does man know, the whole [is] before them.
Kwa kuwa nilifikiri haya yote katika akili zangu kufahamu kuhusu watu wenye haki na wenye hekima na matendo yao. Wote wako katika mikono ya Mungu. Hakuna anayefahamu kama upendo au chuki itakuja kwa mtu.
2 The whole [is] as to the whole; one event is to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean, and to him who is sacrificing, and to him who is not sacrificing; as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner, he who is swearing as he who is fearing an oath.
kila mmoja ana mwisho sawa. Mwisho sawa una subiria watu wenye haki na waovu, wema, walio safi na wasio safi, yeye atoaye dhabibu na yule asiye dhabihu. Kama vile watu wema watakufa wenye dhambi nao watakufa vivyo hivyo. kama vile yule anayeapa atakavyo kufa, vivyo hivyo mtu yule aogopaye kuweka kiapo naye atakufa.
3 This [is] an evil among all that has been done under the sun, that one event [is] to all, and also the heart of the sons of man is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart during their life, and after it—to the dead.
Kuna mwisho mwovu kwa kila kitu kinachofanyika chini ya jua, na mwisho kwa kila mtu. Moyo wa mwanadamu umejaa uovu, na wazimu uko katika mioyo yao wakati wanaishi. Hivyo baada ya hilo wanaenda kwa wafu.
4 But [to] him who is joined to all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it [is] better than to the dead lion.
Kwa kuwa yeyote anayeungana na wote walio hai kuna tumaini, kama vile mbwa aliye hai ni bora kuliko simba aliye kufa.
5 For the living know that they die, and the dead do not know anything, and there is no more reward to them, for their remembrance has been forgotten.
Kwa kuwa watu walio hai, lakini walio kufa hawajui chochote. Hawana tena tuzo yeyote kwa sababu kumbukumbu yao imesahaulika.
6 Their love also, their hatred also, their envy also, has already perished, and they have no more portion for all time in all that has been done under the sun.
Upendo wao, chuki na wivu vimekatiliwa mbali muda mwingi. Hawatapata sehemu katika kitu chochote kinachofanyika chini ya jua.
7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a glad heart, for already has God been pleased with your works.
Nenda zako, kula mkate wako kwa furaha, na kunywa mvinyo wako na moyo wa furaha, kwa kuwa Mungu huruhusu kusherehekea kazi njema.
8 At all times let your garments be white, and do not let oil be lacking on your head.
Nguo zako ziwe nyeupe siku zote, na kichwa chako kipake mafuta.
9 See life with the wife whom you have loved, all the days of the life of your vanity, that He has given to you under the sun, all the days of your vanity, for it [is] your portion in life, even of your labor that you are laboring at under the sun.
Ishi kwa furaha na mwanamke umpendaye siku zako zote za maisha yako ya ubatili, siku ambazo Mungu amekupatia chini ya jua wakati wa siku zako za ubatili. Hiyo ni thawabu kwa ajili ya kazi yako chini ya jua.
10 All that your hand finds to do, with your power do, for there is no work, and plan, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol to where you are going. (Sheol h7585)
Chochote mkono wako unakifanya, kifanye kwa nguvu zako kwa sababu hakuna kazi, au ufafanuzi au ujuzi au hekima katika Sheol, unapoenda. (Sheol h7585)
11 I have turned so as to see under the sun, that not to the swift [is] the race, nor to the mighty the battle, nor even to the wise bread, nor even to the intelligent wealth, nor even to the skillful grace, for time and chance happen with them all.
Nimeona baadhi ya vitu vyakuvutia chini ya jua: Mashindano hayatokani na watu wenye mbio. Vita havitokani na watu imara. Mkate hautokani na watu wenye busara. Mali hazitokani na watu wenye ufahamu. Kibali hakitokani na watu wenye ujuzi. Badala yake muda na bahati huwaathiri wao wote.
12 For even man does not know his time; as fish that are taken hold of by an evil net, and as birds that are taken hold of by a snare, the sons of man are snared like these at an evil time when it falls on them suddenly.
Kwa kuwa hakuna anaye fahamu wakati wake wa kufa, kama vile samaki wanaswavyo katika nyavu ya kifo, au kama vile ndege akamatwavyo katika mtego. Kama wanyama wanadamu wamefungwa katika nyakati mbaya ambazo ghafla huwaangukia.
13 This also I have seen: wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.
Pia nimeona hekima chini ya jua kwa namna ambayo kwangu ilionekana kubwa.
14 A little city, and few men in it, and a great king has come to it, and has surrounded it, and has built against it great bulwarks;
Kulikuwa na mji mdogo na watu wachache ndani yake, na mfalme mkuu akaja kinyume na mji huo na akauzingira na akajenga mahandaki kwa ajili ya kuushambulia.
15 and there has been found in it a poor wise man, and he has delivered the city by his wisdom, and men have not remembered that poor man!
Na katika mji kulikuwa na masikini, mtu mwenye hekima, ambaye kwa hekima yake aliuokoa mji. Ila baadaye aliye mkumbuka yule masikini.
16 And I said, “Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.”
Hivyo, nikasema, “Hekima ni bora kuliko nguvu, lakini hekima ya mtu masikini hudharauliwa, na maneno yake hayasikilizwi.”
17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet, More than the cry of a ruler over fools.
Maneno ya watu wenye hekima yaliongewa polepole yanasikiwa vizuri kuliko makelele ya mtawala yeyote miongoni mwa wapumbavu.
18 Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroys much good!
Hekima ni bora kuliko silaha za vita, lakini mwenye dhambi mmoja anaweza kuharibu mazuri mengi.
