Ecclesiastes 12
1 While you are still young, keep thinking about [God], who created you. Do that before [you are old] and you experience many troubles, during the years when you say “I no [longer] enjoy being alive.”
Utuu guyyaan rakkinaa hin dhufin, utuu barri ati itti, “Ani itti hin gammadu” jettu hin gaʼin, bara dargaggummaa keetii keessa Uumaa kee yaadadhu;
2 [When you become old], the light from the sun and moon and stars will [seem] dim [to you], and [it will seem that the rain] clouds [always] return [quickly] after it rains.
utuu aduu fi ifni, jiʼii fi urjiin hin dukkanaaʼin, utuu duumessi bokkaatti aanee hin deebiʼin,
3 Then your [arms that you use to protect] [MET] your bodies will shake/tremble, and your [legs that support] [MET] your bodies will become weak. Many of your [teeth that you use to] grind/chew [your food] will fall out, and your [eyes that you use to] look out of windows will not see clearly.
yeroo itti eegdonni manaa hollatanii namoonni jajjaboon immoo gugguufanitti, yeroo itti warri midhaan daakan sababii muraasa taʼaniif hojii dhiisanii, kanneen foddaa keessaan ilaalan arguu dadhabanitti,
4 Your [ears] [MET] will not hear the noise in the streets, and you will not be able to hear clearly the sound of people grinding grain with millstones. You will be awakened in the morning by hearing the birds singing/chirping, [but] you will not be able to hear well the songs that (the birds/people) sing.
yeroo itti balballi daandii guddaatti geessu cufamee sagaleen dhagaa daakuu immoo gad buʼaa deemutti, yeroo itti namni waca simbirrootiin dammaqee sirbi ishee hundi garuu gad buʼaa deemutti,
5 You will be afraid to be in high places and afraid of dangers on the roads that you walk on. [Your hair] will become [white like] [MET] the flowers of almond trees. [When you try to walk], you will drag yourself along like [MET] grasshoppers, and you will no longer desire [to have sex]. Then you will [die and] go to your eternal home, and people who will mourn for you will be in the streets.
yeroo itti namni lafa ol dheeraa fi balaa daandii irraa sodaatu, yeroo itti mukni lawuzii daraaru, yeroo itti korophisni tiratuu fi hawwiin nama keessaa badutti Uumaa kee yaadadhu. Ergasii namni mana isaa bara baraatti gala; warri booʼanis daandii irra deddeebiʼu.
6 [Think much about God now, because] soon our lives will end, [like] [MET] silver chains or golden bowls that break easily, or like pitchers/jugs that are broken at the water fountain, or like broken pulleys at a well.
Utuu funyoon meetii hin citin, yookaan utuu waciitiin warqee hin cabin isa yaadadhu; utuu okkoteen burqaa biratti hin caccabin, yookaan utuu geengoon ittiin bishaan warraaban boolla bishaanii biratti hin cabin,
7 Then our corpses will [decay and] become dirt again, and our spirits will return to God, the one who gave us our spirits.
utuu biyyoon lafa turetti hin deebiʼin, utuu hafuurris Waaqa isa kennetti hin deebiʼin isa yaadadhu.
8 [So] I say [again] that it is difficult to understand why everything happens; everything is mysterious.
Lallabaanis, “Wanni hundi faayidaa hin qabu! Faayidaa hin qabu! Wanni hundi faayidaa hin qabu!” jedha.
9 I was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled/collected and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about and studied them.
Lallabaan sun ogeessa qofa utuu hin taʼin beekumsas namaaf ni qooda ture. Inni itti yaadee, qoratee fakkeenya baayʼee tartiibaan kaaʼeera.
10 I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
Lallabaan kun jecha sirrii argachuuf jedhee qorate; wanni inni barreesses qajeelaa fi dhugaa dha.
11 The things that [I and other] wise people say [teach people what they should do]; they are like [SIM] (goads/sharp sticks that people use to strike animals to direct where they should go). They are like [SIM] nails that stick out of pieces of wood. They are given to us by [God, who is like] [MET] our shepherd.
Dubbiin ogeessaa akkuma meeshaa ittiin loon oofanii ti; jechi isaa kan walitti qabames akkuma mismaara jabeeffamee rukutamee ti; kanas tiksee tokkotu kenne.
12 [So], my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written, [because] writing proverbs/books is endless, and [trying to] study them all will cause you to become exhausted.
Yaa ilma ko, waan kana irraa hafe hunda of eeggadhu. Kitaaba hedduu barreessuun hojii dhuma hin qabnee dha; quʼannaan baayʼeenis nama dadhabsiisa.
13 [Now] you have heard all [that I have told you], and here is the conclusion: Revere God, and obey his commandments, because those commandments summarize everything that people should do.
Amma wanni hundinuu dhagaʼameera; dhumni dubbii kunoo ti; Waaqa sodaadhuutii seera isaa eegi; wanni namni hojjechuu malu guddaan isa kanaatii.
14 And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do, good things and bad things, [even] things that we do secretly.
Waaqni hojii hunda, waan dhokfame hundas gaarii yookaan hamaa taanaan murtiitti dhiʼeessaatii.
