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.”
Rántí Ẹlẹ́dàá rẹ ní ọjọ́ èwe rẹ, nígbà tí ọjọ́ ibi kò tí ì dé àti tí ọdún kò tí ì ní súnmọ́ etílé, nígbà tí ìwọ yóò wí pé, “Èmi kò ní ìdùnnú nínú wọn,”
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.
kí oòrùn àti ìmọ́lẹ̀ àti òṣùpá àti àwọn ìràwọ̀ tó ṣókùnkùn, àti kí àwọsánmọ̀ tó padà lẹ́yìn òjò;
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.
nígbà tí olùṣọ́ ilé yóò wárìrì tí àwọn ọkùnrin alágbára yóò tẹríba, nígbà tí àwọn tí ó ń lọ dákẹ́ nítorí pé wọn kò pọ̀, tí àwọn tí ń wo òde láti ojú fèrèsé yóò ṣókùnkùn;
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.
nígbà tí ìlẹ̀kùn sí ìgboro yóò tì tí ariwo ọlọ yóò dákẹ́; nígbà tí àwọn ènìyàn yóò dìde sí ariwo àwọn ẹyẹ ṣùgbọ́n gbogbo orin wọn yóò máa lọ ilẹ̀.
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.
Nígbà tí ènìyàn yóò bẹ̀rù ibi gíga àti ti ìfarapa ní ìgboro; nígbà tí igi almondi yóò tanná àti tí ẹlẹ́ǹgà yóò wọ́ ara rẹ̀ lọ tí ìfẹ́ kò sì ní ru sókè mọ́ nígbà náà ni ènìyàn yóò lọ ilé rẹ́ ayérayé tí àwọn aṣọ̀fọ̀ yóò máa rìn kiri ìgboro.
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.
Rántí rẹ̀ kí okùn fàdákà tó já, tàbí kí ọpọ́n wúrà tó fọ́; kí iṣà tó fọ́ níbi ìsun, tàbí kí àyíká kẹ̀kẹ́ kí ó tó kán níbi kànga.
7 Then our corpses will [decay and] become dirt again, and our spirits will return to God, the one who gave us our spirits.
Tí erùpẹ̀ yóò sì padà sí ilẹ̀ ibi tí ó ti wà, tí ẹ̀mí yóò sì padà sọ́dọ̀ Ọlọ́run tí ó fi í fún ni.
8 [So] I say [again] that it is difficult to understand why everything happens; everything is mysterious.
“Asán! Asán!” ni Oniwaasu wí. “Gbogbo rẹ̀ asán ni!”
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.
Kì í ṣe wí pé Oniwaasu jẹ́ ọlọ́gbọ́n nìkan, ṣùgbọ́n ó tún kọ́ àwọn ènìyàn ní ìmọ̀. Ó rò ó dáradára ó sì ṣe àwárí, ó sì gbé ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ òwe kalẹ̀ lẹ́sẹẹsẹ.
10 I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
Oniwaasu wádìí láti rí àwọn ọ̀rọ̀ tí ó tọ̀nà, ohun tí ó kọ sì dúró ṣinṣin ó sì jẹ́ òtítọ́.
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.
Ọ̀rọ̀ ọlọ́gbọ́n dàbí ẹ̀gún, àkójọpọ̀ ọ̀rọ̀ wọn sì dàbí ìṣó tí a kàn pọ̀ dáradára, tí olùṣọ́-àgùntàn kan fi fún ni.
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.
Àti síwájú láti inú èyí, ọmọ mi, gba ìmọ̀ràn. Nínú ìwé púpọ̀, òpin kò sí, ìwé kíkà púpọ̀ a máa mú ara ṣàárẹ̀.
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.
Nísinsin yìí, òpin gbogbo ọ̀rọ̀ tí a gbọ́ ni pé, bẹ̀rù Ọlọ́run, kí o sì pa òfin rẹ̀ mọ́, nítorí èyí ni ojúṣe gbogbo ènìyàn.
14 And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do, good things and bad things, [even] things that we do secretly.
Nítorí Ọlọ́run yóò ṣe ìdájọ́ olúkúlùkù iṣẹ́ àti ohun ìkọ̀kọ̀, kì bá à ṣe rere kì bá à ṣe búburú.
